This weeks money savings tip is to be on the lookout for hidden coupons!

It was Thanksgiving day and I was opening the butter when what would you know appeared?!

Inside was a coupon! I have found coupons inside products before, however it has been a while! I am glad to see companies are still doing this.

Take note and a quick glance before recycling your food containers, there may just be a coupon inside.

Even better is the generous expiration date, over 2 years away! That is plenty of time to pair this coupon (at a grocery store that doubles) with a sale, to maximize my savings.

Also Read: Write to Companies you LOVE

This weeks money saving tip is to enter sweepstakes, with my best tips to increase your chances of winning. 

At the time of entering it may seem like a long shot, however people do actually win! One of my recent wins are through a local radio station for a family 4-pack to a local corn maze. It was great to get out and do a fun family activity for no cost. PLUS, while there if we found all 4 bird photos hidden in the maze and took photo proof we could be entered to win a sleigh ride – you bet we found all 4 bird photos and entered!

I have also been playing Scratch & Win by Circle K daily, this sweeps is giving away 50,000 Daily Prizes. Recently I’ve scored free coffee, free Polar Pop and free mountain mix!

Tips To Win:

Listen to local radios stations and follow local businesses on Facebook/Social Media. There is usually less competition amongst regional/local businesses and therefore increases your chance of winning when they do a giveaway. Also, look for sweepstakes with many prizes, simple math means the more prizes, the higher the odds of winning. This is the example with the Circle K sweeps, with so many prizes up for grabs it is worth my time to enter daily. Those are my best tips to increase your odds! I will also enter any sweeps simply if the prize is appealing to me, because you just never know. Check out CouponingToDisney.com often as we post the top sweepstakes out there.

Also Read: 50 Birthday Freebies To Sign Up For

This weeks money saving tip is a money challenge, to save $1,000 in 12 weeks.

Money Challenges are a great way to stash away cash, for whatever you are saving for. Previously, I had shared this to save $4,000 For A Disney Vacation In One Year (Starting With Just $3.00).

It is recommended by many experts to have at least a $1,000 emergency fund on hand. Here is a way to achieve this is just 12 weeks.

Save $1,000 In 12 Weeks Money Challenge:

• Week 1 – $20
• Week 2 – $40
• Week 3 – $60
• Week 4 – $80
• Week 5 – $100
• Week 6 – $200
• Week 7 – $200
• Week 8 – $100
• Week 9 – $80
• Week 10 – $60
• Week 11 – $40
• Week 12 – $20

If these amounts are just too much right now, split them in half and you can save $500 in 12 weeks!

Save time and money on dinners by cooking double the recipe and freezing the rest. 

By cooking double dinner portions and freezing half, you have another meal already cooked and ready to go. Recently, we had homemade Chicken Pot Pies and had enough ingredients in the pantry to make 2 at the same time. We had one that evening and saved the other in a freezer bag. The extra will be thawed and enjoyed on an evening I just don’t feel like cooking. Having freezer meals on hand saves from ordering takeout on those kind of nights or busy evenings.

Plus, save on groceries with rebate apps such as ibotta and Checkout51.

Also Read: Family Game Night For Zero Cost Entertainment

Find thousands of dollars with this easy tip! Interest rates are at all time lows. That is a both good and bad. The good news is that any new debts you take on will most likely have very low interest rates. The bad news is that your savings interest rates have plummeted. Those of you, like me, that took out new debts in the past few years when the economy was booming are probably feeling buyers remorse.

We bought a truck last year. The interest rate was almost 6% which we where thrilled with at the time. You see 5 years ago we had horrible credit scores. We did the whole pay off your debts, cut up your credit cards, and pay cash thing about 10 years ago. For a few years we worked really hard to build back up our credit. That is a story for another time!

I wanted to get in on the low interest rates. That lead me to talk to my bank and see if they would be willing to refinance our truck at a lower rate. I had to fill out about 4 pages of paper work, submit our income information, and just wait to see what they said. A few days after I submitted the paperwork, I got a call from my bank offering me a little under 3% interest on the truck loan. I gladly took that offer! The whole process took me about an hour and will save me about $4020.00 off the loan or $60.00 a month.

