Guest Post - Reviewing/Giveaways for Beginners Part II

This is Part II from Emmi @ Mommy's "Free" Time's Guest Post about Reviewing/Giveaways for Beginnners!  Enjoy!

Now that you know what you want to review the next question I hear is, “Where do you find products to review?” This is actually easier than you would think. At first I wondered how all these bloggers got people to ask them to review products. Trust me, if you’re a new blogger, don’t expect anyone to contact you to do a review. I’ve been blogging for over 3 months and I still have only had a few companies (small companies) contact me for reviews.
So what do I do?

Step One: Start writing and researching! Use that outline I told you to create in Part I. When I first started reviewing products, I reviewed items around my house. This was simply to get experience writing about products and to have something to show to the companies I pitched. Yes, pitched. I didn’t want to wait around any longer for someone to ask me to review their product. So I started researching the internet to find products that I would be interested in trying. Go to actual company websites and look for these key words: press, pr, media, or contact us. Usually, if a company will work with advertisers, which you now are, they will have contact information. Sometimes this is simply an email address or sometimes it is an online form to fill out. Personally, I like to use the email address. I don’t know why. I’ve had luck with either method.

Step Two: Write your pitch letter. I had no idea what to write in a pitch letter. Hey, I like your product, can I try it out for free and then tell my readers about it. Essentially, yes. Just not in those words. You are now a professional and you need to sound professional and serious about your job. I also like my pitches to sound down to earth and personal. Now there are two ways to go about this. You can create your own pitch letter or you can use a template. I’m terrible at writing off the top of my head so I chose the second choice. IF you want to write your own pitch letter keep this outline in mind:

• Intro: Introduce yourself and tell what you would like to review and why
  
• Review: State that what you would like- a review, giveaway, review/giveaway and outline your polices on each. It is VERY IMPORTANT to state your polices on reviews and giveaways (will discuss in more detail next post)
  
• Blog: Talk about your blog, include URL/link, stats, any other personal information
  
• Conclude: Offer to supply more info. if needed, thank person for their time, signature (can be simply your name or more detailed..you can use a wisestamp signature if you really want to wow them!)

Now if you want a pre-made template you have to do a little research. There are lots out there. I’ll even help you out with a starter one that I use. It’s from an awesome blogging chic named Jessica. She is great for helping with any blogging questions and she loves to share. Here is a link to her blog Riding with Jessica, and to the template pitch letter. Check her out and be sure to show some comment love if you like her stuff. Jessica and I both suggest you tweak this letter to make it fit you personally, adding specifics and deleting language that doesn’t sound like you.

Step Three: I’ve sent the letter now what? You wait. Sometimes a company will get back to you that day. Sometimes it takes a few days. Some companies you will never hear back from. In the beginning, I sent out tons of emails, got “no” for a lot, “yes” for a few and there are still some that I never heard back from. Don’t get discouraged if you get a no or never hear back from a company. A blogger friend told me that it is okay to re-pitch a company in a few months. Give it time for your stats to increase. Remember, these companies get pitches all the time! They have to have some way to pick who to work with. You may not meet that criteria now but you may two months later, so try again.

I hope this information helps you get started with finding companies to pitch and actually starting a pitch letter. If you have any questions I didn’t answer feel free to email me at mommyfreetime (at) gmail (dot) com. Next week, I’ll give you some info on stating your review/giveaway policy (creating a media kit) and how to write your review. Until then, get out there and start pitching!

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Guest Post - Reviewing/Giveaways for Beginners Part I

 This is a fabulous educational post written by Emmi from Mommy's "Free" Time!  She has a wonderful website you just gotta check out!   Stay tuned because this is Part I of how to get started with reviews and giveaways - tomorrow will be Part II and Thursday will be Part III.  If your new to blogging then you definitely want to come back to check these out!!

Well as they say in most support groups, admitting it and verbalizing it is only the first step! Product reviewing is fun but it’s also a time consuming job that one has to be dedicated to and serious about. In the next couple of days I want to give you the ins and outs of how to become a product reviewer from my own personal experiences. Hopefully, you will find something that you can use or that can help you in your “reviewing journey”. If not, I hope you at least find it an entertaining read.

Step One: Why do you want to review products? If your answer is, “ I want free stuff”, then reviewing is not for you. Product reviewing is a business. You are providing a valuable service to companies that they pay top dollars for in other circumstances. You are giving them free advertising! Of course a company would love to spend a few dollars on shipping and materials to have a mommy blogger that is read by thousands to review it instead of paying the fees that Amazon, Google or Yahoo would charge them! Reviewing takes time, research, great writing skills. This also translates into lots of time on the computer, long nights, and fitting this into your family life! Is it possible? Yes, just ask all the mommy bloggers, both SAHM and working moms!

Step Two: What do you want to review? This is where I almost made my first mistake. In the beginning I thought I would just review anything and everything! Hey, I’m new, I don’t have many followers how am I going to get a company to send me something to review?? Isn’t it better to just review whatever I can get?
Yes and no. Of course it’s not easy to get into reviewing but here’s a suggestion that a fellow blogger told me. Pick a theme. My blog is all about products for families that make life easier, healthier and more efficient. Yes it’s a little broad but that also makes it easy for me to get a lot of products to review. However, this is completely up to you. Say you have a food blog. Should you be reviewing building blocks for toddlers? I would say no! How does that fit your theme? But you say, “that’s the only company that will send me something”. To that I answer, “maybe your blog is a little too new or maybe you need some help with pitching (we’ll talk about that in the next post).
As for the yes part. Review whatever you can get? Not quite. Review whatever you have. Look for things in your house that fit with your theme. I began with reviewing some awesome educational toys that my kids got for Christmas. Many companies and readers thought I had been supplied the items even though I disclosed (more about disclosure in a later post) that these were products I had purchased myself.  I even reviewed a new razor I bought! Anything that will show off your skills! (These can also be used in pitch letters as evidence of your reviewing skills).

