5 Free Games at PDAMill.com

PDAMill.com (a site for games for your handheld device) is releasing 5 of its games for free to use on your PC. Go to their homepage and look at the Dec. 7th entry for the links to the 5 games. Some of them look like they could be pretty fun.

Dell Outlet 15% Off + Free Shipping Through 12/20 (or 400 uses)

Dell Outlet has a coupon code to give you 15% off any refurbished Inspirion, Dimension or XPS system. Either desktop or laptop. You get free shipping also!

The coupon code expires 12/20/07 or after it has been used 400 times.

The code is: 64?GP239SLRH0P

I hope they didn't make a typo in the email, the '?' in the code is throwing me.

The last two computers I've purchased have been refurbs from Dell Outlet. They were in like-new condition with all the accessories. I had no problems with them (not to say that you won't run into a lemon once in a while. The last one I bought (in 2006) I only paid $180 for it. It was only a basic machine, but served the purpose for a high school student doing reports and surfing.

Discover Channel Store: Today Only All 12 Deals of Christmas Available

The Discovery Channel Store was running a '12 Deals of Christmas' special where they offered a new deal each day (see my previous post). Today they have made available all 12 deals. Check them out by clicking the banner below.

Faith Wear from WearYourFaith.com

I found a new on-line shop that I like. WearYourFaith.com has a fairly large selection of Christian wear. Some of the stuff is a little much (like the way they 'Christianize' a Reeses shirt). Nonetheless, I think a lot of it would make for nice gifts.

Best Buy Deals of the Day

Best Buy has a list of 21 items (at least for today) which they have specially priced for on-line only purchase (I don't think store pick-up is an option). Looks like they are going to have new 'Deals of the Day' every day this week. Worth checking daily for that last minute (not quite last minute) electronics gift. Click on the Deals of the Day link on their home page:

eToys $5 off $35 Coupon

eToys has a coupon code good for $5 off $35. I found it in a Google search and it said that it was only for Visa card purchases. It worked for me with a Mastercard, though.
The code is: VISA47ET
It expires 12/31/07.

Free Weekly MP3 Download at Amazon.com

Click the link below to get to Amazon's MP3 page and check the left sidebar toward the bottom for their weekly free MP3 download.

Free Weekly MP3 Download at Amazon.com

eToys Has Some Great Specials...Found R/C Car Deal Here.

I'm ordering a couple of the X.P.V. Terranator R/C Cars for only $29.99 (with free shipping) from eToys.com. Our local Toys R Us ad had this vehicle for $79.99! Some of my other favorite sites like Buy.com and Amazon weren't even competitive.

I settled on this one after the Terrainiac R/C car turned out to be too expensive everywhere I looked ($69.99)...that would throw my Christmas budget out of whack! Sometimes even the most determined bargain shopper just can't find the deal on the item they want. I'm satisfied with this Terranator, though. One orange (27MHz) and one green (49MHz) for my two sons. They'll love it (Dad too!). This thing is fast; can run on pavement, sand, grass, mud, water and snow. It's waterproof and seems to be very durable. I watched a few videos on an r/c car site and they gave it a pretty decent review. Let's see if it can stand up to my kids.

Anyways, it might be worth your while to check out eToys (especially for the sale items with free shipping).

Woot.com is having another Woot Off Today

Woot.com has what they call a WootOff for today. New deals throughout the day, one sells out, then a new one starts.

PetSmart 21 Days of Saving Through Dec. 21 and $10 off $60 Offer

PetSmart is doing some daily specials this month also.
Check out their specials at the link below:



Also, get $10 off a $60 order through this link:

Been Out of Town...

I've been out of town since Sunday for work. That's why there haven't been any posts. Will get back to it once I get caught up.
John

Discover Channel Store: 12 Daily Deals Through Dec. 12th

The Discover Channel Store is also having a 12 Deals of Christmas daily special like Fingerhut (mentioned in a previous post). They'll have a new special every day from Dec. 1 through Dec. 12. Worth checking each day.

