FREE Software for Your Small Business

Need a little help keeping track of your sales and expenses for your small business?

Not big enough to warrant a complicated software program?

Download Simple Start by QuickBooks for FREE. This is a full-feature software program that helps you pay bills, invoice customers, create reports, prepare for tax time, and more. The software helps you track income and expenses with QuickBooks tools, reports & services. You can see a demo here.

This would be great if you have a little craft business, small e-bay operation, or just want to keep track of the family finances.

Oh, and a heads up... this took a loooong time to download.

FREE Download: Suze Orman Book

Looking for a little free reading?

Heather at Freebies4Mom is reporting that you can download a FREE copy of Suze Orman's Women and Money.

While I haven't read this particular book, I have read many others written by her. (I highly recommend The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke, by the way). Most of her books are inspiring, quick reads.

Download your free copy of Suze Orman's Women and Money book before 8/7c the evening of Friday, June 27, otherwise, you'll be headed to the library if you want to read it for free.

Free American Greeting Cards

Walmart is once again offering a free sample of American Greeting Cards, according to Heather at Freebies4Mom.

The last time Walmart had a card giveaway, I got two, high-quality greeting cards, so this is worth doing.

Click here for the details, fill out the form, and you should receive your cards in a few weeks. These samples usually go pretty fast, so don't wait!

Free Bio Spot Flea & Tick Control For Dogs

Mary from Vocation of Motherhood sent me this really great tip for dealing with flea and tick season:

Get a FREE 3-month supply of Bio Spot Spot On Flea & Tick Control for Dogs after you complete a short survey here.

Bio Spot claims to effectively control fleas and ticks for 1/3 of the price of other brands. That in itself is enough to take a look at it, as anyone who's read my post on Mosquitoes, Ticks, & My Dog knows.

Mary said she heard about this deal through Country Home magazine... a magazine she got for FREE thanks to a tip from Freebies4Mom. So it's like the freebie that keeps on giving!

Thanks for sharing, Mary!

Christmas in June??

Get a FREE Christmas ornament from Holidays at Home. (Thanks to More Than Enough for the tip!)

There are a limited number of ornaments available (and only one per household), but the website does say they if they run out, they'll put you on a list for when they get more. This might make a nice teacher gift. I plan to give it to one of my kids. In my family each child gets a new ornament every Christmas so when they move out on their own, they'll be able to decorate their own trees with fond memories.

UPDATED AGAIN: Get 2 Pairs of Headphones FREE!

Updated: 6/24/2008: Well, it seems the headphone deal IS available again, according to the e-mail I got in my inbox this morning. SO... here is the link to get the $10 headphones. Hopefully it works for you this time!

Updated:6/23/20008: Apparently the deal on the headphones is dead, but that doesn't mean there aren't other deals you can score with the $10 rebate for using Google Checkout.

I did see a 2 GB MicroSD card for $10 under the weekly specials today.. and I also saw a 4 GB flash drive that would only cost $6.95 after the rebate.

If you are in need of some items, I would look around. You may find some other $10 items (maybe computer discs?). The Google Checkout deal ends June 30, so keep checking for deals.

ORIGINAL POST: Got a great tip from iMommies today on how you can get two FREE pairs of headphones. Basically, head to Buy.com and check out their weekly specials. Look for the 2 pack of Phillips in-ear headphones for only $10. Then sign up to pay with Google Checkout and get an instant $10 rebate. Be sure to check the "Budget" shipping option so your headphones ship for free.

Total cost out of pocket: $0.00!! Buy.com has had several of these types of deals for awhile now... in fact, I also see you can get a Fujifilm one-time use 35mm camera or a noise cancelling PC gaming headset with this deal if you'd rather get one of those free instead of the headphones.

You can only use the Google checkout deal once per e-mail and credit card. And apparently, it looks like this Google Checkout deal will end June 30, 2008, so be sure to take advantage of it.

Free Drink at Caribou Coffee Saturday

Get a FREE 12 oz Fruit & Tea drink to celebrate the first day of summer at Caribou Coffee.

Stop by Caribou Coffee between 3 p.m and 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, to get your free beverage.

Choose from White Tea & Peach, Green Tea & Mango, or Red Tea & Raspberry.

This offer is not available through the drive-thru or at stores that aren't open on Saturdays. This deal is also not available at the Duluth, MN, Canal Park location.

Register Now For Free Online Courses

Looking for some enrichment?

There's still time to register for HP's FREE online computer classes. The classes are lead by knowledgeable folks, are self-paced and totally FREE.