Step Three: Make an outline and follow it. For each review you do, it helps to have an outline. It can be a loose outline that varies or a strict outline you use every time. For example, my loose outline is: personal story, introduce product with info, my take on the product (includes strengths and weaknesses), where to buy it, win it (if there is a giveaway), and disclosure statement. 
So now we have the basics. Tomorrow, I’ll share with you more in depth, how to pitch a company, including sample pitch letter, and how to write a comprehensive review. Hope you enjoyed!

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Make Money Monday

Just like I do freebies - I do not   post anything that I haven't  already  tried.  So, having said that,    take a look at some ways/sites  where  you can earn a little extra   cash.  Tried and tested by Bug ;)

Know  of   another avenue?  Let us ALL know!! Leave a comment in  the    comment section!

NEWLY ADDED
Escalate Affiliate Network - If you are a Blogger OR have Twitter OR Facebook OR Craigslist OR Adwords OR even Myspace then this might be right up your alley.  This is one of my favorite affiliates.  The number one reason is the LOW payout ($25) and directly to my pay pal (or check if you desire)!  A lower payout means you don't have to have a large sum in your account to get paid.  I also have noticed that as opposed to other affiliates they most of the time offer the higher payout per "creatives" that you use.  A creative is a banner in the form of a link or image that you put on your site.  It's extremely easy to track your account unlike some others that give you a chart that you can barely make sense of.  Escalate Affiliate's site is EASY to navigate and if you have any questions at all just drop them an email.  I've done this many of times and they get back to me in a timely manner and keep a close niche with their people.  If you have multiple blogs or accounts via social networks, you don't need to be "approved" for each site.  Once you are in - you are in.  What's great is that if you have Twitter or Facebook or other social network there are offers that allow you to earn $ through those sites as well.  You must make sure that the particular "creative" that you want doesn't exclude those. 
You cannot promote an offer in any way that violates the terms of service of any site (i.e. spamming through MySpace messages, unsolicited email, etc.) 


Focus On Service -   This is another secret shopper service however it's only for Longhorn  Steakhouse and TGI Fridays(in select locations).  You will need to live  near a Longhorn's to qualify and must be at least 21 yrs old.  You get  your check within 3 weeks of doing a shop at Longhorns.  There is a  maximum number of shops you can do per year and each need to be at least  4 months apart however if you like dining out, this may be right up  your alley!  There are requirements for the shops like you must order an  entree, possibly a dessert etc.  There is a set amount for  reimbursement and if you get it done before deadline there are often a  $10 bonus attached.  Like with most secret shoppers being detailed  oriented helps and you are an independent contractor not an employee.

Marketforce  - If you  are a shopper at heart you may want to checkout Marketforce.   This is a  free legit company which I've previously worked with in the  past that  pays you to be a secret shopper.  What is a secret shopper?   Basically  companies pay organizations to select "secret" people to go  into  business's and rate them on how they are doing whether it be  customer  service, how quickly they help you, or if they mention special  promos,  how clean the establishment is etc.  You work as an  independent  contractor not as an employee.  The more detailed and  observational you  are the better.  Basically shops will be presented to  you based on your  area of residence and level of experience.  For  instance if you live  near a Pizza chain there may be "phone shops"  available or a local  grocery store may have a shop available.  The more  you do, the more  opportunities you may get.   You choose what shops  you want to. You have  to follow the  guidelines given for each  assignment and turn any  pictures, notes and  any paperwork within the  time frame set out in your  shop assignment guidelines.  I was paid by  check once a month for shops  that I did during that month including  reimbursments.  No waiting to  get paid or having to have earned a  certain amount.   Another thing is  that there are many different  avenues available to do a shop in such as: 

Casual   Restaurants - Fast Food Restaurants -   Convenience  Store & Gas Stations -   Drug and  Grocery - Retail - Movie Theatres 

Requirements
You   must be at least 20 years old and have a minimum of a high school    education. 
Access to a  computer is required

Sponsored  Tweets -    Basically, advertisers send you offers and you get  to pick what gets    tweeted.  The larger your audience and specific  targeted genre the    better.  You decide the starting price for your  tweets and you get to    approve or deny offers to tweet.  So, ultimately  you are in total    control of what's being tweeted out.  In addition,  every tweet has an    ethical 100% disclosure policy.  Sponsored Tweets  pays via PayPal or    check.  The better you twitter stats are, the more  $$ you could make    tweeting.  Also, they have a referral program - When  a tweeter  signs   up using one       of your links or badges you will  receive 10%  of  SponsoredTweets  portion of revenue for each successful          transaction that Tweeter makes.
The minimum payout is  $50.00.
Other   Guidelines
Your twitter account must  be at least 60 days  old  and at least 50  followers and 100 status  updates.


Pinecone   Research -
By  far, this is one of my favorite sites.   They aren't always   accepting applications, but if you have ever have  a  chance to join them -   do so!   Pinecone Research pays via pay pal  or  check and promptly!   Each survey pays $3.00.  At  times you may  even be  given FREE product  samples to try and in return give your  feedback on a  survey for an  additional $3.00.  The only downfall  is  it's hard to  get in.  They have  openings every now and then.  Right   this very  moment they do not.  But  again if you ever see a website   saying that  Pinecone Research is  taking new applications, jump on  it!