Has Anyone Tried The Amazon Kindle?

I have a Palm TX and love reading eBooks on it. Amazon came out with their appliance for reading books called the Kindle. Thing is, it runs $399 (significantly more than I paid for my Palm...which I store a lot of other info in too...contacts, log-ins and passwords in an encrypted program, spreadsheets and word docs, memos, appointments, etc.).

From what I'm reading, it looks like it connects through some free wireless service so you can download books, blogs, newspapers, etc. According to the description, NY Times bestsellers cost $9.99.

The nice thing about reading eBooks on a device like this or my Palm is that you don't have to worry about booklights when reading in the dark, the screen is backlit. Although it doesn't look like the Kindle is backlit, it's hard to tell from the product description whether you are able to read it in the dark; they mention a 'paper-like' quality to the screen.

Another benefit of devices like this is that they are easy to carry. I have several translations of the Bible and dozens of eBooks stored on my memory card (you would need bags to carry that many books around).


Does anyone have experience with the Amazon Kindle?

Here's where you can find the product:

Amazon Kindle $399.00

Fingerhut Deal of the Day Dec. 1-Dec. 12, 2007

Starting tomorrow Dec. 1 and running through Dec. 12, Fingerhut will be running a daily special. Knowing the products they offer here, there may be some good gift ideas. Might be worth checking the link daily.

Christmas Cards and Holiday Cheer!?

While I'm on the subject of the holidays...it's getting close to Christmas card writing time. I'm debating whether to send any out this year. I suppose it's contrary to what this blog is about...being thrifty and productive.
Stamps are $.41, so it will probably run about $25 to send to everyone (if you do one, you've got to do them all). Furthermore, 2007 was probably one of the worst years of my entire life. I'm not feeling particularly festive this year. Part of me wants to put up the false front and do as I always do...send the cards, fill the front yard with 3000 watts of Christmas cheer, etc. The other part of me just wants to curl up in the fetal position and let the season pass by.

Good Enough to be Lettermans Top 10

I'm really beginning to appreciate the blog at What Works For Us. She has an absolutely hilarious post up today titled What Not To Put In Your Holiday Letter. While I've never sent a holiday letter myself (and from what I'm reading on this list...thankfully have never received one), I can see how comments like those on her list can easily make it into a letter.

I guess my comment (to focus this post on this blogs purpose of thriftiness and productivity) would be to manage your time properly and think twice, write once (applied from the wood shop adage measure twice, cut once). That's the scary thing for me writing these blog posts...avoiding the verbal vomit as I fly through a post or two whenever I get the opportunity and rush to click the 'Publish Post' button. Something I'll try to keep in mind...step back, proof read and put yourself in the place of your readers...maybe I should re-write this paragraph.

How to Compost by Simply Thrifty

I feel that part of living a thrifty/frugal lifestyle is responsibly handling our waste products. I do my best with using the recycling tub the town provides (actually I go to great lengths to prepare all I can for recycling).
Another alternative is composting. I've never really tried it before myself (although my daughter has just recently taken up composting as a project). I think I will give it a try (maybe starting in the spring so I can do it outside (cold Western New York winters).

Anyways, Deborah at Simply Thrifty found a nice video which she posted to her blog that shows how to get started. Check out her post at the link below:

How to Compost by Simply Thrifty

Can't Beat This Deal at Checks Unlimited!

Just wanted to re-iterate this deal for checks at Checks Unlimited. I just placed an order for this deal last night for the checking account I just opened. Don't pay $20 or more through your bank for only one box of check (200 checks or less). With this deal I will receive 800 checks which will last me years because so many things I pay electronically. You'll pay more for the 'Special Edition' checks but there are at least 100 standard designs to choose from.

I picked the design called 'The Grand Tour' which has four designs (NYC, Paris, Italy, and London). They are nice looking and different from my last batch for my old bank account which was the Scripture checks. Four boxes of this design were $16.50 (without the code it would cost $36.80 for one-part checks).