You can learn everything from advanced digital scrapbooking to an intro to social networking. There's even a class called "Volunteer Tool Kit" that can help you take charge of your volunteer efforts.

Registration for the classes ends July 3. The classes close July 11.

I've done a couple of the classes before. As with any class, the more effort you put in, the more you get out of it. I found the HP classes to be enjoyable, free entertainment!

FREE Movie Channels This Weekend on DirecTV!

Just doing a little random channel surfing and discovered that we have free premium movie channels on DirecTV this weekend!

Just surf up to the 500-block of channels and you'll be able to watch HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Stars, Encore, and much more!

Fat Wallet is reporting that the Free Preview Weekend runs through Sunday, June 15 and they have a detailed list of all the free channels here.

So set those DVRs and Tivos and bank those movies for rainy afternoons and evenings when you have nothing to do!

Contests and a Freebie

Freebies4Mom has all the details on how to enter the Land O'Frost sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas.

When you enter the contest, you'll also get printable coupons for $1 off any package of Land O'Frost Deli Pouch and for a FREE package of Land O'Frost Taste Escapes.

And speaking of contests: Enter to win a year's supply of Scott Paper Towels here. Don't worry, the winnings are in coupon form so you won't have to store them!

Free Formula Sample, Potty Training DVD

If you're looking to save on formula, you may want to try a sample of Parent's Choice Forumula. Many moms have told me that they (and their babies) like the cheaper store brands of formula more than the spendy name brands.

You can also get a free potty training DVD in specially marked packages of Huggie Pull-Ups at Walmart. If you don't want to buy the Pull-Ups, you can request the DVD here for FREE. My DVD came with several coupons for Huggies products.

Use Those Freebies for a Creative Gift

Michelle at Leaving Excess has a great idea for using all the great freebies she's been gathering:

She uses them to put together clever gift bags for new graduates.

Check out her post to see all of the goodies she puts in the gift bags and the clever note she writes to the lucky graduate.

I can see this idea being used for other things: a gift for a new mom or dad, a new homeowner, or a bridal shower gift.

Thanks for sharing the idea, Michelle!

Get a FREE E-book on How to Sell on Ebay

Money Saving Mom and Ebay Selling Coach Suzanne Wells have teamed up to give away a FREE e-book, "The Stay-At-Home-Mom's Guide to Successful Ebay Selling."

The 60+ page e-book is easy to read and understand. It's very informative and great for beginner Ebay sellers. It covers topics such as where to get inventory, shipping, photos, customer service, and how to find time to sell things. Don't let the title mislead you: this book has loads of good information that can be used by anyone looking to learn how to sell things on Ebay.

Be sure to visit Money Saving Mom's post to find out all the details on how to download a copy for yourself.

Huggies Rebate Offer Extended

The Huggies Choice Rewards rebate offer has been extended until June 15.

Here's the deal: Buy 3 packs of Huggies in a single purchase, send in the UPCs, the original sales receipt, and this form, and you can have your choice of a $5 check, a baby lullaby CD (valued at $16.99) or an exercise DVD (also valued at $16.99). You can listen to samples of the lullabies or view a clip of the videos. You have until June 15 to make your purchase and until July 31 to submit your request.

I opted for one of the exercise DVDs because I am bored with my current collection... and I figure if I'm not exercising, at least I can pretend I will exercise!

Free Bottle of Wish-Bone Salad Dressing

Wish-Bone is offering a FREE bottle of its new Bountifuls salad dressing via mail-in rebate as part of its "Go Greens! Eat Salad" campaign.

The dressings come in four flavors: Tuscan Romano Basil, Simply Sante Fe, Hearty Italian, and Berry Delight. Each of these vinaigrette dressings has 35 calories or less and 1 gram of fat or less per serving.

There's a really short purchase window for this offer: You must buy the dressing between May 30 and June 1, 2008 to qualify for the rebate. Then log on to www.wish-bone.com/Digital-Garden.aspx to download the mail-in rebate form and send it in with your receipt. Wish-Bone will reimburse the full cost (up to $4.50). You have until June 30, 2008 to submit the rebate form. Allow 6-8 weeks for your rebate check to arrive.

While at www.Wish-Bone.com, you can also plant a personalized digital garden and enter for a chance to win one of 2000 reusable "Greenshopper" grocery bags, which will be given away daily from May 12 to August 4, 2008.

The “Go Greens! Eat Salad” Campaign also benefits the National Gardening Association’s Adopt A School Garden program, which helps fund youth gardening programs at schools across the country.

Get FREE Mousepads and Prints at ArtsCow

My credit for my first 100 free prints from ArtsCow will expire on May 31, so I thought I'd better start uploading some photos.