HCD     Surveys -
The way this one works is with surveys.  You    get points as you  complete surveys that come to your email box.     Once you reach 1000  Points you get a pay out - which is equivalent  to   $10.00.  Checks are  the form of payment.  Surveys range in  points   from 50 pts. on up.   In order to do well with HCD you  should do the   surveys promptly!  I  find that the quicker you get a  survey done with   HCD the better.  I  sometimes procrastinate around  and then when I   finally go to do one it  says "Sorry, due to  overwhelming response the    survey you were trying  to participate in  has closed. Thank you very   much."  What's nice is if  you do not  qualify for a survey you still get   credited 10 points.

Opinion  Outpost -
Opinion   Outpost has 2 options for  getting paid.  You can redeem  points   you earn from surveys for an  Amazon Gift Card or you can opt to   receive a  check.  You must accrue  50 points to get paid which is   equivalent to  $5.00.  Survey points  vary from 10 points on up.  The   only downfall I  find with this  company is that I often times don't   qualify for their  surveys.  Other  than that Opinion Outpost is a decent   site to earn a  little cash.

Send  Earnings -
Read   emails and more to earn a little  extra.  Send Earnings has a $5.00    sign up bonus.  Payout is at  $30.00 by check.  This is not one of   my  favorites since reading the  basic email only amounts to some   change.   But, over time the "chump"  change adds up and doesn't take   much of your  time to do.  I probally  get 3 or more emails to read   daily. There are  other ways to earn  money through this site but I stick   to just reading  emails.  I do not  sign up for anything extra they may   try to offer, but  that's up to  you - be smart!

Hits  4 Pay -
These   guys have a $10.00 sign up bonus  which is nice.  Again  with  this  one you get paid to read ads -  totally easy.  And like Send   Earnings,  you earn some change for each  ad you view on their site  which  adds up.   You receive emails when one  is ready for you to be  viewed.    What's nice  is if I can't get to it  that day, it's waiting  for me the  next day!   While I'm not ecstatic  about this site, it is  easy!

Associated     Content -
This site pays you to write articles.     You can write about  anything you like or you can opt to pick a topic    from their assignment  desk to write about for an upfront payment.    Every time your  article generates 1000 page views you get paid.  If   you  enjoy/love  writing then this may be a terrific avenue for you to   go  down.  I find  that the more you write on AC, the more money you   will  make.  However,  writing an article once or twice a year probably   won't  get the revenue  you may be looking for.  Associated Content  pays  via pay  pal.

Other beneficial sites

Ebates     -
In a nut shell Ebates gives you cash back on    purchaes you make  online to lower your final out of pocket expense.     There is a sign  up bonus of $5.00 when you join.  How it works   is  when you are  ready to make an online purchase, go to the Ebates   website  after you've  signed up and click on the store you want to shop   at.  There are a ton  of stores - most you probably already shop at!   After  your purchase is  complete and confirmed (within 48 hrs) your   cash back  will show up in  your ebates account.  Ebates pays out your   cash via pay  pal quarterly.   I go through ebates all the time and they   do pay out!


Swagbucks-
When you use  Swagbucks as a search engine, you regularly receive points (digital dollar) that can be redeemed  for prizes like gift cards, clothing, video games, etc. for free.  They have a ton of different prizes from gift cards to your favorite retailer to t-shirts and literally loads more!

If you already use Google or Bing as a search engine, it is a good idea  to switch to Swagbucks because it is basically the same thing except  that you receive points while you are using it. Swagbucks doesn't ask for any personal information such as your phone  number or credit card number and there is no spam mail. Swagbucks gives people points and prizes in an effort to keep  them as a loyal user of their search engine.  I use Swagbucks everyday.  I have the toolbar loaded into one of my web browsers and just about every day I receive a digital dollar just for opening it.  On some days I've even gotten up to 50 Swagbucks and I didn't even search anything.  I'm personally saving my Swagbucks to see what I can snag as Christmas Gifts.  I totally recommend it, plus it's fun to snag free stuff for just simply browsing the web! 

Expo -
This    site does not pay cash.  However, it does offer rewards    compensation  for free items.  You earn points for doing reviews for    particular  products EX. Herbal Essence, Gain Detergent etc.    Sometimes  they even  send out items for free sometimes before they hit   store  shelves in  return for a  review.  They have an online store for   you to  redeem your  points at.  You will even get points for signing  up  and  completing your  profile.

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Freebies In The Mail Wk 6/26

So, this week was interesting.  I won or was given a $10 gift certificate from Self magazine (and I still don't remember how or when I entered) towards Tea forte!  So, I picked the Iced Tea Sampler and I just paid shipping.  Either way still a deal and I love tea!

Mags

Mom
Rolling Stone
Bloomburg Business Week
Womens Health
TIME
Sailing World

Food

Kraft Sandwich Shop Mayo -(smaller than I imagined and no coupon...lol)
Emergen C Sample 3 pack
FREE Pace Jar Salsa - Coupon for playing their instant win game HERE (you can play once per day)

Odds N Ends

Under Jams Coupon
FREE Fresh Step Cat Liter 14 lb bag - Coupon for being a member of Paw Points!! (with this you enter in the code found on your liter Fresh Step and you get points.  After so many you can exchange them in for FREE stuff!)


I am out of town as of today and on the road so I won't be able to link this post up but as always HMM to all my Monday Mailbox buddies!!