Sensory/Activity bins are one of our favorite things! To be honest I am not even 100% sure these are sensory bins but that is what we call them. These are typically geared towards toddlers and early elementary age students. However, in my house they are used by all my children. Even my 15 year old enjoys playing it with one for a little while. There is something fun about having themed activities that engages multiple senses at one time. I like to have 2 bins in rotation at all times. That way I can rotate them to keep it fresh and exciting. We change them out monthly. Most of the time you can use things you already own to create a sensory bin.

Supplies Needed:

Bin or Container – I like to use clear sweater or shoe box containers with lids.

Filler or some Play-Doh or clay in containers. Some popular options are rice, water beads, water, sand, beans, cereal, marbles, shredded paper, popcorn kernels, pasta, Easter grass, and birdseeds.

Tools – Small shovel, spoon, tongs, measuring cups, cookie cutters, and/or small rake.

Objects – This is where the theming comes into play. Pick small objects that go along with the theme. For seasonal or holidays themes party favors and fillers work great.

For this bin, I created a Halloween themed sensory bin using things we already had for the most part. I did buy the eyeballs, and spiders. They where really cheap. You can find cheap party favors here. Instead of using filler I used Play-Doh. It still needs orange Play-Doh. My plan is to make it. I just haven’t gotten to it yet. I added eyeballs, spiders, Nightmare Before Christmas toys, and cookie cutters.  I like to divide out all the little things into separate containers just because it looks neater. Honestly there is no need. You can just add it all into one bin and call it a day!

Make your next Birthday even better by signing up for Birthday FREEBIES! We have compiled 50 freebies for you to sign up for.

Birthday Freebies:

A & W – FREE Root Beer Float when you join the Mug Club

AMC Theatres – FREE small popcorn for your birthday when you sign up

Applebee’s – FREE offer for your Birthday when you join their email club

Au Bon Pain – Sign up for the eClub and get a FREE lunch on your birthday

Auntie Annie’s – Birthday offer just for Rewards member

Aveda – Sign up for a FREE birthday offer

Barnes & Noble – Sign your children up for the B&N Kids’ Club and they get a FREE cupcake from the café

Black Angus Steakhouse – Get a FREE steak on your 1st birthday as a rewards member

Boston Market – Sign up for the rewards program for a FREE birthday offer

Buffalo Wild Wings – Get a FREE dessert for your birthday when you sign up for Blazin’ Rewards

Caribou Coffee – Celebrate your Birthday with a treat just for active Perks members

Chick-fil-A – FREE Birthday reward when you sign up

Cold Stone Creamery – Get a BOGO Creatio coupon for your birthday when you sign up for the My Cold Stone Club

CVS – Sign up for Extracare rewards and get a FREE birthday surprise

Dairy Queen – Sign up for the Blizzard Fan Club for FREE ice-cream on your birthday

Dave & Busters – Sign up and get $10 to play on your birthday

Denny’s – Sign up for their emails and get FREE food for your Birthday

Del Taco – FREE Premium Shake for your Birthday

Disney Movie Insiders – Get FREE points for your Birthday

Dunkin’ – Get a FREE coffee for your Birthday when you signs up for their rewards.

DSW – Get a $5 coupon for your Birthday when you sign up

Earl of Sandwich – Join their loyalty program and get a FREE sandwich for your Birthday

Einstein Bagels – Sign up to get a FREE bagel for your Birthday

Famous Footwear – Sign up to get a coupon for your Birthday

Firehouse Subs – FREE medium Sub when you sign up

Godiva – FREE Birthday chocolate for Rewards members, to be used in your birthday month.

Hard Rock Café – Get an annual Birthday offer when you sign up

IHOP – Sign up for Pancake Perks and get a FREE meal on your Birthday

Jack in the Box – Sign up and get a FREE dessert for your Birthday

Jamba Juice – Join their rewards club and get a FREE smoothie for your Birthday

Jersey Mikes – Sign up and get a FREE sub for your Birthday

Krispy Kreme – Sign up and get a FREE donut for your Birthday

Moe’s Southwest Grill – Sign up for rewards and get a FREE burrito for your Birthday

Oakhurst – Sign up children up for the Fan Club and get a FREE drink coupon for their Birthday

Old Chicago – FREE Pizza for your Birthday when you sign up

On The Border – Sign up for FREE Birthday surprises

Panera Bread – Sign up and get a FREE pastry for your Birthday

Papa Gino’s – Sign up for their emails and get a FREE pizza for your Birthday.

