Looking for something new to make for an upcoming holiday or birthday? Check out the Free Recipes and Ideas from Betty Crocker. From New Year's to Christmas, there's a recipe for any occasion. You can get the recipe for this Red, White and Blue Layered Flag Cake by clicking here.

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(May 30, 2014) If you shop at Walgreens, you might be interested to know that their Coupon Policy has been updated recently. Here are the two major changes “Walgreens will not accept coupons that exceed the selling price of an item.” This change will probably affect a lot of Walgreens shoppers, as it will prevent us from using a coupon with a value that exceeds the price of the item the coupon is being used on. For example, if Walgreens has a product on sale for $2.90 and you have a $3.00 off one product coupon, Walgreens cashiers will no longer be able to manually adjust the value of the coupon down. In the past, their coupon policy allowed cashier to manually adjust coupons down to the cost of the product being sold. But that won't be allowed anymore. :( “For offers when multiple items are purchased and additional items are free (buy 1 get 1 free; buy 2 get 1 free, etc.), the number of coupons applied to that offer cannot exceed the number of items required in the “buy” portion of the offer. Coupons may not be applied against any free item received in any offer.” What this means is that we will no longer be able to use a coupon on the Free item in a Buy One Get One Free sale. For example, if Almay makeup remover is on buy one get one free sale, you can use one $4/1 coupon when you buy two makeup removers instead of two coupons.  So only one coupon for the item we are buying, and no coupons for the item(s) that is free. Sad day for some couponers, but I think we will be able to get through it! There are still so many awesome deals and savings to be had! :) Here's the link to the full Walgreens Coupon Policy. 

I recently discovered a pretty amazing cause -- Love 4 Heroes, a group of couponers who coupon for items to send to deployed service members overseas, defending us and protecting our freedom. These care packages let them know they are supported. After hearing their mission I mentioned it to my friend Yoli. I knew her husband deployed twice, once as a single Marine and the second time being married to her. Hearing her story of how much a simple box full of everyday items can move a person, really touched me! Here's a snippet of what she said: "When my husband was deployed as a single marine to Iraq (before we met), his mom sent him one box. It had toilet paper and a couple of books. Even though it was only one box, he said it meant the world to him. It was a connection to home. The light in his eyes really moved me. "So when he was deployed again to Afghanistan after we were married, I was determined to send him a box monthly. This was before I learned how to coupon. The cost of one box, for a non-couponer, cost me around $40-$60 with shipping. It was expensive to do, but I know it made a big difference to him. My husband shared his boxes with other Marines who didn't receive boxes. I also sent him a small Christmas tree, the guys decorated it and ended up leaving it up at the base all year around." This is exactly what Love 4 Heroes set out to do: they take the time to gather coupons, watch for sales, and buy at stock up prices, so they can make boxes for military members overseas who may not have anyone that send them care packages. Because they use coupons, they can scale down the cost significantly. You can donate just $28 and they will do all the work. Their boxes are gender specific and are packed with a ton of stuff that would make someone overseas very happy. Anyway, click here to check them out. Photo credit of an actual Marine finally getting mail from home while being deployed overseas

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is coming up next week. As part of the party, Louisiana celebrates by buying or baking a traditional King Cake, which includes a tiny plastic baby baked into it. A King Cake is “A brioche or sweet roll dough is braided, baked in a circle and decorated with icing and purple, green and gold sugars. Kind of like a crown-shaped cinnamon roll all dressed up for a party.” Get ready for Mardi Gras with this quick version of the traditional King Cake by Betty Crocker.Ingredients:Cake 3 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) Rapid Rise yeast 1 cup milk 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into 12 pieces Cinnamon Filling 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened Icing 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Decoration Dark green, purple, and yellow or gold sugars, if desired Miniature plastic baby, if desired Directions: Mix 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast in mixing bowl of stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, on low for about 30 seconds. Heat milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and milk is between 120°F to 130°F. With mixer on low, pour in liquids and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining 1 cup flour a little at a time, adding more or less flour as needed to make a soft dough. Add the softened butter, a piece at a time, kneading until each piece of butter is absorbed. Knead for eight minutes on low. The dough should completely clear the sides of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more flour is needed. If the dough seems too dry, spritz with water from a spray bottle a couple of times, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more water is needed. Every 2 minutes, stop the machine, scrape the dough off the hook, and then continue kneading. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand to be sure it’s smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. While the dough is chilling, make cinnamon filling. In small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Combine butter with cinnamon mixture and mix well. Roll the chilled dough into a 10 x 20 inch rectangle. Spread the filling on half of the long side of the dough. Fold the dough in half covering the filling. Pat dough down firmly so the dough will stick together. Cut dough into three long strips. Press the tops of the strips together and braid the strips. Press the ends together at the bottom. Gently stretch the braid so that it measures 20 inches again. Shape it into a circle/oval and press the edges together. Transfer the ring to a parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350º. Bake the cake until it is golden brown, 20 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet and then place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing. To hide the baby in the cake, if desired, make a small slit in the bottom of the cake and put the miniature plastic baby in after the cake has cooled. Icing: In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (add additional milk if mixture is too thick or powdered sugar if too thin). Spoon icing over top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle on colored sugar, alternating between the three colors.