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Powermat Review and GIVEAWAY CLOSED

In our house we have constant charging of either cell phones, Ipod's or the Nintendo DS.  Often times my phone gets unplugged so that something else can get charged which becomes annoying at times. Not only that but you have to fiddle fart around with the wires to figure out which charger or wire is yours.  Our computer room is our charging headquarters because it allows us to keep track of all these wires using just one room without them getting lost or misplaced.  At a certain time each night we try to charge our phones etc for use the next day.  Which thus begins the onset of unplugging fans or lamps just to have the outlet space.  I can't imagine how much electricity we waste.

Recently, I had the opportunity to review a Powermat system for home/office.  The Powermat is supposed to allow you to effectively charge multiple devices using one plug while saving electricity in the whole process.  It works hand in hand with the Blackberry, Apple Ipod, Nintendo DS as well as other cell phones.  It has also been featured in many popular media sources such as Good Morning America, Computer World, and USA Today.  I thought this would be a cool gadget for anyone having the same "wire" issues as me.  I received the Powermat along with a portable mat for traveling.

The only difference I saw with these two items is that the portable power mat folds up and has a carrying case for easy storage and use.  This piece is dynamite!  We used it for travel and it's great for the kids when they play games on long trips or you need to charge your phone away from home without having to tote around 5 or 6 plugs!  I also received the devices we would need for our Ipod and Nintendo DS as well as universal pieces to suit the needs of our phones.

Right off the rip we knew this would be a lifesaver!  Immediately we put the power mat to use and we were thrilled with the outcome and ease of use.  The Ipod for instance has a cover case with a magnetic piece on the back so that once it hits the power mat it lets off a "sound" so that you know it's properly connected and charging. It turns off automatically when it's fully charged thus saving electricity.  When you take the Ipod off it let's another "sound" to let you know that a disconnection has been made.  Furthermore, we can literally charge the Ipod, Nintendo DS, and a cell phone or two on our mat with out wires!!!  The only wire in play with this system is the power mat's.  Doesn't that sound cool!!

My thoughts?   I think this is an awesome gadget to simultaneously charge multiple devices and save headaches and electricity at the same time!  The only downfall is that it doesn't work for every "handset".  Maybe in the future they will have other adapters available.  My phone for instance is a Nokia and they don't carry adapters for my Nokia. 

Where can you find this new tech gadget?  You can find the Powermat currently at Target, Best Buy, Sprint, Bed Bath and Beyond and some Staples stores.   Or, you can just visit their site Powermat USA and buy online.  Shipping is FREE with a $50 order!


GIVEAWAY ENDED

Guess What Else?  One lucky reader from The Frugal Bug will win their very own home/office power mat system along with 3 receivers!!!

Mandatory Entry - You must visit Powermat USA and tell me what device/devices you would use your Powermat for?

Leave your email with your comment ex thefrugalbug at gmail dot com

****Bonus Entries****

* Follow The Frugal Bug via GFC

* Subscribe to The Frugal Bug via email and verify

* Follow The Frugal Bug via Twitter

* Grab The Frugal Bug button

* Follow The Frugal Bug in a reader

* Tweet about this giveaway - 1 per day

* Blog about this giveaway

Giveaway ends July 11, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.  Winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond.

Good Luck!!

There was no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not swayed by the items mentioned above.

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Free Sample Nicorette Gum - Fruit Chill Flavor

Run on over to Costco to snag your sample of the New Nicorette Gum in Fruit Chill Flavor!  No membership needed.  This sample comes with 20 pieces!  This is a nice little sample if you smoke or know someone that does and want to try to quit.  Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

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Freebie Friday + Linky!!

Here is a round up of freebies in case you missed any. (Note - some may no longer be available)  All freebies are posted daily.  To make sure you don't miss a freebie follow me via twitter or email!


EXPIRED SEE CURRENT LIST HERE

Have a freebie you'd like to share?  Feel free to link up below.   Happy Friday All!!!

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CSN Stores $20 Gift Certificate GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Have you ever heard of CSN Stores?  They are a collection of over 200 online stores where you can find nearly anything whether it be a sofa, cookware, tools, cribs, lighting, bedding, kitchen aprons, briefcases, and tons more!   Whatever your needs I'm sure you can find what your looking for at CSN Stores. 

I've had my eye on the Rachael Ray Stoneware Set in Orange for some time now.   Sigh.  What about you?  Do you have your eye on something you'd really like to have?  

GIVEAWAY ENDED WINNER IS 
Breanne said... I subscribe to your feed

bmweida at....Well guess what?! CSN Stores has offered to giveaway to one lucky reader from The Frugal Bug, a $20 Gift Certificate good toward whatever you desire from ANY of their many stores!!  How cool is that?  

Many Easy Breezy Entry Methods!

US and Canada Only

Method of entry is simple visit CSN Stores and tell me what you would use your $20 Gift Certificate on! Leave a comment including your email - ex. thefrugalbug at gmail dot com

That's It!  Or if you would like extra entries here they are -

leave a separate comment for each ;)

*Follow The Frugal Bug via Google Friend Connect

*Grab The Frugal Bug button and place on your blog

*Subscribe via email and verify

*Follow The Frugal Bug on Twitter

*Tweet About this giveaway - Once per day

*Blog about this giveaway

*Subscribe via Feedburner to The Frugal Bug

Giveaway Ends Wednesday July 7 , 2010, 11:59 PM EST.  Winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond.

The $20 gift certificate can be used towards any purchase. For example, if you pick an item that is $12.00 and then plus shipping (which you can calculate as soon as you add the item to your shopping cart), it comes to $17.50, then you can use the $20 gift certificate towards the purchase. If the item of your choice comes to an amount over $20 once shipping is included, you can still purchase the item but you would just have to pay the remaining amount out-of-pocket.

