store reward programs

I Love CVS As Much As This Girl

I’ve already told you all how much I love CVS so this story totally touches me – so cute!

This girl loves CVS so much that she got a CVS themed birthday party! I love CVS even more knowing that when CVS headquarters heard about Iris’ party, they sent this family snacks, favors, and party supplies.

We need Iris on our LCFR team, she clearly loves a good deal!

BOOritos!

If you’re anything like me, you know that every year, Chipotle offers awesome discounts for coming in costume, but each year, the rules are a little different. I’m here to clue you in to how this year’s BOOrito is going to work!

As we learned from Chipotle’s Friend or Faux promotion, the chain is vehemently against unnecessary additives in their food, and are doing all that they can to show just how unimportant they are to your meals. To further promote this concept, this Halloween, from 5pm-close, Chipotle asks you to spook them by adding something unnecessary to your costume to score a $3 burrito!

In this super fun video titled “Unneces-scary”, you can enter the nightmare of one Chipotle customer who discovers what Chipotle would be like if they served processed fast food rather than cooking by hand.

Looking for some inspiration? Check out our article feature image to get a feel for some unnecessary costume additions! Enjoy!

Free Samples From Target

I’ve recently been tipped off that a bunch of stores give out free samples on a regular basis for certain brands during periods of time. I checked out Target and was pretty pleased with the result!

As of right now, they only have Sun Butter On the Go Single Cups as a sample. You simply click ‘Request Sample’ and they send you through a quick survey of questions related to their product. The first time I tried, it told me I wasn’t qualified for the offer because I said I didn’t have a child aged 5-11.

I quickly caught on to the fact that these free samples were likely a result of the rising peanut allergy and the banning of peanut products from a lot of younger-aged children schools. I’m not telling you to lie, persay, on this survey, but once you figure out how the product is being marketed, it is pretty easy to run through and not disqualify to get your free sample.

It was smooth sailing once I said I had a child – frankly, I think that the peanut allergy applies well beyond school children, so I don’t feel too guilty about it. After you run through the survey you simply fill out your contact information and you’re good to go.

I assume other offers that rotate in are similarly structured, but I’ll certainly be sure to check back!

Target gives some instructions and tips:

  • Start by clicking the “Request Sample” button.
  • To request a sample, you must have cookies enabled on your browser.
  • A window will prompt you to answer a few survey questions. Please note that, due to limited distribution and the targeted audience, some samples may require answers to qualifying questions like age, zip code and/or questions related to the product, to determine eligibility to receive the sample.
  • After finishing the survey, enter your complete name, address and email so we can send your sample by mail.
  • One sample available per household.
  • Please allow 3-5 weeks for delivery.

Pretty easy! I’d definitely recommend checking in a couple of times a week.

Save $32 on Amazon Prime

I don’t know how I just caught wind of this when the Emmy’s were on Sunday…BUT, fear not, we have time to capitalize on this!

To celebrate Transparent (Amazon original series) winning 5 Emmy Awards, Amazon is offering an incredible deal on Friday, September 25th ONLY. New Amazon Prime members will only have to spend $67 for their first year  using Prime. Normally, this costs $99, so this is a $32 discount.

I’ve preached the perks to Prime to you all before:

  • Free 2-day Shipping
  • Unlimited Deliveries
  • Access to Prime Instant Video
  • Tons of Kindle Perks

Check out THIS PAGE on Friday to sign up for your discounted Prime. Don’t forget, you can always cancel if you don’t think this is worth $99/year next September, but I don’t think you will 🙂

$10 off Bonefish Grill

This free sample borderline made me get in my car immediately. Our family LOVES Bonefish Grill – it’s the perfect place for the family that’s not a junky chain and pleases everyone. Don’t be put off by the name – this is not seafood only, plenty of options for everyone.

I am so shocked by this awesome offer that I had to share! Bonefish is inviting it’s customers to celebrate summer with them with a FREE $10 gift card. No need to sign up, register, do ANYTHING, they’re just giving you $10.

You can simply print or take a screenshot of the coupon and bring it into the restaurant, show your server, and enjoy. The offer is only valid through August 24th, so hurry with this one!

Bang bang shrimp, anyone?

Step Up Your PUMPKIN Game With Dunkin’ Donuts

Tell you what – nothing makes me more ready for fall than pumpkin ANYTHING. I am a total sucker for the entire pumpkin marketing scheme and this post proves it.