Update: It's not too late to sign up. We will be giving away free $25 gift cards once the goodie boxes are gone. Still a few boxes left. Hey you, My name is Tina and I'm the mama behind Free Stuff Finder. I thought to pop in and say hello, and to confess to a problem I have. Perhaps you can help me. Here's my problem... I have WAY too many free samples and other freebies sent to my house. More than I know what to do with. Can you take some off my hands? Please help! Because we try every offer that we post on Free Stuff Finder, we end up with a large surplus of goodies without homes. They are literally sitting in the corner of my office collecting dust. If I don't give these away soon, I'll end up on the show Hoarders. :) Here is a picture of one such corner. Excuse the mess. Every box and bag and stash you see here contain Freebies I’ve received or picked up, just from the last 6 months. I've been meaning to take photos of these for you, but ya know how it is when you are juggling kids, family and work --- you end up saying "I'll do it next week". And before you know it, you end up with what I have pictured above: an overwhelming disaster. *smiles* Anyway, I want to give this stuff away to you. If you want it, that is. :) Here’s my solution: I recently started our VIP Freebie List (which will replace the daily emails on June 1st and becoming a Bi-Weekly newsletter. It will also be the coolest and best weekly freebie report in the planet! *wink*). We will be randomly giving away boxes of goodies we’ve received to members of the VIP list. Membership is Free (C'mon, we're free stuff finder. Everything's gotta be Free baby!). Join the list here and you could be a winner for a box of freebie goodies. To sweeten the deal, we’ll also be doing weekly giveaways of $25 gift cards to members, and we will be announcing winners on the list only. Additionally, we will also be holding special surprise and private giveaways during the year of cool stuff. Cool stuff like iPads, Kindles, Blenders and other goodness. You don’t want to miss it. You can join the VIP list by clicking here or completing this short form below:

During the holidays, many people spend hours shopping for the perfect gift to give someone special. While some people are easy to shop for, others can be a little more challenging when it seems a person has everything. However, when it comes to men sports-related gifts are always great choice.  Here's some ideas to get you started and inspire you to find the perfect gift for your sports lover. 1. Team Apparel No true sports fan will feel ready for the big game unless they are wearing their favorite jersey or hoodie. Make sure to pick out a jersey that reflects your sports lover’s favorite player when you can. If you are not sure of their favorite player, then pick out a retro shirt of a hall of fame athlete. Just don' t buy a team jersey with the team logo on it and disregard the name on the back.  A classic team sweatshirt is also a great idea for football fans that often spend hours in the cold supporting their favorite team. To get a great deal watch stores like Target, Kmart and J.C. Penney's for sales.  All three of these stores have great selections of local team apparel plus they have great online deals for apparel for all the teams. 2. Season Tickets Every sports lover enjoys watching a live game; however, many will not spend the money for season tickets. If your gift recipient’s favorite team’s season tickets are too expensive, then try finding a package with lower cost seats or maybe a game that falls on a special date, like their birthday or maybe the first game of the season.  Knowing that they have an instant invite to a game will make any sports lover smile. Don't forget you'll want to buy two when at all possible so he can bring his buddy, or if you are a fan of the sport...YOU! 3. Sports Equipment Many sports lovers also enjoy playing their favorite sport. In every sport, equipment tends to get old, lost or need repairs. Try finding out their favorite sport to play, and support their efforts with some great equipment. Basketball players may love a new ball, softball players might love some new cleats.  Additionally, baseball players will love these Kip leather gloves for the comfort they bring to batting. 4. Video Games Even professional players love to play their favorite sport within the comfort of their home so consider a  video game. Lots of the latest games have favorite players and teams that can be found to support a sports lover’s interests. Currently, football and baseball games are at the top of the list, but video games can also be found for basketball players, race car drivers and tennis as well.  There is a video game for every sport. To find the best games check reviews and find out what game is hot right now.  You can also pre-order some games and then give them their paid pre-order game receipt. 5. Signed Memorabilia This gift can be hard to score, but if you do, your favorite sports enthusiast will be thrilled. Check online for deals on baseballs, cards and posters. However, be wary when shopping from an unauthorized dealer. One great resource is eBay for great deals and a variety of types of sports and types of memorabilia. Signed memorabilia must be the real deal to be worth it. You may have to do some research to find out if your gift recipient already has a collection or is into this type of collecting. Then, check out what is available in their favorite sport.  Baseball cards are a great place to start as well as signed photos and team balls. Finding the right gift for a sports lover can be an exciting challenging. Although it may seem as though someone has everything, when it comes to the sports lover, there is always something special out there.  You may have to do a little investigation but you'll soon have your hands on the perfect gift for him!

There has been an update to Facebook recently and you are most likely missing out on a lot of our freebie Facebook posts. By following these steps you can be sure to see ALL of our freebie Facebook posts in your news feed - never miss a freebie again! 1. Hover over the 'Like' button on Free Stuff Finder's Facebook page and click on 'Settings'.  (see below) 2. Then click 'All Updates' and make sure there is a check mark next to it.  You will now be sure to see all of our freebie posts in your Facebook feed - yay!  (see below) 3. You can also get a notification whenever we post a new freebie to Facebook by hovering the 'Like' button and then clicking on 'Get Notifications'.  (see below)

These are so cute, I just had to share it! If you're planning a Halloween party for your child, special treat bags to hand out, or have a co-worker that needs a Tic Tac, you have to do this! Just click on the link to find out how to transform regular Tic Tacs into super funny Halloween treats.