This is simply a fun giveaway for my readers.  I received no compensation and the opinions expressed here are my own.

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Free Sample Biore Face Cloths or Cleanser

Here's a new sample of Biore make up remover cloths for your face or you can choose to receive the steam activated cleanser.  Simply run over here and fill out the quick info to snag your sample!
One per person - US Only

For Canada go here

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MySavings Coupons and Freebies

Have you ever heard of the MySavings free sample and coupon community?  It's a site where you can sign up to have access to tons of user submitted printable coupons, grocery coupons and free samples.  I sometimes check this site out just to see what's new.  What's different with this site compared to other coupon sites is that it's user submitted and rated.  So, I can rate a coupon/site and so can you.  I find this especially convenient when I do any kind of shopping, sample hunting, or web browsing.  The sites' coupons are easy to navigate through being that all you have to do is click on what type of coupon you are looking for.  An example of this would be - if you are looking for pet coupons, just click on the pet icon and there you are!  You'll find random pet care coupons as well as store coupons that sell pet food.  What I particularly like is that if I want to look for beauty coupons, Bath and Body Works coupons come up as well as other coupon sites that have beauty coupons.  I even found coupons that I hadn't even seen myself in the blog world or other. And of course you can find freebies!  So go check it out and let me know what you think!



This is a sponsored post written by me.  The opinions expressed are my own.

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Come Share Your Giveaways Linky!

 Have a great giveaway you'd like to share??  Come link up - We LOVE giveaways here!!!

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Do You Have Mad Skills?

       

    

Some of you may remember my "From Blah To Tadahh" post about an old canister that I gave a frugal make-over to.  Well, I came across a couple of inspirational crafty blogs and decided to enter my link.  Much to my surprise that old canister got me featured in the "Mad Skills Monday"!  Way to go me!!  Anyhoo, if your looking for some ideas (some of which are frugalicious) go check out Super Stinky Boys!  She has a linky up and running where you can share your craftiness, skill, anything you make even food! 

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Target Trip - Sobe Deal!

I got ten of these Sobe's on sale for $1.00 each.  I used 5 Buy One Get One FREE coupons from Sobe's instant win game HERE.  Making my Out Of Pocket $5.00 (+tax) and on top of that when you purchase 10 Sobe's, you get a $5.00 Gift Card!!!  I used the gift card I got last week on the Scrubbing Bubbles Deal to pay for this so my Actual Total OOP was just the tax .59 cents!!  Whoo Hoo! 

I don't really understand the tax part.   I'm not complaining, because where I'm from in the South, you pay tax on ALL your grocery items!  Which adds up to quite a bit of money.  I just wanted to understand how it works in OHIO.  I looked it up and it says beverages with sugar or artificial sweeteners you'll pay tax on.  Well, on my bottles of Sobe it says "naturally sweetend" and no sugar, so ???

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Mailbox Monday - Freebies In The Mail Wk 6/20

All freebies are posted daily!! To make sure you don't miss out on a freebie - subscribe to The Frugal Bug or Follow me on Twitter !

Mags

Jet
Wine Spectator
Bloomsburg Business Week
Travel and Leisure
Muscle and Fitness
Time
CPU
Wags World - (from the Benniful dog food sample?)

Food

True Lemon Sample w/ coupon
FULL SIZE Nabisco 100 Cal Fudge Petites- w/Crystal Light Sample also inside from Kraft First Taste (I didn't know I was getting them, I just responded to an email, but they are GOOD)

Odds N Ends

Pantene "Mr.Right" Samples from Vocalpoint w/ high dollar coupons
Dr. Scholls sample w/coupon
Playtex sample w/coupon
Home Depot Garden Club coupons


If you are nosy like me and wanna see what other bloggers have in there mailbox, join me at A Frugal Friend.

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Freebie Friday + Linky

Here is a round up of freebies in case you missed any. (Note - some may no longer be available)  All freebies are posted daily.  To make sure you don't miss a freebie follow me via twitter or email!

EXPIRED SEE CURRENT LIST HERE

Have a freebie you'd like to share?  Feel free to link up below.   Happy Friday All!!!

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Money Makin CVS Trip - FREE Gillette X 2

I had a super terrific trip this week at CVS.  I usually run down their on Sunday when the ad breaks because if not, they will usually be out of what I'm going there to snag.  Even then sometimes they are out of front page ad items.  Not this time!

Deals I snagged:

Gillette Mens Body Wash      $4.00 each
Used $4.00 OFF from 5/2 PG and BOGO from 6/6 PG = FREE for both!!

Colgate Tooth Paste 4.6oz     $1.00
Used .75 OFF coupon        =    .25

Playskool Travel Wipes Clearanced Out @    .49

Cover Wetslicks                                $5.99
Used $2.00 OFF from my Bzz Kit    =$3.99

At this point, I was afraid I'd come out under since I was paying with ECB's. In which case CVS won't give you cash so, I added on these popular bracelets the kids love. 
Scented Silly Bands      $2.99

Final Total - $2.72 before tax and I received back $8.00 in ECB on the Gillette and was supposed to receive $3.00 ECB on the CoverGirl but, it didn't print out, so I will have to check on that one.  Either way quite the money maker!

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$25 OFF plus FREE SHIPPING at Canvas People!

 EXPIRED

Canvas People is offering a $25 coupon with Free shipping at. This is great, especially on the larger size canvas because it is FREE Shippping, plus you get $25.00 off the canvas size of your choice. Turn those summer memories into works of art with Free Shipping and a $25.00 coupon by going over here to get in on this deal! 