Papa John’s – Join the rewards program and get a FREE cookie for your Birthday

PF Chang’s – FREE Dessert for your Birthday when you sign up

RedBox – Sign up and get a FREE one-night rental for your Birthday

Red Lobster – Sign up to get Birthday surprises when you sign up

Red Robin – FREE Burger for your Birthday when you sign up

Rita’s – Get a discount for your Birthday when you sign up

Sephora – FREE Makeup or Beauty mini set when you sign up

Spaghetti Warehouse – Sign up and get a FREE Birthday meal

Sprinkles – FREE Cupcake for your Birthday when you sign up

Starbucks – FREE Birthday Treat when you sign up

Texas Roadhouse – Get a FREE appetizer for your Birthday when you sign up

Ulta – FREE Birthday Gift when you sign up

Also Read: Family Game Night For Zero Cost Entertainment

My kids go thru clothes like water! Do you have this problem? It seems like every month someone needs something. My favorite way to save on name brand clothes is to shop Sam’s for  them. You can find everything from Levi’s for $13 (the same ones they sell at Kohl’s for $30 on sale) to boutique style outfits, and everything in between. Often times they have adorable Carter’s sets for little ones for under $10.00.

The two downfalls with shopping warehouse stores for kids clothes is no dressing room and things go super quick. You have to guess what size, buy it, and if it doesn’t fit return it. If you see something you love or will need soon buy it right away. Chances are it won’t be there next time. By planning ahead and shopping warehouse stores for your kids clothes you will save hundreds of dollars each year.

Want more tips and tricks to save for Disney click here! 

Do you have a game closet full of board games like me?! Well, this makes for no-cost entertainment perfect for the weekend.

We do family game night once a week. Here’s what we do:

First, we wrote down all the board games we owned on pieces of paper. Then put them all in a hat. Each Saturday morning we pick which game we will play that evening. We decided to pick in the mornings to know how much time to set aside for later. I also check ibotta to grab a snack or treat with a rebate to eat during our game!

Also Read: Money Savings Tip: Use Leftovers For One Dinner A Week

Eat at Home Meal Plans takes care of all the “thinking” part of dinner by giving you the meals, recipes, grocery list and more! Say yes to making dinner easy (and save 30% with code Easy through September 22!). With the new norm being virtual school or homeschooling for most families. It is more difficult than ever to make dinner happen. Eat At Home is a resource I have been using for over a year now. It makes everything food a piece of cake.

With this sale it will cost you under $5.00 a month for a year plan! That comes out to less than the cost of a value meal from the drive thru. This service is a worth its weight in gold. If you aren’t sure if its for you. I challenge you to try it for one month. If after the month you see no value in it, cancel and go back to doing things the way you did before.

Cook dinner with leftovers in mind, and use leftovers to create a new meal. Meaning, use up leftovers or extra ingredients in tomorrow’s dinner. Save big on your food budget by revamping leftovers or using up ingredients you have on hand.

Pizzas are one of my favorite use up whatever we have dinners. Recently we had homemade pizzas, one was half cheese and half tomato (from our garden). The other consisted of cooked Hamburg leftover, extra mushroom slices we had on hand and pepperoni that was just hanging out in our fridge.

Even one dinner a week using up leftovers will make for a savings!

Also Read: Buy In Bulk & Create Your Own 1lb Hamburg Packages

Junk mail sometimes turns into hidden cash! We have told you before to open up ALL your junk mail all the time because you just never know what you will find.  Just like with this little gem! I have never had this happen before. One day I was merrily opening up the massive amount of junk mail I get in daily. When I get to this small manila envelope. I open it and find this!

A month or so ago I bought a milk frother. I am really enjoying it! You an read my review here.

This weeks money savings tip are things I STOPPED buying. Learn these 7 things I stopped buying to save money now. Did you give up anything creative to save money?

1. Small Portions – Save big by buying things you use often in bulk or larger packages. Then, split into portion sizes yourself. I gave an example of this with Ground Beef and splitting into my own 1lb packages.