Sometimes mixing money and family is not the wisest financial move. A lot of the times personal feeling get mixed in the web of financial burdens and it becomes a very unpleasant and potentially long term harmful situation. It can be more complicated at times when the ones you are closest to in your family look to you for help with their financial debts, even when you are trying to make your own financial situation better. Obligation to Help Family is family, and we never want to see mom and dad suffering without life's essentials. When they turn to you for help you might not even think twice, because they are your parents. When family members come to us for help all they time, it feels like the more you help them, they more they expect from you. Your feelings become cloudy and you often wonder, "What will they want next? It is not a comfortable position to be in when you want to help but do not want to be taken advantage of time and time again. Risks to be considered Before you lend anyone any money be sure you do the math properly. Develop a plan with them so you do not face a situation of take the money and run. You want to be paid back so be sure this plan is in place and everyone is on the same page. But consider the risks also. Be sure you are okay with the fact that you might not ever see the money again. Prepare yourself to deal with fallout that will happen if they don't pay you back. Or are you willing to go as far as making them sign a contract to make it legal concerning repayment terms? Explain to them that you too have financial goals that you need to meet. You are willing to help but you also need them to be responsible and pay you back. Saying No Do not be afraid to say a firm "No". If you make the decision to not loan the money, be strong in your resolve. Do not delay the answer to them just because you are afraid of their rejection. If you can't do it, you can't do it. Do not put yourself in a position of financial distress to help someone else. The longer you wait to give a decision, the more difficult it will be. It could possibly lead to you giving in and being in a financial mess yourself. Expect them to be upset with you. Just because they see your financial success and wonder why you said "No" let it be a learning experience for them. Sometimes they need a good kick in the rear to get it in gear. You have made decisions to put you in the position you are in, so don't let someone get you into a disaster that you have to spend years cleaning up. Ultimately, be nice to family when they ask you for a loan. Whether your response is a "yes" or "no". Hopefully they will respect your decision at the end of the day and understand why. Looking for tips on saving money? By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

Let's face it, furniture is not today what it used to be 20 years ago. The materials that are used today are a lot less sturdy and cheaper to make. But for those few pieces of nice furniture you might have around your house, and even those mediocre pieces, you still need simple solutions to help fix those little nicks that happen from day to day wear and tear. Check out the list we have put together to help you resolve and freshen up some of those treasured pieces you might have in your home. Scrapes in Faux Leather Do you have a furry friend that decided to used the back of your leather chair as a scratch post? Your little friend didn't scratch it completely to ruins, but maybe you have little small holes now in the back of your chair. Take out a magical Sharpie pen that matches the material color, and play like a little kid coloring over those small pesky holes. For the larger tears or snags there are leather repair kits available to help you to create a patch that will match perfectly. Real Leather Maybe you have the real deal type of leather, and your furry friend decided to take our some frustration. Get some shoe polish that matches the color of the material and fill in the holes. If you have a nasty snap, using a needle, very carefully push the snags back into place. Then apply the shoe polish over the area, and heat it with a hair dryer. You might have to repeat this procedure several times until you cannot see the snags any longer. Always be sure to test an inconspicuous area of the couch to ensure that the color shoe polish matches. Upholstery You have friends over and some red wine spills on the furniture, or a piece of dark chocolate, or maybe some ice cream got spilled. Perhaps, you have children and a melted crayon is now a part of the pattern. No worries. For a melted crayon, have no fear. Get out a can of WD-40 and follow it up by a wash with dish soap to help remove the residual oils. Voila! Crayon is now removed. For everything else that has made it's way to your light colored furniture, use a little bit of oxygen bleach, or vinegar solution. Vinegar is a very handy liquid to keep plenty of around the house. It will remove practically anything and everything from various surfaces. Scrapes in Wood Do you have nice deep, dark walnut furniture? For low profile injuries to your beautiful wood, get your hands on a product called Old English Scratch Cover for Dark Woods. This is an oil base product that is soaked directly into the wood making it look beautiful. For the more worse injuries, I always rely on the dark brown Sharpie pens. You can also get special wood and floor markers specifically designed to fill in scrapes. But I find the Sharpies to be cheaper. Kit Art Kids love to damage our furniture don't they? From time to time I will find lovely carvings in my wood furniture. Or crayons on the wall, along with that alphabet they so graciously decided to show you on your door done in marker. Two products you will want to get your hand are are, Minwax, and Goo Gone. Minwax is a wood toned soft wax that will blend those carvings beautifully. Polish it up with a little bit of furniture polish over it and you are set. Goo Gone, will take off virtually anything you can think of from crayon, to stickers, to marker and even take gum out of carpet. Just apply a small amount to the area you want to treat and give it a little elbow grease and you will have your problem solved. Check out these great DIY Tips. By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

