Thursday, March 12, 2009

Money Saving With Mrs F

Okay I really am exhausted but I've been sitting on some new finds that I wanted to pass around to the rest of you.

Through my frugal blog reading I have discovered a site that lists Redbox codes. So far we haven't had to pay for a rental yet.


Also in the last month or so I've snagged free magazine subscriptions to Martha Stewart Living, Body + Soul, Woman's Day, Metropolitan Home, and Family Fun. I'm actually turning down free magazines now since I don't want more than I can read. I have found out about these offers at Money Saving Mom. Some of these offers come through Mercury Magazines, right now they are offering a free subscription to Automobile Magazine. The other offers came from Reward's Gold, right now they are giving away Women's Day. You need to fill out a short survey to qualify but all the magazines are completely free with no strings attached. Once you sign up for a magazine at either of these sites they will email you more offers... again... totally free. The best thing about this is that I LOVE magazines when I have the time to go through them... but...I hate when they pile up and take over the place. Since they're free I don't feel compelled to keep them around. If the new issues come I just put the old ones out at the curb... guilt free.

Also, did you know you can get the Sunday paper (with coupons) at the dollar store... for... a dollar? I saw ours at a Dollar General and have since googled it and it seems this is a fairly common dollar store occurrence. If you are a coupon clipper this might be worth checking into.


Finally, last night I was working out to yesterday's Oprah. She did a show with 3 top chefs and had them come up with budget friendly family meals for a full week (each). Go HERE to see the menu plans & recipes.

7 comments:

Which Way to Green? said...

I somewhat disagree about the magazines being "no strings attached" because they are collecting your information and selling it for their gain. And you get on ten gazillion mailing lists which fills up your mailbox and is not good for the environment. Or you have to take the time to fill out the Do Not Mail list, if you are so inclined.

Also, you might consider donating those old magazines to the local library or hospital so they can get some reuse before they head for the recycling system.

p.s. Glad you're feeling good enough to exercise again!

Mrs Furious said...

I haven't actually found that we are getting any more junk mail. We don't get nearly what we used to get in AA. But we had already removed ourselves from catalog lists and whatnot. So far these magazines haven't brought anything else to our mailbox. I'll let you know if that changes.

We can trade magazines on Freecycle here.

Mr Furious said...

Did you order me Automobile? 'Cause I want that...

Mrs Furious said...

Mr F,
I was wondering if you'd want that. I didn't get to it fast enough. That offer is gone.

Shirls said...

I have the exact same concern that Kira does, nothing like adding yourself to a mailing list that gets sold.

Actually about 2 christmas's ago, I noticed some fun thing you posted from restoration hardware, and I just knew it would make a fun, gag gift for hubby so I ordered it, (this was the first time I'd even heard of RH) and the next thing you knew, 3 different RH cataloges! one regular store stuff, one renovating items and one patio, outside stuff!

For the next 1.5 years I tried everything to get off their list and honestly I thought I finally had, 6 emails and 4 phone calls later that is and guess what came on Tuesday in the mail? seriously, you've got to be kidding me? what a bunch of crap they are... oh and the best part? I now get 3 clothing cataloges as well! I never use to get a single cataloge, and 1 fun shopping purchase later, BAM! I can't get off the damn lists, anyway what I'm saying is that the chance, just the CHANCE that it could happen will keep me way away from signing on up for anything labelled as "free"

and not to freak you out, cause I know you've already been in that spot recently, but talk about a great phishing exercise giving free magazines is.. they have your address, your name and they just need to get you to answer one "random" survey on the phone and they have way more info than they need to become you, sorry I know I sound paranoid, but it only takes one collection agency to call you about a cell phone you never had, to wake you up the hard way.. bonus for me, along with the cell phone, they also tried to get a credit card and a truck in my name! which turned into massive police reports and credit agency checking and a whole lot of other mess you just don't want to get anywhere near..

Mrs Furious said...

Shirls,
Yikes! I can see why you'd be extra cautious.

We had that problem with catalogues for a while. We were getting multiple of just about every company... we were drowning in them. But
we have had no problem getting off the catalog lists. Mr F cancelled them all online. We don't get any anymore.

As for the magazines these seem like reputable clearing houses (but I will update if we get slammed with crap... so far so good and I've gotten several issues). The Money Saving Mom site has had these up and gotten them for years and haven't had a complaint about them. We already get magazines on our own and they have your info and sell it just like when you subscribe for free.

We are on the no call list so we don't get phone surveys here. And I did put us on a no mail list for direct marketing mailings. But for whatever reason we just don't get the junk we did in MI. All the crap we get now is clearly due to info sold by our mortgage co.

Renee said...

Wow-I really hadn't thought about what Shirls commented on at all-thanks for the heads up on that one and it is probably spot on...Mrs. F-you probably don't get that much junk mail yet because you haven't lived here long enough-they are still going to your old address but it will catch up-unfortunately-at least that's how it worked for us when we moved 4 years ago-it took about a year but they eventually found us!!!! Thanks for the tip on canceling catalogs online-we are bombarded w/ junk mail, catalogs and offers...I signed up a long time ago for the no telemarketing for the phone but that hasn't worked so far here like it did in Charlotte...not sure what the deal is there.

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