I'm glad I waited to order because they have another bonus deal going on. If you make a purchase between 5/16/2008 and 5/31/2008, you will get credits for 5 FREE custom mousepads. If a single order amount is over $15.00 (including shipping fees!!), you will get not only 5 free mousepad credits, but also an EXTRA 400 FREE prints (including 200 4x6s and 200 5x7s).

If you haven't signed up for ArtsCow yet, you still can. New members will get credits for 400 FREE digital photo prints and an 8x8 Photo Book. Use this link to sign up, and I'll get a referral bonus (thanks in advance!)

According to Freebies4Mom, shipping costs just under 10 bucks for the 100 free prints, not too bad of a deal. She also reviewed the quality of prints here.

Get a FREE Appetizer or Dessert from TGI Fridays

Sign up for TGI Fridays new "Give Me More Stripes" rewards program and get a coupon for a FREE appetizer or dessert and a pass to move to the front of the line at their restaurant at your next visit.

Membership in the "Give Me More Stripes" program is free. Once you sign up, you'll receive a rewards card from TGI Fridays. For every $1 you spend at TGI Fridays, you will receive one stripe. Earn 100 stripes, and get a coupon for $8 toward any item off their menu (except alcohol). There's no limit to how many coupons you can earn. Gift card and alcohol purchases don't count towards rewards.

With your membership, you'll also have opportunities to participate in complimentary welcome tastings, drink upgrades, and preferred seating and parking.

TGI Fridays also has a printable coupon to treat your dad to FREE Beer-Battered Onion Rings on Father's Day, June 16.

Now if only there was a TGI Fridays near me!

Free e-book on Debt Reduction

One of my favorite blogs, No Credit Needed, is giving away a free e-book. The No Credit Needed Debt Reduction Guide is an 8-page tutorial on how to chip away at your debts and live a better life. It's an easy-to-read guide that will help you decide which debts to attack and how to reward your victories - big and small.

The e-book is a great introduction to eliminating your debt, and No Credit Needed is a great resource - complete with podcasts and its own network to inspire you on your path to financial freedom.

Stamp Out Hunger

Editor's Note: The following post is written by frugal friend and guest blogger Susan.

I have always been a frugal gal but things have gotten a little out of hand lately. Between this Northern Cheapskate and Freebies4Mom I have been racking up coupons and free items like I never have before! I have used coupons to purchase things I normally don’t use under the guise of “Oh, I’ll try it now that it’s free or almost free." I also can’t seem to get away from that Mid-Western voice in my head that says “It’s free! It’s un-American to turn it down!”

The end result is that I have all sorts of stuff I am not going to use AND I am short on cabinet space. What’s a frugal-ite to do?

The answer came in the mail today. I got a postcard from my postal carrier about their Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Details can be found at http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/.

The short story is that if you put non-perishable things in a plastic bag in your mailbox on Saturday May 10th, your postal carrier will take it away for you and donate it to a local food pantry! They only ask that it not be expired (of course) and not be in glass (Messy trucks are bad for the Monday delivery). The web site also says that most, but not all, post offices participate and if you want to check to see if yours is call 1-800-ASK-USPS.

I know our local food banks take personal care items in addition to food so I am putting in my tube of Aquafresh along with my 3 boxes of Chocolate Honey Bunches of Oats.

Does this make up for the cost of stamps going up the next day? NO! But I now won’t feel so bad on my next trip to the store with a fist full of coupons for things I normally don’t buy. And hey, I didn’t waste any gas going to the food pantry.

Editor's Note: Susan's idea for all your extra freebies is a very good one! I know that my local food bank really appreciates the personal care items because it is difficult and expensive for them to obtain them. Food banks and shelters are a great place to donate items you've gotten for free or almost free - such as toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and deodorant. Don't forget to donate those extra free samples you get in the mail and unopened hotel shampoos and soaps.

$10 off Enfamil A.R. LIPIL Coupon

UPDATED: The coupon has been claimed and will be shipped out just as soon as Dave e-mails me his address. Thanks for the response!

The other day when I was at Target, the cash register spit out a really good coupon with my receipt.... but unfortunately it's for a product I don't use!

So, I thought I would pass it on to one of you!

The coupon is for $10 off a 24-oz. Enfamil A.R. LIPIL powder infant formula. It expires 6/30/2008.

Remember, you can combine Target coupons with a manufacturer coupon, so if you have some of those formula checks from Enfamil's Family Beginnings Program, you'll be able to buy the formula for super cheap.

The first person to e-mail me will get the coupon. I'll update this post when it has been claimed.