Saving for college can be a bit overwhelming. In fact, college students who save money for college should earn some type of scholarship in and of itself. It takes time and dedication for such a young mind, what an accomplishment. There is no reason to go deeper into debt than you might already be after you register for classes and buy books. So we've put together several creative ways you can save a few dollars while enjoying your college experience. Ways to get around Bike - Riding your bike as a means of transportation not only helps your pocket book but it has the added benefit of burning some of those extra annoying calories. Help lose your freshman 5 and stay active. Bus - With such expensive gas prices throughout the nation, why not put the burden on someone else to pay those gas fees. Just a small fare to get you on board and you can ride anywhere you desire around town. Car - If you do have your own vehicle, be sure to save a little bit extra money to turn off the air conditioning when you don't need it. Roll down the windows. It will save you some gas. Shortest Route - Always chose the shortest route possible. Carpool - You can always carpool with your new dorm friends. Are you all going to the same spot for lunch? Why not go together. Food Well I could suggest to go dumpster diving, but that is a little unsanitary. So here are a few other tips to save money on food. Recycle - You might find yourself at a party for the first time, don't let all those bottles and cans go to waste. Do some volunteer work, help clean up the next day and keep all the bottles and cans for yourself. Then head to the recycling plant and turn them in for cash. This can help to offset your food bill. Couponing - Now that you have left the home, it's time to get it together and be responsible. People throw away hundreds of dollars each month by not browsing and using coupons. Start clipping and save. \ No Coffee - You might be addicted to coffee to get you through those long nights of studying before a test. Get yourself a small coffee maker to keep in your room versus enjoying a cafe mocha every day. It will save you a ton of money. Potluck - Want to have a Pizza night with your friends. Instead of ordering out make it yourself. Have each friend bring over one ingredient that way not just one person bares the financial burden for everyone. Books A lot of college campuses have used textbook store so be sure you do some research to see where there might be one next to your school. Join Amazon Student for one year. You will get free two-day shipping and they have almost every text book you can think of. All in all, enjoy the beginning of your college experience. Be smart about your money and be responsible. Show your parents that you do have the skills you need to be away from home and on your own. Looking for other ways to save money? By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

Money management is more than just bringing in income and not overspending. It’s about actually managing the expenses being paid and monitored. Being a busy parent means bill management and bill payments are the worst time of day for you. However, it does not have to be the biggest challenge you have yet to overcome. Here are 3 bill management techniques you can implement today. Decide On a System to Organize Your Bills The first part of organizing your bills is to identity what your bills are, when they are due, and how much is due. If you’ve created a spreadsheet for your family budget, this is pretty much half done for you. You can organize your bills in any spreadsheet program on your computer, with an online spreadsheet system such as GoogleDocs, or with an online banking software method. There are many personal financial websites that will pull all your bill information into their system to help you manage your funds. A good example of a spreadsheet setup is to list your bills in the first column, the due date in the 2nd column, and the amount due in the 3rd column. You can also place your income pay dates in the next columns so you will know which bill should be paid from that check. Once the bill is paid, highlight or check it off your list. Statement Organization If you want to keep record of your statements, some people prefer the paper method of organizing their bills. As a busy person, this is excess work. You must open and sort through the mail, consistently purge older paperwork such as shredding once a month, and file the papers to stay organized. Now, you can perform all bill management online. Property management companies are even moving towards credit card payments via online systems. So, you can accurately keep track of your bills by downloading your statements and filing them electronically. You can store the PDF files in a folder labeled for each month and place them in there as they come along. For statements that come in via the mail, medical bills, or credit collections, simply scan the bill and file it at once. Once the bill is paid, delete it. Decide On a System to Pay Your Bills There are numerous ways to pay a bill. You can pay it in person, have the payment automatically drafted from your checking account, pay online to the creditor’s site, or mail the payment in. Decide on the method that works best for you and pay all your bills with the same method if possible. This keeps you organized and prevents you from checking multiple accounts to verify a bill has been paid. The best method is via the creditor automatically drafting it from your checking or savings account. Do this if you always have ample amount of funding in your account to cover the bills. This is advised because the burden is on the creditor to pull the funding, it’s always paid on time, and you can worry about organizing it at a later time. Looking for more money saving tips? By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

At some point we are all in need of the next "big ticket" item in our home. But the question really is...do we rent to own or buy? Many cities across the US have the local stores that Rent-to-Own pretty much anything thing your heart desires, from new flat screen TVs to beds and kitchen dining room sets. So what are the pros and cons to each? Here we will investigate on what is a better option Rent-to-Own or Buy. Then we will leave the decision up to you. Rent-to-Own Other than those high interest rates on the things you decide to buy, the option to make monthly payments and rent something before you buy it outright is very enticing. Often times at these types of stores you have many people who have very poor credit and cannot get a loan for anything. But that is what these types of stores are founded on. The idea that many Americans overspend, have too much credit and cannot get another loan from anyone. So they have you prove that you can make the committed payments, usually weekly or monthly and the interest rates are sky high. Once you can prove that, the sky is the limit. Buy anything you want to in their store. It's that simple. But there is always a catch. Do not miss a single payment. If you miss a payment the Rent-to-Own store will come and take back the particular item you purchased. However, this doesn't instill enough fear into the average customer. Many people use the Rent-to-Own option. It is a way for many consumers to get instant gratification as well as, offering consumers the chance to get something they really cannot afford in the first place. Often times those who frequent Rent-to-Own locations, have extremely poor money management skills. Buy - Save Up! The most important thing converse to Rent-to-Own would be to buy something outright. If you do not have the cash readily available, then the key to buying is to save up. Saving up for the big things that you want in life requires discipline. But it makes the process that much more worth it. When you set aside a little bit of money each week, you will be surprised at how fast it all adds up. It is always better to save up when possible. You don't have those annoying interest rates, or another line item to add to your monthly budget. When you have the money, you buy it and that's the end of it. It can be very rewarding. It also allows you to take pride in the fact that you own something out right and most often times you enjoy your item a lot more also. Do not fall into habits that will deprive you of financial freedom. So will you Rent-to-Own or Buy your next big thing? You make the decision. Ultimately at the end of the day, It is your money, and you get to do what you want with it.