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DownEast Basics Review and GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Come on over all my hand bag chicks and check out this HOT Hobo bag I received from DownEast Basics.  DownEast sells an assortment of trendy gear from camis, denim, bracelets and more.

The Zig Zag Bag is highly unique and quite spacious.  My coupon binder even fits inside of it!  Its has a zipper closure so nothing falls out and two zipper pockets on the outside for something small perhaps a grocery list or something.  The inside also has a zipper compartment for storage and a snazzy holder for your cell phone, wallet, compact or other necessary carrying item.  This bag is all black with "zig zag" white stitching on the exterior.  I have been sporting this bag around ever since I received it.  I get a lot of admirers eyeballing it while I am out couponing!  I absolutely love this bag!

Where can you buy DownEast products?
DownEast Basics has quite a stylish assortment of handbag, tops, accessories and more!  What I really like is that they have a line of little girls clothes as well that is darling!!  They even have a SALE area with some fabulous buys!!  Also, if you are lucky enough to live in the Western US, you can find DownEast Stores at a few locations here.

Want to win a DownEast item?  
GIVEAWAY ENDED WINNER Andrea said... I GFC Follow!

One lucky reader from The Frugal Bug will win their very own DownEast Basics item of YOUR choice! WhooHoo! 

Mandatory Entry - Visit DownEast Basics New Arrival Section and tell me what item you would you like best from their new stuff!

Leave your email with you comment ex thefrugalbug at gmail dot com

Bonus Entries

* Follow The Frugal Bug via GFC

* Subscribe to The Frugal Bug via email and verify

* Follow The Frugal Bug via Twitter

* Grab The Frugal Bug button

* Follow The Frugal Bug in a reader

* Tweet about this giveaway - 1 per day

* Blog about this giveaway

* Follow DownEast Basics on facebook

* Follow DownEast Basics on Twitter

Giveaway ends Wednesday - June 23, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

After this review/giveaway, the winner will not be eligible to win another DownEast giveaway on this blog for at least 90 days.  

There was no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not swayed by the items mentioned above.

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Golf Freebies From Tropicana Juicy Rewards

Since I joined Tropicana Juicy Rewards I'm really starting to like it!  Not only have I gotten a coupon for a FREE carton of OJ but today they have another deal going on.  They have a golf deal going on where I printed a mini golf coupon for BOGO for FREE without taking any points!  So, if you have a Juicy Rewards account head on over and log in to check out this deal.  If you haven't signed up yet, I suggest doing so, after all who doesn't like rewards on things you might already be purchasing anyway? The Golf offer ends today!

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2 FREE Samples of Bull's-Eye BBQ Sauce

Right now you can snag 2 samples of Bull's Eye BBQ sauce by going over here!  Like most samples allow a few weeks for delivery and hopefully it comes with a coupon!!

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Come Share Your Giveaways Linky!!

Have a great giveaway you'd like to share??  Come link up - We LOVE giveaways here!!! 

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Guest Bloggers Needed

Hi, Ladies.  I will be needing guest posts to run during the last week of June through July 5 or so.  I have 2 blogs that you can guest post on

The Frugal Bug - anything regarding saving money, tips, cheap crafts, cheap meals, having fun on a dime, deal shopping...and on and on.  Whatever you have that you would like to share with my readers would be great!  You can include your name and link to your blog as well in the post.  If you are interested please email me or send the HTML from your post to  thefrugalbug at gmail dot com.  Thanks!!


Time 2 Eat Yall - anything about food!!  Kitchen tips, recipes, kitchen decor ideas, your favorite dining out places....just about anything dealing with food or the kitchen is game.  If you are interested please email me at time2eatyall at gmail dot com with the HTML - you can include a link and name to your blog as well and even your own introduction if you wish.  Thanks!!


I look forward to hearing from you!

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From Blah to Tadahhhh

Before you get rid of something sit on it (not literally) and see if you can bring it new life.  Sometimes "make overs" can be done on the cheap!  That's what I did with this old canister piece. 
I recently replaced my set of old kitchen canisters for a newer set.  I had to toss out 2 of the 3 older containers because they just weren't worth salvaging (thinking now I should of saved the wood).  However, as much as I hate to throw things away I did keep just one container and after looking at it for about a month I decided to give it a makeover Frugal Style.  I only used 3 things:  can of primer (already had), can of $1 cheap white spray paint and some 3-D craft stickers I found on clearance at Target.

Here's the before snapshot:

Here's the after prime and paint photo:

Here's the after attaching the craft stickers

Tadahhhhh

Isn't this cute?  Sure it's not quite my style but it fits well for a girl.  We are going to use it in the bathroom for cotton balls etc.  Over all this little craft project cost no more than $2.00 and about 10 minutes of time not counting the paint drying.  I think it turned out quite nicely.  What do you think?

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Free Sample Bodycology Lotion

You get to pick from 2 scents - Cherry Blossom or Cucumber Melon!  I picked the Cucumber Melon!  To snag your free sample simply go over here to request yours. 

Allow 4 weeks for delivery.




Thanks Shelleys Swag

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Target Trip - Money Maker!

I had a great shopping trip today at Target!   I still had to go to the Customer Service Desk to get my gift card which didn't prompt the cashier after my transaction.  

I'm not going to post this word for word instead I'll send ya to where I found these deals. 

Clean & Clear Deal @ Totally Target - both were FREE!!!

Scrubbing Bubbles Deal @ Totally Target - 2 were FREE

Dove Deal @ Totally Target - FREE plus Money Maker!