According to mediapost.com, Dunkin’ Donuts jumped on the pumpkin trend pretty early on with products like pumpkin spice donuts + pumpkin muffins in 2003. Over the years, they’ve come to incorporate pumpkin iced coffee, hot coffee, lattes, donuts, Munchkins donut holes, muffins, k-cups, and even packaged coffees. Seems they have pretty much pumpkin’d about everything, so they’re stepping up their game with this years marketing scheme!

This week, Dunkin’ Donuts is hosting “Pumpkin Peeks” where the first 500 guests to 6 strategic locations (original restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts, units in Santa Monica and Culver City, CA to commemorate their 1-year anniversary in California, and 3 top pumpkin ordered chains, Biddeford, Maine, Norwich, Connecticut, and Hyde Park, NY) will be offered a FREE hot or iced pumpkin coffee, along with other pumpkin-themed giveaways. If you live close to ANY of these areas, get to your local Dunkin’ Donuts and capitalize on this!

In addition to this, and especially if you aren’t in one of these areas, Dunkin’ is running a “PumpkinGrams” promotion, where fans can post about their pumpkin coffees and lattes on Twitter and Instagram, using #DDPumpkin and #Sweepstakes – qualifying them for chances to win digitally delivered Dunkin’ gift cards.

Keep an eye out, everyone! Pumpkin menu items are being introduced over the next two weeks, and will be available nationally by August 31st. FALL IS COMING!

Members Only: Pillsbury Coupons, Samples, Sweepstakes and More!

I’ve been hearing rumors about this for awhile, but just realized how legitimate it was once I signed up – and cannot recommend this enough!

Pillsbury members get exclusive perks and benefits such as coupons, free samples, info on sales and contests, sweepstakes offers, a chance to win their popular calendar, and more. It’s free to join simply by signing up for their newsletter.

First and foremost: COUPONS

pillsbury_coupon_page

Pillsbury Coupon Page [http://www.pillsbury.com/coupons?RegAction=DealsPage_Coupons]

By subscribing to their newsletter, you get first dibs on the month’s coupons. They claim that members save up to $250.year with new coupons that are added monthly. In their coupon selection you can ‘clip’ and print coupons, link your store cards, email coupons to yourself for later, or even see in-store savings listings. It’s pretty all-encompassing and extensive – if you can’t find products you don’t buy regularly discounted here, then I’d be totally shocked.

SWEEPSTAKES

pillsbury_sweepstakes

Pillsbury Sweepstakes [http://www.pillsbury.com/offers]

Pillsbury members get free access to the latest and greatest prize offers. Sweepstakes updated often, so don’t forget to check back and enter each and every one of them!

FREE SAMPLES

annual_pillsbury_calendar

Annual Pillsbury Calendar [http://www.pillsbury.com/offers]

Everyone’s favorite. Pillsbury gives away a limited amount of free samples every month on a first-come first-serve basis (one per member). Newsletter subscribers are the first to know. In addition to this, Pillsbury rounds up tons of recipes on a yearly basis and makes them into a members-only calendar! They recommend hanging it up in your kitchen to have easy, quick recipes at your fingertips each month. Make sure you’re signed up to get a new one each fall – limited quantities!

Give it a chance, everyone! Sign up here and let your fellow LiveCheap readers know how you do with it in the comments!

Nonstop Deals from Joe’s Crab Shack

I recently attended a family wedding in the greater Philadelphia area. Our hotel happened to be right next to a Joe’s Crab Shack – we checked it out for some appetizers, and while we were there, we were encouraged to join the email list.

Just for joining the list, we were given a complimentary appetizer, on the spot.

Since then, I get awesome daily emails, from discounted specials, to $10 off, to complimentary drinks or appetizers, just for coming in and being on their list. Unfortunately, I don’t live nearby a location, but if I did, I’d be going in all the time!

emails_from_joes

Emails from Joe’s

I think Joe’s is an awesome option for a fast casual restaurant. Being that I am a huge seafood fan, I may be a little bit biased, but I think that they have great options. You can get seafood boils, peel and eat, etc. – so many options that don’t require deep frying. For the non-seafoodies, plenty of options as well.

That being said, check out their signup for the newsletter here. You won’t regret it!

Buying in Bulk

Good morning! Happy Tuesday!

As promised yesterday, today I wanted to kick off blogging with a buying in bulk tutorial. Is it worth it? Are there items worth buying in bulk? Are there items you should never buy in bulk? Are you actually saving by buying in bulk? Let’s get some answers.

