Never Waste Money On Gifts Again!

I've been told that I'm an oddity when it comes to receiving gifts, in that I absolutely adore every single gift I get, from the blingy watch my husband bought for me a few birthdays back to the scribble drawing my three-year-old nephew created for me this birthday. I don't care what it is, as long as I get something. 

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It’s "Best Things In Life Are Free" Day!

Sponsored by 1-800-Free411 (free directory assistance/directions), today (April 11th) is the day we get to throw a party (cake and ice cream, anyone?) for all of the great things in life that are free. You know, like those free days museums host sometimes or free meals at your favorite restaurant on your birthday. To commemorate the day, I've made a list of all of my favorite no-money-needed things I've encountered in my life.

What do you have to add to the list?

1. A free, annual scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream on April 17 (www.benjerry.com)
2. Free Product Samples (www.thefreesite.com)
3. Free Tech Support (help.protonic.com)
4. Blood pressure screenings at supermarkets and pharmacies
5. Home maintenance tips and advice for do-it-yourself projects at free in-store clinics provided by your local Home Depot (www.homedepot.com)
6. Old couches and other home furnishings found at The Freecycle Network (www.freecycle.org)
7. A copy of your credit report to make sure everything is as it should be (www.freecreditreport.com)
8. Books and media from your local public library (www.librarysites.info)
9. A day at the museum on free admission days
10. Online courses offered by MIT (www.ocw.mit.edu) or lessons on how to run a small business (www.sba.gov)
11. Classes offered at your local Apple store on business and entertainment software, music programs and computer basics (www.apple.com)
12. 1-800-FLIGHTS: 1.800.Flights is a new media company providing flight status by phone for nearly every commercial passenger flight arriving and departing the U.S. daily. (www.1800flights.net/index.html)
13. Hire your own (virtual) personal shopper that sifts through millions of products from your favorite stores and brands and proposes a selection of "just what you wanted" items (www.personalshopper.com)
14. Take advantage of a convenient way to find your next companion without having to leave the comfort of your own home (www.petfinder.com)
15. Receive the week's top travel deals straight to your inbox. It's like having your own personal travel agent - free of charge! (www.travelzoo.com)
16. Discover new bands that are tailored to your personal music preferences and listen to them for free over the internet (www.pandora.com)
17. Manage your money by taking advantage of walk-in financial advice from retail locations of investment banks like Charles Schwab (www.charlesschwab.com)
18. Build your new bathroom without breaking the bank by borrowing tools, equipment and "how-to" instructional materials from your local library (yes, library!) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_lending_library)
19. Show your smarts by avoiding paying for pricey, premium textbooks and downloading them for free (www.freeloadpress.com)
20. Save time on figuring out who to vote for by getting a free evaluation of your political stance (www.selectsmart.com/president/2008)

One For You, One For Me

Hard enough as it is to find the perfect gift for someone else, it's even harder to resist the urge to spend money on myself. Yeah, I'll admit it: I'm kind of greedy.

Thank goodness for free gifts with purchase -- the easiest way to do your shopping and get something for yourself in the process (without the guilt trip).

Here are some beauty-full free gift with purchase deals:

-Buy any Bliss gift set, get a free Lemon+Sage Soapy Sap and Body Butter for FREE (expires 12/10/07; enter code: 117906)

-Buy $40 or more at Mary Kay, get a travel-size Satin Hands Pampering Set for FREE (expires 12/15/07; available through Independent Beauty Consultants)

-Buy $50 or more at Beauty.com on Kinerase products, get Blemish Dissolver for FREE (expires 12/31/07)

Shop Around...At Home!

It's the biggest mystery of them all -- my Grandfather always manages to "stumble" upon the BEST grocery store bargains in town. We're talking lamb chops for half-off; we're talking bulk toilet paper for buy one get THREE free; we're talking six pound watermelons for $1! It's almost unbelievable the kinds of discounts he finds.

But, I think I've become hip to his script. My grandfather is retired and has all day to drive from store to store in search of the best deals. My grocery shopping, on the other hand, is reserved for the weekends and I typically just want to get it done and over with as quickly as possible. In my haste, I know I'm missing all of those great deals and savings. Not to mention I'm buying items that I don't need -- "Chocopops are on sale today? Greeeaaat, I'll take 'em...and the 400 calories that comes with them!"

Lucky for me (and my waistline), I've discovered My Grocery Deals, a free online service that allows me to go online, make a grocery list based on advertised grocery flyer specials and look at nutritional information, too.

To get started, you register at the site, then pick the stores in your neighborhood. The sales will pop up and you check the items you want. The site instantly creates a shopping list (arranged by store), along with subtotals for each and a grand total. When you print it out, you'll see the regular price, the price you'll pay at checkout and the amount you'll save.