I know how much you all like freebies.  I haven’t written about freebies in a long time, so to make up for it here is a round-up of free stuff and giveaways!

Veterans and active duty can eat for free today at Applebee’s.  There are six great looking meals that you can choose from.

If you’re a big Martha Stewart fan or if you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, you’ll want this free Martha Stewart Thanksgiving cookbook download.  Thanks Money Saving Mom!

Quality Health also has a free Thanksgiving recipes ebook.  The Freebie Blogger has more info about getting the ebook.

At Little Fun; Little Learning I’m giving away five copies of Tiny Baby Jesus.  It’s a hardcover book that retails for $16.99 and would make a great Christmas present.

There is a free military appreciation dinner at Golden Corral restaurants on Monday, November 16 from 5-9 pm. 

Download some groovy children’s music from Charity & the JamBand.  There are currently nine free downloads in the song of the month archives.  You can also listen to other music on their homepage.  My kids favorite song is Peanut Butter and Jam.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf store locations in CA, TX, and AZ will be hosting a Holiday Open House on Thursday, November 12 from 4-8 pm.  Join them for a complimentary 12 oz holiday drink.

A special thanks to everyone who has served or is currently serving our country.  Freedom is not free and we are so thankful to you and your families for your sacrifice.

image sxc.hu

Karen wrote a post a little while ago, 10 Financial Signs He’s Cheating, and it was good, but the second I read it, I noticed that the list of ten behaviors could potentially point to another bad behavior, gambling. Gambling is a serious issue in the United States. The National Council on Problem Gambling notes that annually about 3 million adults can be considered pathological gamblers while another 2-3% of adults are problem gamblers.
Having been with a gambler in the past I can honestly say that it’s JUST like cheating, only your partner’s not dating another woman they’re dating the …read more

With the arrival of the fall and winter seasons comes the fact that we’ll be seeing more black clothing.  I enjoy my black pants and skirts.  They go with so many different sweaters and blouses.  The problem is keeping them at their best.  To save money on your clothing expenses, try these tips to keep your black clothing from fading.

Wear your black clothing more than once. If you’re wearing your black clothing to church or if you’re working in an office building, then you can probably get away with wearing them several times before laundering.  Sometimes I take a damp washcloth …read more

Being able to successfully defuse a money argument is an awesome skill for couples to learn. Money is a number one reason why couples break up so the next time you feel the need to get crazy during a money discussion try some other tactics instead that will defuse not enrage the discussion.

Be proactive: If money is ONLY something you discuss when you’ve got a problem, well, that right there is your problem. Couples who are open about their money style and discuss bills and finances when there’s no problem are better equipped to deal when a problem arises. The …read more

Cars cost families a lot. At first glance it may not seem like much of your budget goes to your car, but the Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that car ownership costs are the second largest household expense in the U.S and can take up about 17% of the family budget (that’s for one car).

Ditching one car if you have two can be an excellent way to lower household costs. You can save that money you would be spending on depreciation, interest on your loan, taxes and fees, insurance premiums, fuel costs, maintenance, repairs, and more and …read more

Every now and the I find some cool websites and information and I like to pass those on to you.  Here’s some that I found this weekend.  Enjoy!

The Consumerist warns us about the risk we take when we sign up for coffee subscriptions.  There is no possible way I could drink that much coffee.
I have used plastic on my windows before to help keep my heating costs down.  I never thought of using bubble wrap.  This is a pretty neat idea as it is easier to install and uses something that you probably have at home.
My husband makes great eggrolls, …read more

In order to slash your food bills, you’ll need to gather some background info, set a target, and then make sure you follow shopping rules that will help you achieve that target. Here’s how…

Know your food costs: Track food costs for about a month so you get a fair idea of where your money is going. Divide the costs into necessary foods (bread, milk, eggs) and unnecessary food costs (cookies, soda, dips). You should also keep track of how often you eat out and those costs too.
Set a target: Do you want to cut $50, $100, more? Set a target …read more

There are plenty of money traps out there, but some are far more significant that others. Two biggies to watch out for include:
Assuming you’ll always be a two income family and not planning for survival as a one income family:
SO many things can happen to a two income family. Couples break up – yes even when you don’t see it coming, people get sick and can’t work, people get pregnant and make a decision not to work, layoffs occur, and sadly sometimes the worst happens and one of a couple dies. The problem is that too few people plan for …read more

Many of you will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year. It doesn’t take long to figure out that this feast can break your food budget.  Here are some tips to help you to spend less and hang on to that money for upcoming Christmas expenses.

Prepare the foods yourself.  Don’t go out to the ham store and order a precooked ham or turkey.  I’ve heard of some people paying $30-40 for a precooked ham.  Yikes!
Shop the pre-Thanksgiving sales.  Some stores offer tremendous weekly specials to lure you in.  Look for buy 1 get 1 free specials on vegetables, …read more

Christmas is not only overly expensive but can be totally stressful too. In fact the issues usually go hand in hand. Really it’s time to end this stressful holiday nonsense and get back to holiday celebrations that actually matter and that are actually fun, don’t you think? Here are some ideas to cut your budget and your stress level this Christmas…

Stay put: Holiday travel is more expensive than traveling at other times of the year and bonus, it’s hyper stressful with long lines, crowds, and layovers due to nasty winter weather. Stay put. Call your family on the holidays to …read more