In a US News article, they highlight 3 huge sources of “bulk-buying failure”:

1. Perishable items

2. Unnecessary items

3. Items you don’t have room to store

These are all pretty sensible. Perishable items you’ll have to make absolutely sure you can finish before they go bag. Personally, I find that sometimes I have trouble finishing normal sized perishable items, so bulk perishable is simply not on the table for purchase, unless there’s a party to plan for. Unnecessary items are exactly as they seem: unnecessary. Buy items in bulk that you regularly use and KNOW you will use. Otherwise, you’ll be finding yourself trying to take hundreds of Tootsie Rolls to the face, just because. And, of course, always make sure you have room to store bulk items, otherwise they are just a hassle.

“Good” bulk items:

1. Bathroom items: toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo&conditioner, etc. These are items that you use daily and always find yourself running low on. You’ll never be upset to have extra of these things.

2. Household items/cleaners: trash bags, detergents, etc. Same story as bathroom items – you’ll always need these things!

3. Dried pastas, beans, rices: these will never go bad, and you will always find use for them. Great to have on hand.

4. Household and office supplies: notebooks, pens, lightbulbs, etc. These things never get old and always need to be replaced.

Now let’s get to a price breakdown for the top bulk stores. This should help you figure out what option is your best!

Costco

costco

Costco [costco.com]

Executive Membership: Executive Membership is our highest level of membership. All Executive Members enjoy a 2% Reward (up to $750 per year) on most Costco purchases, as well as additional benefits and greater discounts on our suite of services.

Business Membership: Business Membership, available for business owners and managers, allows the purchase of products for business, personal and resale use. Business members may also add up to six additional card holders to their account for an additional $55 each, includes household membership.

Gold Star Membership: This option is mostly for individuals. Gold Star Membership is available for individuals who want to purchase products mainly for personal use.

*An article by twocents.lifehacker.com notes that Costco is an incredible source for saving money depending on what you buy, and compiled a list of Costco items whose items will single-handedly pay for your membership fee. Tires, wine, and rotisserie chicken. Good thing we love rotisserie chicken!

Sam’s Club

sams_club

Sam’s Club [www.samsclub.com]

Sam’s Plus: Cost is $100. This membership allows Cash Rewards ($10 for every $500 spent, up to $500 annually), Extra Protection Service Plan (additional year of coverage), Early Shopping Hours, Extra Value Drug List for Plus Members, Optical Plus Member Benefit, Optical Discount RX Eyeglasses, Sam’s Club Mastercard, Instant Savings, Tire & Battery Center Access, Club Pickup, and Add-On Memberships up to 16 people.

Sam’s Business: Cost is $45. This membership allows Early Shopping Hours, Optical Discount RX eyeglasses, Sam’s Club Mastercard, Instant Savings, Tire & Battery Center, Club Pickup, and Add-On Memberships up to 8 people.

Sam’s Savings: Cost is $45. This membership allows Optical Discount RX Eyeglasses, Sam’s Club Mastercard, Instant Savings, Tire & Battery Center, Club Pickup, but no Add-On Memberships.

*An article by WCPO notes that Sam’s Club is a worthy membership if you shop at Sam’s Club at least 9 times, depending on how much you spend during each trip.

BJ’s Wholesale

bjs_wholesale

BJ’s Wholesale [bjs.com]

BJ’s Perks Rewards™ Membership: A business card option, you can earn 2% back on most BJ’s in-club and online purchases. $100/year

BJ’s Business Membership: A business membership for any size business that comes with a FREE second membership card. Enjoy tax-exempt or resale options for business or personal purchases. $50/year

BJ’s Perks Rewards™ Membership: A personal version of the business option – 2% back on most BJ’s in-club and online purchases. $100/year

Personal Membership: For individuals and families with a FREE second card for a household member. $50/year

*An article on timesunion.com notes that BJ’s is totally worth it, especially if you buy certain items (diapers, formula, gas, and pet food are specifically mentioned)

forum on community.babycenter.com notes that you can often times get a free 30- or 60-day membership to any of the clubs. Check out your local bulk store and see if they can work with you so you can give things a trial run and see if it is worth it for you and your family! Hope this helps 🙂

Cyber Monday Mania on Groupon Goods

Hope everyone had an awesome, relaxing summer weekend! Happy Monday 🙂

I want to talk to everyone about one of my favorite things: Groupon Goods. I find that Groupon in terms of local deals has been lackluster for the past few years (restaurants and spas I’m not so into) BUT that if you check Groupon Goods a few times a week, you’re likely to find some stuff you really need and enjoy. For me, I have found everything from unique laptop cases to Crest WhiteStrips, both of which are overpriced regularly, but from them, a great deal.

cyber_monday_mania

Cyber Monday Mania [groupon.com/occasion/cyber-monday]

Today I did my normal perusal and saw that they’re running a special deal today, July 27th only, Cyber Monday Mania, with hundreds of doorbuster deals.