With this deal you get your choice of custom lettering for free (regularly $2.50). Your options are: Standard (always free), Arcarde, Artisan, Calligraphy, Contempo, Script and Windsor. I think with other check designs you would have the option to add a monogram...I wasn't given the option because the checks I picked had an image there.

They give you the option of adding a line of text to your checks (just below where you write out the check amount). This option costs $2.50 (same for any quantity of checks). I splurged and added "With God, all things are possible" (satisfied me since for the first time in a long time I didn't order Scripture checks).

So, what did my order come to:
$16.50 - 4 boxes of The Grand Tour (one part) checks
$ 0.00 - Calligraphy Custom Lettering
$ 2.50 - MyLines message: With God, all things are possible
$ 0.00 - Standard shipping & handling
$ 0.00 - Tax (they only charge tax in Colorado)
--------
$19.00

Definitely can't complain about the price. If I use checks at the same rate I have been, this will last me five or six years...that's less than $4.00 per year!

This deal expires 12/31/07...I recommend taking advantage of it. Note that this deal can't be used on re-orders (i.e. you have ordered from Checks Unlimited previously and are re-ordering for the same account).


See my previous post for more information on this deal including the coupon code.

Get 800 Checks at Checks Unlimited For Only $16.50

ShareBuilder $25 Bonus for Opening Childs Account

I just received an email from ShareBuilder. They are offering a $25 holiday bonus for opening up a custodial account for a child. Here are the highlights:

• only applies to the first custodial account you open
• you must create an automatic investment plan for this account by 1/15/08
  
• you must automatically invest $25 for each of three consecutive months ($75 total). (After this you can discontinue the automatic investment plan.)
• use promotion code STOCKGIFT07 when you open the account
• the $25 bonus will post to your newly opened custodial account 4 weeks after the 3rd consecutive automatic investment

One thing I am not sure of...you may have to have an account with ShareBuilder yourself. I get these emails because I opened an account when they had a similar offer (but not for childs accounts) where I got a $50 bonus for investing $50. Worth a try, though, to see if they let you open the custodial account on its own.

Office Depot Has $15 off $75 Coupon Code (Expires 12/8/07)

Just got an email from Office Depot. It included one of their better coupon codes.
Get $15 off a $75 order with code: 90810287.
This offer expires 12/8/07.

Could come in handy for some modestly priced gifts (as we all try to keep it reasonable this time of the year...right??).

Good Story of Spendthrift Mentality

One of the blogs I like to read is What Works For Us. They have a bit of a comical post about an in-store conversation with another shopper spending $20 on a bowl for garbage. It's a perfect example of spendthrift mentality. I guess money isn't an obstacle for some. If people want to spend their money like this, I really have no problem with it...I'm not jealous about it. It's usually these same people that put $1 in the collection basket at Church, though.

Read the post about their brief encounter here:

The Gift of Trash at What Works For Us

Visit Money, Matter and More Musings

I came across a personal finance blog with extensive information and commentary on a wide array of personal finance issues. Check out Money, Matter and More Musings.

Christmas Gifts for the Sports Fan: Check Out Fans Edge

Fans Edge is having its '12 Deals of Christmas' special from today through December 7th. Todays special is $10 of NFL replica jerseys. Look for similar deals over the next 11 days. Also check out their clearance section for some great deals at up to 80% off.

Cyber Monday Sale at Ace Hardware Too

Wasn't really going to post too much about Cyber Monday sales...there is just so many going on and they are fairly easy to find (just look at some of my other posts under deals and check each of those sites out for great deals).

One that I wouldn't think of though is Ace Hardware. Check out what they have, you might be surprised what you come across.

Ace Hardware Superstore - Over 70,000 items!

Yugster Has Another YugDown Today

Yugster.com has what they call a YugDown for today. New deals throughout the day, one sells out, then a new one starts.