If you need a cheap and inexpensive way to clean just about anything in your house, I strongly encourage you to stop by your local dollar store. I can buy a package of 1,000 filters for just $1 and I've seen this at several dollar stores in my area. So now that you have a tremendous amount of filters, what can you do with them all other than use them for coffee? (That's a lot of coffee by the way) Here we have put together several ideas that you can do to get the biggest bang for your buck. 1. Instead of wasting a paper towel to cover up your food plate when re-heating in the microwave, use a coffee filter. They make great covers. 2. Clean window, mirrors, anything shiny. Coffee filters, unlike paper towels are lint free so they will not leave behind those pesky lint pieces everywhere. 3. Do not just stack your perfect chinaware on top of each other. Place a coffee filter in between plates and bowls when putting them away. 4. Did you just buy a lovely bottle of wine and when you corked it some of the cork fell into the wine? Use a coffee filter to solve this problem. 5. Put a coffee filter in your cast iron skillet. It will help to prevent rust and will absorb any type of moisture. 6. Shine up your shoes. Instead of using a towel to apply shoe polish, use a coffee filter. Again, they are lint free and work great. 7. When weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale for dinner, place a coffee filter on your scale and measure the food into the filter. This will help you save time on clean-up. 8. Don't want all your ingredients to fall out when eating that tasty taco? Wrap a coffee filter around it to help prevent everything making a huge mess. 9. Did you nick yourself while shaving in the morning? Keep some coffee filters in your bathroom to help with those shaving mishaps. They really work. 10. Sprinkle some baking soda into a coffee filter and place inside of your shoes. This helps to absorb or prevent odors. 11. Use a coffee filter to assist you in re-filling your fluids in your vehicle. They make life so much easier. 12. Don't have a spoon rest, use a coffee filter. It's cheaper than using up all your paper towels. 13. Instead of using bowls during your meal time preparation use a coffee filter. This will help you cut down on the amount of dishes you will have to do afterwards. 14. Need to get some seeds to sprout to plant for your garden this year? Wet a coffee filter, place the seed in the filter, bundle it up and place it in a baggie. Leave alone until they sprout. Then you are able to plant it in your upcoming garden. 15. Get crafty with them. You can make paper snowflakes or have the kids color them with marker or crayons. You can even place a flower in between two coffee filters and place in between the middle of a heavy book to get a pressed flower for some artwork. This is a great way to keep them busy! Be creative with the things that you have on hand. You don't always need to create more trash, more dishes, or more messes. Use the items that are in your home that are the least amount of money to buy. You will be surprised at what you can do with so many different items. By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

In today's society it is becoming more and more normal for either a mom or dad to be a stay at home parent. Many parents have visions of have relaxing days at home while being with their kids. Of course, there will be the daily chores but there will be plenty of time for playing, reading, and making delicious meals. At least that is the dream. Then reality sets in, and everything you once had visions of and dreamed about is not coming to fruition. The meaning of free time in non-existent and you often times thing what life would be like if you went back to work. How do you get things under control? Well, the reality of it is life will not always be under control. But there are way to remain productive and balance the demands of being a stay at home parent. How to Stay Productive Think Routine. One of the most important things of remaining on task is going to be to develop a routine. Things that need to be done will take twice as long if you have to think about them, so write them down. Work off of a to do list and start checking things off. Develop daily routines, get up, get dressed, make the bed, make breakfast, have a cup of coffee, get the kids up. During the evening hours, plan time to make dinner, pick up the clutter from the day etc. Following morning and evening routines will make life so much easier and your house will remain in decent shape. Keep tweaking routines until you find the right one that works for you and our kids. Kids Need to Help At times it can seem like quite the process to teach kids to do chores the way we want them to be done as parents. But take advantage of the fact that your children want to learn and help. Give them simple tasks like folding the kitchen towels, or get them to sweep up even if they are not really sweeping anything. It keeps them occupied and busy. It also empowers them to want to help more and instills them with good work ethic. They are a part of the family and can contribute to household duties as well. Make a chart of some kind that they can also mark off when tasks are done. Then when all the items are marked off for the day it's play time. You are happy, they are happy, it's a win win. Family Calendar You will want to develop a family calendar. Give everyone in the family their own color and when they have an event or an appointment put it in their designated color. That way at a glance you can see who is doing what and where people need to be. Plug in soccer schedules, school schedules, church schedules, whatever it might be. Put the calendar in a location where it is visible to everyone in the family making it easy for people to check it out at a glance. Keeping track of activities and appointments is a must for a stay at home parent. Meal Planning Do not get caught up in the little things that with advance planning are made easy. This will help you to save money and keep on task. Take some time each Sunday (or the night before your week starts) to plan out  the meals for the week. Do not forget to check out your calendar to be sure you aren't planning to have a meal at home one night, when in reality people need to be places around dinner time. This is a huge time saver, again, if it is planned and written down you just have to follow the plan and not think about it. If you are not the greatest cook, there are other options you can take advantage of to help you plan meals and even create shopping lists for the items you need. Relax It is a lot of work, but ultimately take a deep breath and enjoy the fact that there is no better person to be home with your child than you. Reflect on the reasons you chose to be a stay at home parent. It is OK if your house isn't squeaky clean. It's OK if something doesn't get done one day. Make your home your own. Learn to enjoy your family. By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

Who wants some Tax Free Shopping People!!!!!! Back to School sales are here and you may be interested in checking out when your select state is offering Tax Free Weekend! If you live in AL, AR, FL, IA, LA, MO, NM, NC, OK, SC, TN, or VA, this is the tax-free shopping weekend for you! Go for it baby! Shop till you drop!