Plus I had a Target coupon (5/23 SS) when you buy S & B Starter you get a $5.00 Target Gift Card

Making this a MONEY MAKER!!!!!!!!!!

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Make Money Monday

Just like I do freebies - I do not post anything that I haven't already tried.  So, having said that,  take a look at some ways/sites where you can earn a little extra cash.  Tried and tested by Bug ;)

Know of another avenue?  Let us ALL know!! Leave a comment in the comment section!


Focus On Service -  This is another secret shopper service however it's only for Longhorn Steakhouse and TGI Fridays(in select locations).  You will need to live near a Longhorn's to qualify and must be at least 21 yrs old.  You get your check within 3 weeks of doing a shop at Longhorns.  There is a maximum number of shops you can do per year and each need to be at least 4 months apart however if you like dining out, this may be right up your alley!  There are requirements for the shops like you must order an entree, possibly a dessert etc.  There is a set amount for reimbursement and if you get it done before deadline there are often a $10 bonus attached.  Like with most secret shoppers being detailed oriented helps and you are an independent contractor not an employee.

Marketforce - If you are a shopper at heart you may want to checkout Marketforce.  This is a free legit company which I've previously worked with in the past that pays you to be a secret shopper.  What is a secret shopper?  Basically companies pay organizations to select "secret" people to go into business's and rate them on how they are doing whether it be customer service, how quickly they help you, or if they mention special promos, how clean the establishment is etc.  You work as an independent contractor not as an employee.  The more detailed and observational you are the better.  Basically shops will be presented to you based on your area of residence and level of experience.  For instance if you live near a Pizza chain there may be "phone shops" available or a local grocery store may have a shop available.  The more you do, the more opportunities you may get.  You choose what shops you want to. You have to follow the guidelines given for each assignment and turn any pictures, notes and any paperwork within the time frame set out in your shop assignment guidelines.  I was paid by check once a month for shops that I did during that month including reimbursments.  No waiting to get paid or having to have earned a certain amount.   Another thing is that there are many different avenues available to do a shop in such as:

Casual Restaurants - Fast Food Restaurants - Convenience Store & Gas Stations - Drug and Grocery - Retail - Movie Theatres 

Requirements
You must be at least 20 years old and have a minimum of a high school education. 
Access to a computer is required

Sponsored Tweets - Basically, advertisers send you offers and you get to pick what gets tweeted.  The larger your audience and specific targeted genre the better.  You decide the starting price for your tweets and you get to approve or deny offers to tweet.  So, ultimately you are in total control of what's being tweeted out.  In addition, every tweet has an ethical 100% disclosure policy.  Sponsored Tweets pays via PayPal or check.  The better you twitter stats are, the more $$ you could make tweeting.  Also, they have a referral program - When a tweeter signs up using one of your links or badges you will receive 10% of SponsoredTweets portion of revenue for each successful transaction that Tweeter makes.
The minimum payout is $50.00.
Other Guidelines
Your twitter account must be at least 60 days old and at least 50 followers and 100 status updates.


Pinecone Research -
By far, this is one of my favorite sites. They aren't always accepting applications, but if you have ever have a chance to join them - do so!   Pinecone Research pays via pay pal or check and promptly!  Each survey pays $3.00.  At times you may even be given FREE product samples to try and in return give your feedback on a survey for an additional $3.00.  The only downfall is it's hard to get in.  They have openings every now and then.  Right this very moment they do not.  But again if you ever see a website saying that Pinecone Research is taking new applications, jump on it!

HCD Surveys -
The way this one works is with surveys.  You get points as you complete surveys that come to your email box.  Once you reach 1000 Points you get a pay out - which is equivalent to $10.00.  Checks are the form of payment.  Surveys range in points from 50 pts. on up.  In order to do well with HCD you should do the surveys promptly!  I find that the quicker you get a survey done with HCD the better.  I sometimes procrastinate around and then when I finally go to do one it says "Sorry, due to overwhelming response the survey you were trying to participate in has closed. Thank you very much."  What's nice is if you do not qualify for a survey you still get credited 10 points.

Opinion Outpost -
Opinion Outpost has 2 options for getting paid.  You can redeem points you earn from surveys for an Amazon Gift Card or you can opt to receive a check.  You must accrue 50 points to get paid which is equivalent to $5.00.  Survey points vary from 10 points on up.  The only downfall I find with this company is that I often times don't qualify for their surveys.  Other than that Opinion Outpost is a decent site to earn a little cash.

Send Earnings -
Read emails and more to earn a little extra.  Send Earnings has a $5.00 sign up bonus.  Payout is at $30.00 by check.  This is not one of my favorites since reading the basic email only amounts to some change.  But, over time the "chump" change adds up and doesn't take much of your time to do.  I probally get 3 or more emails to read daily. There are other ways to earn money through this site but I stick to just reading emails.  I do not sign up for anything extra they may try to offer, but that's up to you - be smart!

Hits 4 Pay -
These guys have a $10.00 sign up bonus which is nice.  Again with this one you get paid to read ads - totally easy.  And like Send Earnings, you earn some change for each ad you view on their site which adds up.  You receive emails when one is ready for you to be viewed.   What's nice is if I can't get to it that day, it's waiting for me the next day!  While I'm not ecstatic about this site, it is easy!

Associated Content -
This site pays you to write articles.  You can write about anything you like or you can opt to pick a topic from their assignment desk to write about for an upfront payment. Every time your article generates 1000 page views you get paid.  If you enjoy/love writing then this may be a terrific avenue for you to go down.  I find that the more you write on AC, the more money you will make.  However, writing an article once or twice a year probably won't get the revenue you may be looking for.  Associated Content pays via pay pal.

