Free Online Scrapbooking Class

Make a December album project to help tell your holiday stories in a free online scrapbooking class.

JessicaSprague.com is offering the free course, called Holidays in Hand, starting November 16.

To register, simply visit JessicaSprague.com, create a free account, and enter the code HIHFREE2009.  

It's recommended that you have access to Adobe PhotoShop or Adobe PhotoShop Elements.  If you don't have either of these, you can download a free 30 day trial.  You don't have to be a digital scrapbooker to participate in this class.

The class runs Nov. 16-23, but you'll have access to the class for as long as you have your account. The class is self-paced, so you don't have to worry about logging on at a certain time. 

For those of you who don't know, Jessica Sprague is a contributing editor to Creating Keepsakes magazine.  She is a hybrid scrapbooker - meaning she often combines digital and paper scrapbooking.  I've taken a few of her online courses and they are wonderful!  I highly recommend signing up for this one, too!

Veterans Day Deals

If you're a veteran or currently on active military duty, there are several deals for you this week in honor of Veterans Day.

Veterans and active military duty will eat free at Applebee's restaurants on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11. You must show valid veteran or active military duty identification to get your choice of one of six free entrees.

All veterans and active military duty will receive a free Bloomin' Onion and a beverage at Outback Steakhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 11.  Be sure to check if your local restaurant is participating.

All veterans and active military will receive a free roast beef sandwich at Arby's on Wednesday, Nov. 11.  This is only at select stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois so check with your local Arby's to see if they are participating. (Thanks, 918 Coupon Queen!)

Golden Corral will hold its Military Appreciation Monday dinner on Monday, November 16, 2009, from 5 to 9 pm in all Golden Corral restaurants nationwide. The free dinner meal is a special thank you tribute to veterans and currently active members of the military.

Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts to all veterans and active military personnel on Veterans Day. 


Lowe's is offering a 10 percent discount on in-stock or special order merchandise up to $5,000 (maximum discount $500) to  all  active, reserve, honorably discharged, retired military personnel and their immediate family members Offer is valid between 11/8 and 11/15.

Home Depot is also offering a 10 percent discount to all active duty personnel, reservists, retired military, veterans and their families.  The offer is valid only on in-store purchases of up to $2,000 for a maximum of $200 Nov. 5-11, and certain exclusions apply.

Save $10 off $40 at Walgreens.com

Save $10 off $40. Use promo code BHEALTHY at Walgreens.com.

This offer is good through November 14 and excludes pharmacy and photo orders, gift card purchases, and taxes and shipping charges.

Check out the clearance and sale items in addition to the weekly deals.  And don't forget that if you still have money left in your flexible spending account, this may be a way for you to make the most of it.  Be sure to find out which items qualify for your flexible spending account before you make your purchase.

Happy Saving!

Free Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop: #48 Garage

Are your kids car junkies like mine?  Then they'll love building a FREE #48 Garage at Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, November 14 at 10 a.m. at participating Lowe's stores.

You should sign up in advance for these free workshops, and a parent must be present at the workshop with the child.

Each workshop runs about an hour and is geared toward kids in first through fifth grade.  Many of the projects are completed in less than an hour.

The first 50 kids to sign up for each workshop will get a kit, work apron, and safety goggles for free. Kids also get a badge and certificate when they complete their project.

My son and husband have a blast at these workshops and it is fun to see how proud my son is of his projects!

Can't make this workshop?  Check out Lowe's Build and Grow to see what other projects are being planned.

50 Free Photo Cards and Free Shipping!

Freebies4Mom is the truly the best at spoiling you with freebies!

She's offering her readers 50 free photo cards and free shipping from See Here by FujiFilm.

Head on over to Freebies4Mom to find out how to get your cards today!

This will be a great way to get your holiday cards or birth announcements done for free!

Review: Put More Cash In Your Pocket

As a person who is trying to make the most of my hard-earned dollars, I'm always open to learning about new ways to make money.

But when I first started reading Put More Cash in Your Pocket: Turn What You Know into Dough by Loral Langemeier, I was a little put off.  Langemeier believes that scrimping and saving is the "opposite of what you need to do to breathe easier."

Her attitude is not to cut back, but to make more money so that you can have what you want.  I was put off by her strong stance, because I think there's room in our lives for both approaches.  I believe when times are tough, it is good to trim back, and it is good to seek out new opportunities for income.  I don't think you have to choose one or the other.  After all, I make a small income from this blog, writing about that very idea!

I'm glad that those first few pages didn't stop me from reading the rest of the book.  What I like about this book is that it gets right to the meat of how to put more money in your wallet.  Using four different scenarios, Langemeier shows you how you can turn your skills into $500 to $1,000 of new cash every month.

Langemeier knows business and personal finance. She is the author of the national best-seller The Millionaire Maker and two New York Times bestsellers, The Millionaire Maker's Guide to Wealth Cycle Investing and The Millionaire Maker's Guide to Creating a Cash Machine for Life. In addition to her sold-out Millionaire Maker events, currently acts as a financial expert on the Dr. Phil Show, mentoring families in financial crisis.

Put More Cash in Your Pocket is a quick read, and is full of some good tips on how to get started making money fast using skills you already have.  So many of us make excuses for our financial situations, when we could be out making them better.  Langemeier provides simple steps to getting started and advice for how to not get caught up in the details.

While this book has good advice, I would have liked Langemeier to take a bit more time to consider legal issues and tax documents of running your own business.  She breezes over these issues, and depending on what line of work you are doing, that can be a very critical step.  I would also have liked to see more than just a casual mention of the work-family balance.  It's very easy to let a side job become all-consuming, and I would have liked to have read more about how to deal with that aspect of running your own business. 

I tend to over-analyze most decisions in my life, and so, if you're that type of person, Put More Cash in Your Pocket may be just the kick in the seat of the pants that you need. I was able to walk away with a few new ideas of things I could do to make extra money.

Of course, I'm still going to clip coupons and scrimp a little.  

Please note:  Harper Collins provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. The opinions reflected in my review are entirely my own, honest thoughts on this book, and were not edited by the book's author, publisher or distributors. 

Frugal Reading from the Cheapskate

I love this time of year because the deals are abundant.  But I also love it because some great bloggers get more philosophical and write some terrific posts!

Here are a few things I've read recently that I wanted to share with you:

Have you ever had a customer in line behind you grow impatient with your coupon usage?  I absolutely love how Moms Need to Know handled herself in her post When Coupons and Non-Couponers Collide.

Many, many good things come in small packages.  Read The Beauty of Small at mnmlist: the essentials.

Sometimes I see a post, and I find myself saying "YEAH!" right out loud.  Read Why Money Won't Solve Your Money Problems at Pocket Your Dollars.

I've shared with you many, many times that good communication with your spouse plays such an important role in your finances.  Erin at $5 Dollar Dinners shares how she and her husband talk things out in Sunday Night Meetings.  If this doesn't make you want to sit down and chat with your spouse, then I don't know what will!

And finally, a post that made me stop and ask myself what I've been hanging on to in my closet:  Let go of the past from your wardrobe at Unclutterer.  I really need to buy her new book!