I took a quick look through these deals and wanted to share the most exciting ones, in my personal opinion:

1) Speck Cases for MacBook Air, Pro, or Pro with Retina Display

speck_case_ipad

Speck Cases for MacBook Air, Pro, or Pro with Retina Display [groupon.com]

These cases are awesome, and I plan on buying one of these today. Usually $49.95, these are discounted to $17.99 today only. The case is a two-piece snap-on that protects your laptop from minor damage such as scratches. It also has rubberized feet that help keep your computer in place.

2) Waloo Bluetooth Waterproof Selfie Stick

waloo_selfie_stick

Waloo Bluetooth Waterproof Selfie Stick [groupon.com]

There’s two types of people in the world: people who think selfie sticks are annoying, and people who think selfie sticks are God’s gift to mankind. I am the latter. In the summertime, I can’t think of more fun you could have than with a WATERPROOF selfie stick in the pool or ocean to share your vacations and weekend memories with your family and friends. The stick comes with a waterproof pouch to make group photos underwater easy and safe for the camera.

3) Apple iPad 2, 3, 4, Air, or Air 2 from $189.99-$489.99 (Refurbished)

apple_ipads_refurbished

Apple iPad 2, 3, 4, Air, or Air 2 from $189.99–$489.99 (Refurbished) [groupon.com]

iPads can be an incredible resource for you or a family member, with it’s capabilities ranging far and wide. Your portable cookbook is your kid’s games, your teenager’s social media source, your husband’s place to check sports stats. Apple seems to come out with a new model every other day – why not get a refurbished model? They’re good as new and so much less expensive than the latest and greatest. Check them out via Groupon.

4) Weight Gurus Smartphone-Connected Body Fat Scale

weight_gurus_smartphone_scale

Weight Gurus Smartphone-Connected Body Fat Scale [groupon.com

I always preach that keeping healthy is important! This body fat scale measures your body composition precisely and lets you track your weight-loss progress on your smartphone. Pretty neat and only $23.99 down from $79.99 – not too bad!

5) SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Set with Four 1L Bottles and 30L CO2 Carbonator

sodastream_fountain

SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Set with Four 1L Bottles and 30L CO2 Carbonator [groupon.com]

On #NationalJunkFoodDay, I blogged about how the SodaStream is an awesome way to replace soda in your family’s everyday life. Down from $129.99, Groupon is offering the SodaStream for $53.99, and including 4 1L bottles. It’s an awesome investment, and you won’t find it any cheaper than this!

6) Oster 1.5-Quart Ice-Cream, Frozen-Yogurt, and Sorbet Maker

oster_ice_cream

Oster 1.5-Quart Ice-Cream, Frozen-Yogurt, and Sorbet Maker [groupon.com]

I love these! Adorable, colorful, and fun for the family, this ice-cream, frozen-yogurt, and sorbet maker is discounted 55% from $59.99 to $26.99. Forget going out to ice-cream after dinner for a treat, and enjoy the experience of making it yourself!

7) UV-Nails LED Lamp and Gel Nail Polish Set

uv_gel_manicure

UV-Nails LED Lamp and Gel Nail Polish Set [groupon.com]

Recently, I’ve been addicted to gel manicures. They cost an absolute fortune if you get them regularly (I can’t find anywhere that does them for less than $35). A friend told me that she does them herself, and at first, I thought she was crazy – but then she explained how easy it was once you had the UV light. Give it a try! You’ll get your moneys worth after less than 2 self-done gel manicures, down from $249.99 to $49.99.

8) 120 or 160 Pack of Scunci Elastic Hair Ties

scunci_hair_ties

120 or 160 Pack of Scunci Elastic Hair Ties [groupon.com]

In a house with girls, nothing disappears faster than hair ties – even socks! Ultra cheap here, you can stock up with a 76% discount, only $6.99 for up to 160 hairties. Why not?

9) NOW Essential Oils 10-Oil Variety Pack

now_essential_oils

NOW Essential Oils 10-Oil Variety Pack [groupon.com]

Essential oils are all the rage! I’ve just started my experience with them using them to help my dog with some anxiety using Lavender at nighttime. This starter set, originally $199.99, is discounted to $69.99 today only.

10) Crest 3D White Whitestrips in Classic Vivid; 24 Strips

crest_white_strips

Crest 3D White Whitestrips in Classic Vivid; 24 Strips [groupon.com]

Here they are! My favorite thing to buy from Groupon Goods. These actually work, and I use them a few times a year. You’ll find them in the drug store for $32.99, but they are being offered here for $17.99 – promoting noticable results in 12 days.

All of this and so much more. Check it out today only!