Have you recently noticed your income is not stretching as far as it once did? That’s because products and services are more expensive and your salary is not reflecting it at all. Some people are lucky to get one raise a year. There are so many things people have done trying to get extra money including taking out loans. However, that only will get a person further into debt. Maybe your next step is to look into the many possible ways to make extra money from home. Now, this is not talking about a pyramid scheme or illegal activity. There are legitimate opportunities to make money at home and they will cost you little to no money to start. If there are any business endeavors you may pursue on your quest to make money at home, check thoroughly including with the Better Business Bureau. Here are 5 ways to make extra money from home. Review Products This is a double way to make money at home. There are many places that need product reviewers. Some companies have surveys you can participate in, such as MySurvey or Valued Opinions. These sites will pay you via a free PayPal account, free merchandise, or gift cards. Just remember to watch out for the scams. Never pay to review products. There are sites such as Vocalpoint and Houseparty that will send you products to review. You may get other products sent as well. So you may be wondering how this is a double way to make money. Simply sell any items you don’t want to keep for yourself. Start Your Own Home Based Business A home based business does not necessarily need to be full time. You can keep your job and work whenever you have free time. If it seems to be working well enough, you can transition it to a full time career. A few things to think about before starting your home based business is what are you good at? Figure out if it will take much overhead to start. Who is your target market? Can you market in your spare time and produce the goods? If you have the answers to these questions, it’s time to start. Key home business opportunities are: Tutoring Baking Website Design Blogging Virtual Assisting Pet Sitting Personal Care Assistant Complete Small Tasks Online These may not be the fastest methods to pay off your bills. However, there are many crowdsourcing sites such as Mturk, MicroWorkers, and MinuteWorkers. The pay can be anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars, so just use your better judgment. The best part of these tasks is that they require minimal research, so you can complete many while watching television. Write or Draw In Your Spare Time If you are an exceptional writer or love to draw, consider doing it for someone else. You could be a freelance writer or drawer. There are many sites that have people waiting for your services. Some of them include Odesk, Elance, and Fiverr. Once you sign up, make an outstanding profile for yourself and bid on projects. These are excellent ways to make extra money at home. Sell Something You can also sell items from home and make a ton of money. Look around your home. Do you see any unwanted books, jewelry, furniture, or clothing? These may seem like junk items to you, but there are people searching Craigslist, Amazon, and EBay every hour for these items. Signing up for the seller accounts is free. Some may take a percentage of your sale, while others won’t. Looking for More Money Saving and Money Making Tips? Check this out! By Taya, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

Let’s face it the laundry pile never seems to go away, it just sits there and haunts you day after day. Who likes to do laundry? Especially when all it feels like is a waste of time, money and energy. We have put together a few simple tips that can help you to save money while doing your best to get through the weekly laundry pile. Wash in Cold Water Think about it, in order to get the hot water you have to heat up the cold water right? Well, why not begin to buy a good cold water laundry detergent and wash only in cold water. The laundry detergents that are out on the market today are extremely efficient. This will allow you to get the same results, and not have to use up all that energy to heat up the water. Hopefully this will keep your energy bill lower and more money in your pocket. Always Maximize your Loads Your washer and dryer are going to spend the same amount of energy to wash a full load as they would a small load, so why not get the biggest bang for your buck and be sure you wash full loads of laundry. Don’t over stuff your washer, but make sure it’s a full load. This will also help you to cut down on your laundry time each day. Use the Dryer Less Second to your refrigerator, your dryer is another home appliance that uses the most amount of energy. In addition to being one of the most energy using appliances in your house, it also overtime will ruin your clothes. If you have a decent backyard, hang up a laundry line and begin to line dry as much as possible. If you do not have the space outdoors, they have drying racks that you can purchase and use in the same fashion. Clean your Dryer’s Lint Trap Your dryer works hard as it is, why make it a more difficult process and waste even more energy? Remember: Wasting energy is wasting time and money. If your dryer’s lint trap is full of lint it has to work even harder. So after each load, remember to clean your lint trap. This is also a huge safety tip. There are many house fires that are caused by clogged dryer traps. Once every few weeks, using the long slim attachment on your vacuum. Vacuum out the inside of the lint trap and the inside of your dryer as well. It wouldn’t hurt to call a professional every year either to be sure you are lint free in your dryer vent. Using Aluminum Foil It sounds funny, but instead of using a dryer sheet take a piece of aluminum foil and roll it up into a ball. Yes, dryer sheets smell nice. But if your main goal is to get rid of the static cling, aluminum foil will do the trick. Each aluminum ball can be used up to ten times. Definitely a money saver when it comes to buying fabric softener or dryer sheets. By Michelle B. Free Stuff Finder Contributor