Other beneficial sites

Ebates -
In a nut shell Ebates gives you cash back on purchaes you make online to lower your final out of pocket expense.  There is a sign up bonus of $5.00 when you join.  How it works is when you are ready to make an online purchase, go to the Ebates website after you've signed up and click on the store you want to shop at. There are a ton of stores - most you probably already shop at! After your purchase is complete and confirmed (within 48 hrs) your cash back will show up in your ebates account.  Ebates pays out your cash via pay pal quarterly.  I go through ebates all the time and they do pay out!


NEWLY ADDED
Swagbucks-
When you use Swagbucks as a search engine, you regularly receive points (digital dollar) that can be redeemed for prizes like gift cards, clothing, video games, etc. for free.  They have a ton of different prizes from gift cards to your favorite retailer to t-shirts and literally loads more!

If you already use Google or Bing as a search engine, it is a good idea to switch to Swagbucks because it is basically the same thing except that you receive points while you are using it. Swagbucks doesn't ask for any personal information such as your phone number or credit card number and there is no spam mail. Swagbucks gives people points and prizes in an effort to keep them as a loyal user of their search engine.  I use Swagbucks everyday.  I have the toolbar loaded into one of my web browsers and just about every day I receive a digital dollar just for opening it.  On some days I've even gotten up to 50 Swagbucks and I didn't even search anything.  I'm personally saving my Swagbucks to see what I can snag as Christmas Gifts.  I totally recommend it, plus it's fun to snag free stuff for just simply browsing the web! 

Expo -
This site does not pay cash.  However, it does offer rewards compensation for free items.  You earn points for doing reviews for particular products EX. Herbal Essence, Gain Detergent etc.  Sometimes they even send out items for free sometimes before they hit store shelves in return for a  review.  They have an online store for you to redeem your points at.  You will even get points for signing up and completing your profile.

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Free Sample Pampers Extra Protection

Sizes 4 and 5 only.  To snag your sample simply run over here to request yours.

Offer ends 6/30/2010 or while supplies last.

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Mailbox Monday - Freebies In The Mail Wk 6/13

 

All freebies are posted daily!! To make sure you don't miss out on a freebie - subscribe to The Frugal Bug or Follow me on Twitter !

Oh....I almost forgot I already used and posted about my Kraft First Taste Items here  called "Couldn't Wait Til Monday"  literally!!  Also here is a photo of those freebies I got with the coupons that I  received this week in addition to the Tropicana Juicy Rewards Free OJ Coupon!!!

On top of all this I got a FREE ProGlide Razor in the mail  whoohoooo!!  How did your week go?
as always...
If you are nosy like me and wanna see what other bloggers have in there mailbox, join me at A Frugal Friend.

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Suddenly Salad Review and GIVEAWAY CLOSED

What better pot luck to carry along to a Summer BBQ than pasta?  I totally grill at least once or more a week during the warm weather months.  After sweating at the grill the last thing I want is to conjure up a time consuming side dish that's why I'm so fond of Suddenly Salad.   Each box of Suddenly Salad comes with ready-to-cook pasta and a seasoning packet. These quick and easy side dishes are wonderful and tasty.  Sometimes I add extra ingredients to give it a more fresh taste and sometimes I just chill them in the refrigerator and eat as is.  Whether we are grilling burgers, ribs, steak or other, I always have a couple boxes of Suddenly Salad on hand.  For the norm we usually have either the Ranch or the Classic.

Recently I received a Betty Crocker "Suddenly Delicious"  Pack including a NEW flavor called Greek, a wonderfully insulated tote bag, a snazzy bowl, and a pyrex dish!  With all the rain we've had, I've been anxious to get out and grill and try my the new Greek Salad.   We've finally been able to do just that.  With the time it takes to boil water your dish is pretty mush 90% complete.  With this particular mix you add 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil in the mix.  I really love Olive Oil and it's quite refreshing especially after it has refrigerated.  My family and I tried it warm and cold.  I'm leaning more towards the cold version.  I ate it as is, however next time I think I might add some grape tomatoes, olives, and maybe even some parmesan cheese.  We liked it. With seven different flavors, including new Greek, you're sure to find a family pleasing favorite that no one will ever guess isn't made from scratch.  Especially when you put your own twist on it by adding a few of your favorite ingredients.

Where to find it?  You can find Suddenly Salad at most grocery retailers.  These often go on sale too!!  In addition, you can print a coupon for .40 off your next purchase at http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/suddenly-salad.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED - WINNER -- 

cstironkat said...

daily tweet http://twitter.com/cstironkat/status/16175180786

Want to win it?  One lucky reader from The Frugal Bug has the chance to win their very own "Suddenly Declicous" Prize Pack!!  Including the new Greek Suddenly Salad, the bowl, a pyrex dish and the insulated tote! 

To enter simply tell me what your favorite summer get together where you might like to use Suddenly Salad or what recipe have you created using Suddenly Salad?  

Leave your email with your comment ex thefrugalbug at gmail dot com

Bonus Entries

* Follow The Frugal Bug via GFC

* Subscribe to The Frugal Bug via email and verify

* Follow The Frugal Bug via Twitter

* Grab The Frugal Bug button

* Follow The Frugal Bug in a reader

* Tweet about this giveaway - 1 per day

* Blog about this giveaway

Giveaway ends June 26 11:59 pm EST.  Winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond.



Betty Crocker provided me with the prize pack, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.   There was no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not swayed by the items mentioned above.

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