After my husband lost his job, we relied on credit cards for everyday expenses like groceries and rent. Then, he started a business and charged supplies. Five years later, we’re still sitting on credit card debt, and I’m afraid. I’m afraid to open the credit card statement because we pay only the minimum amount due, and I know the balance barely moves down each month. I’m afraid we’ll always struggle to make ends meet as our credit card payments line someone else’s pockets. I’m afraid that one day, the debt will win and we’ll be left to drown under it. Can you relate? I know I’m not alone because recent statistics show that the average household credit card balance hovers above $15,000. However, I recently decided to face my fears and tackle the debt. After all, it’s just money, right? Here are the tips I’ve been using to face my fear and tackle debt, and they might help you too. Throw Snowballs Wintertime snowballs won’t help you repay debt, but the snowball principle will reduce your debt at a steady pace. Start by listing your debts. Include the amount you owe, the interest rate you pay and the estimated repayment date. Every month, pay the minimum amount due on every debt except the one with the highest interest rate. To that monthly payment, add as much extra money as possible. Work bonuses, second job income and sofa coins count as extra money. Continue to repay that loan aggressively until it’s completely repaid, and then do a happy dance, treat yourself (more on that later) and begin aggressively repaying the debt that now has the highest interest rate. As you repay each debt, the amount of money you can apply toward repaying existing debt grows like a snowball. For us, the snowball principle gets us out of debt – including our 25-year house payment – in less than seven years. Remind me again of why I was so afraid of debt? Write a Dream List What would you do with an extra $1100 a month? That’s how much I pay on all my household debts, and I can think of tons of things I’d like to do with the money. Build a household emergency fund. Fund my retirement account. Donate more to charity. Save and pay cash to replace our aging vehicle. Work less and play more. Your dream list may look different than mine, and that’s okay. The important thing is to carry a copy on the inside of your wallet. Every time you feel tempted to pull out the credit card, you’ll see your list of dreams and remember why you’re getting out of debt. Treat yourself I told you we’d get to this part, and here we are – the dessert. Now that you’re facing your fear of debt and have started to make a dent in it, treat yourself with a reward. It could be something as simple as taking an entire day off work to read a book in the backyard or splurging on a meal out with your spouse (go at lunchtime when the prices are cheaper for full meal portions).  You deserve a treat because you are tackling your fears and taking control of your finances. With these tips, you, my friend, are on your way to financial freedom. Aren’t you glad you bravely faced your fears of debt? By Jen T. Free Stuff Finder Contributor

In today’s world shopping online is the norm. There is just so much going on that sometimes I just can’t get to the store, let alone shop for hours. This is why you should begin a quest to shop with online coupon codes. 1. They Are Easy to Find Just put in keywords and you will get a number of sites to choose from. Although sometimes I will start with the top search results, and search their codes first, that is not always where you will find the best deals. Try a couple different sites before you decide what coupon code you are going to use. Recently, I searched for coupon codes for Birchbox -- this hot new beauty service I had heard about through some friends. I was lucky enough to find a great code to save money and got an amazing deal! It was so easy and took me less than 10 minutes to find the code and enter it during checkout. I ended up getting some free makeup samples with my purchase to which was nice. 2. There Are Codes For Just About Everything From Catholic Dating Website discount codes to codes for your favorite small business, there is a code for just about everything. Knowing what you are looking for and knowing specific key words will help you out tremendously plus save you time. 3. It is Easy to Search the Right Way For example, if you are looking for hot new services like Glossybox, then make sure you use the name of the product and search for the product like this “Glossybox, Coupon code." This will send you the best picks for codes and not just the service’s website. If you are not sure of a specific brand, you can search “cosmetics coupon codes” and that will return a list of general stores codes. In most cases you will want to shop first and when you have filled your cart search for the codes to get the best deals specific to what you want. 4. Online Tools Make it Easy From sites with alphabetical lists of stores to those that send out weekly or even daily alerts with new codes and offers, there is no reason why you should not have a wealth of information right at your fingertips. If you shop online regularly try to coordinate your shopping with when the latest lists come out. For instance I like to buy diapers, wipes and even paper towels in bulk and have them shipped to my house. I have my ordering date on my calendar for the evening that my favorite code website sends out there updates. This makes my shopping easy and organized. 5. Save More Money Of course the whole reason you are looking for codes is so that you can save money. One way that you can use your coupon codes to your advantage is to create your own savings club with a couple of friends. That way when the hot codes come around you can call them and shop together. This way you can get free shipping (because of your larger combined order) and also get the highest value coupon code possible. With just these tips you can start saving even more money and be a coupon code queen in no time!

Family vacation is supposed to be a time to relax and enjoy time together. It is not fun to be worrying about money while on a vacation. So we have compiled a list of suggestions on how you can save money while on a family vacation, to help you enjoy your family next time you get out of town. Research Before you head out of town be sure you do a little bit of research to your destination hot spot. Utilize all your resources close to you, beginning with ever so reliable internet. Then ask some friends or family members who have been to the same location. If you can’t think of anyone off the top of your head, do a Facebook shout out and ask if anyone has been to “XYZ location” you will be surprised your response. By gathering all this important information you will be able to make better decisions financially. This will also enable you to plan your trip more efficiently as well. Hotel Freebies Before booking your hotel stay. Be sure to choose wisely. There are many hotel chains that will offer free amenities. You can find Free Breakfast, Free Gyms, Free movies, toiletries and others. Don’t hesitate to use these services. That is why they are there…to be used! If you are not sure what a particular hotel might offer, just ask. You might be very surprised. If you can find a hotel that offers any free meals be sure to book it. This will allow you to get free food, which is a money sucker when on vacation. It will also allow you to put that money elsewhere on your vacation. Ask Locals Sometimes you might not know of hidden gems within a location until you get there. Be friendly, and ask locals of the hot spots in town that offer great savings. You might be able to come across some fabulous mom and pop restaurants that have great deals on meals. Or maybe there is a certain event that is taking place during the dates of your vacation that you wouldn’t necessarily know about unless you lived in that town. Don’t be shy…just ask, you will be surprised how friendly people can be to visitors. Know or Join a Rewards Program Do you have a national membership that enables you to get discounts at various places? Maybe you have a AAA discount, or you homeschool, or are part of a particular group such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts of America. You often times can get a percentage off various activities, hotel stays, or meals. So before you leave the house be sure you check with all the rewards programs you belong to and see where you can possibly save a few dollars. Use these few tips and you are guaranteed to have a fun family trip and save a little bit of money while you are at it. So pack your bags and get the family rounded up for some memory making. You will have a blast especially knowing you did your homework to ensure everyone could enjoy themselves. By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor

There are many hot destinations around the United States one of them being Napa Valley, California. Have you always wanted to see the beautiful vineyards with luscious grapes hanging from them? Or perhaps the fabulous restaurants and wine tastings of Napa Valley. Here we have outlined a few things to know when visiting beautiful Napa Valley. When to visit By default it is natural to want to visit Napa Valley in the summer time. But think again, you are sharing the same thought with all the other visitors coming to the area. One of the best times to visit Napa in during the Fall season, September through October to be exact. The Fall is “crush” time for all the wineries, which is when they are harvesting all the grapes off the vines. If you can’t manage to get to Napa during those months, November is a great month also because the weather is still beautiful, the leave on the grape vines are beginning to change color, and wineries are beginning to drop their rates for tastings. Spring is also a beautiful time to visit Napa, however, it is a little bit chilly outside still. But if you are able to make it out, the mustard plants are quite a sight to see when in bloom. Where to stay Choosing the proper hotel when visiting Napa is crucial. You want to be able to enjoy this little town with so much to offer. When you are searching for hotels, don’t be fooled. If your search results are showing incredible discounts on hotels, it is very possible it is too good to be true. There are a lot of neighboring towns that consider themselves to be in Napa Valley, but in reality turn out to be incredibly far away from the real Napa you will be visiting. Make sure you map out your hotel of choice to your destination to consider how much drive time you will actually be doing. When making your reservations consider the following areas: Downtown Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Rutherford, and Calistoga. Wineries to visit If it is your first time to Napa and you are looking for which wineries to visit it can be a little overwhelming. Here are a few of the bigger wineries to keep in mind when mapping out your wine tour. Domaine Chandon, Robert Mondavi, Beringer Vineyards, Rubicon Estates, and Castello di Amarosa. If you visit just a few of these select wineries, you will not be disappointed.  TIP: Wine tasting can be a bit pricey so be sure to go in groups and share your tastings. This is perfectly acceptable. Also, look for two for one coupons to save on tastings. There are a lot out there. When at a tasting room ask for suggestions on other wineries to visit, a lot of time wineries will provide you with a free tasting referral card. Visiting Napa is on a lot of people’s bucket list. Make it an enjoyable stay and save while you are at it. The gorgeous countryside of Napa Valley Vineyards is a breath taking memory waiting to be made. Book it now!

Cutting back your monthly budget to meet financial goals can sometimes feel overwhelming. Especially if you have a growing family, the kids are getting bigger which means their appetites are getting larger, and your pocket book is getting skinnier. Often times as families we can expect a set amount of money coming into the home, and it isn’t getting any cheaper to raise a family. So how do you stick to a monthly budget? Here are a few tips on what you can do to meet those financial goals each month and keep everyone happy in your home. Review your monthly expenses You need to start somewhere, and that would be giving your monthly expenses a good evaluation on what is a necessity and what is desired. Be honest when you sit down to do this. It will not be of any benefit to let your emotions come into play when dealing with the real picture. It is natural to think as time goes on the cost of necessities often go up, but you might surprise yourself given what season it is and some things might actually go down in price. Companies often times don’t advertise that they are lowering their prices, so it is of benefit to you to evaluate everything each month. Where to save money There are many places in the monthly budget that you could possibly save even more money. For starters evaluate all your monthly bills including Television, Cell Phone, Telephone, Internet, Utility Bills, Insurances, and even your bank fees. You could very well be paying for fees that you can get a better deal on if you enter into a new contract or perhaps your bank now offers free checking but that was not disclosed to you since you are a paying customer. Be aware of your services and the current promotions going on. You might be able to save money even if it is for a 6 month time period. It always pays to know the latest and greatest. Grocery Shopping This is a big one. With the cost of gas prices going up, often times as consumers the rise in prices gets passed down to us. So be smart when shopping. Go to the store prepared with a list. Don’t impulse by, stick to what you came to the store to get. Browse the weekly store ads. You don’t have to stick to one store. Go where the savings are at. Your bank account will appreciate it. Use your coupons wisely, and be sure you know each stores policy. Also, while you are going throughout the store be sure you keep track on a calculator so you don’t go over your allotment for the trip. If you do go over, think of things you can possibly put back. Maybe you grabbed three of the same item and you can get away with two. There are many ways to stay on budget, these are just a few simple tips to get you started. Comment below and let us know what you do to save a little extra money each month. Sharing is caring, and who knows you might be able to help someone out. Happy Money Savings to you! By Michelle, Free Stuff Finder Contributor