2. Individual Packaging – For kids snacks, you can save big by making your own snack packs.

3. Magazines – Magazine subscriptions are fun, however not something I spend money on. Luckily, I found 3 ways to score FREE Magazine subscriptions so I do not have to go without.

4. Shipping – Like many I have been doing more online shopping than ever. However one thing I refuse to pay for is shipping charges! Many retailers offer a low minimum. Others you can simply sign up for a free account and score free shipping. Plus, try this secret online shopping hack is none of those have worked.

5. Expensive Cleaners – I ditched many pricey household cleaners and saved big by switching to Dawn. The Original Blue Dawn is great as a window cleaner and less expensive than Windex. I also use it to give our dogs a bath, saving on overpriced dog shampoo! Learn more helpful uses for Dawn.

6. Books – I  love new books, however it does make financial sense to instead utilize the FREE library. I have gotten better about this one to save money.

7. Napkins – We only buy napkins for special occasions (1-2 times a year). Instead we only buy paper towels. For cleaning, we use microfiber towels to cut down on paper product use and save money.

Also Read: Money Saving Tip: DIY Décor & Furniture

Cold brew with whatever flavored foam is my new obsession! It is divine with chocolate milk. The cold brew has an amazing smooth delicious taste. The taste is elevated to a whole new level of deliciousness by adding flavored cold foam. The only problem is a Venti (my preferred size) runs about $4.00 – $5.00. That adds up real quick! I was going to Starbucks twice a week to indulge myself. That cost me a whopping $8.00 or $32.00 a month…ouch! My copycat version only costs $0.93 each.

I knew I could do better and still have my favorite drink. That lead my down a rabbit hole of milk frothers. I wanted something that could do both hot and cold foam. In the fall I will be making my own latte’s. I also wanted the option of using it daily for my morning coffee. I  enjoy warmed frothed milk in coffee. It is such a nice treat. After reading many reviews. I settled on the Miroco Electric Milk Steamer Automatic Soft Foam Maker for $39.99. The price was right plus the reviews are spectacular with a 5 star rating out of 3,668 reviews.

I have been buying the Starbucks Cold Brew or local cold brew brands at my grocery store. At my store for Starbucks Cold Brew it is $7.48 for 32 oz. That makes 8 servings. I use syrups for coffee that I already have. To make a Cold Brew Cold Foam, I add ice half way up a glass, add the cold brew concentrate to a little over half way, add a 1/4 of the way with water, and top with my cold foam. To make the cold foam I add about 3 tablespoons of half and half, (you can use any kind of milk or milk substitute) it will double in size, and 3 tablespoons of whichever syrup I want. Press the cold foam button and like magic my cold foam is made. Above is chocolate milk made into cold foam!

In a month I will have saved enough from not going to buy the Cold Brew Cold Foam drinks to cover the cost of the frother. After the cost of the frother each copycat Cold Brew costs me around $0.93. That is a savings of at least $3.32 per drink!

Give up one thing a month to help save for Disney!

One man’s junk is another’s treasure! I am sure you have seen wooden pallets thrown by dumpsters before. These pallets are used to hold massive amounts of supplies, boxes, or heavy things during transport. After the goods arrive there is no longer a use for the pallet. Often times they end up being discarded. These wooden pallets have lots of life left in them. While the wood isn’t lumber yard quality often times. It will still serve a purpose.

My husband has used pallets to create a fence along a garden to keep animals out. He has made dog houses, chicken coops, and used the scrapes of wood for small projects. I have seen furniture made out of wood from a pallets. Recently a new trending ice cream shop opened in my town. They used wood from pallets to create a half wall barrier. It is super cute!

Every piece of wood used from the pallet has saved us from having to go buy new lumber at the lumber yard. Over the years I am sure we have saved thousands of dollars. All by the simple step of stopping when we see a pallet by a dumpster and picking it up. Plus you are helping the environment by reusing the wood.

Being handy, or having a husband who is, and being crafty are great money savings strategies. Pictured above are 2 DIY ideas to save money – make your own Holiday décor & furniture!

My husband is a carpenter by trade and built our TV Stand with leftover wood scraps. Also, I had him cut down wood pieces for me to paint and turn into Halloween décor!

Have you ever made furniture?!

Also Read: Money Saving Tip: Get Paid To Recycle Your Ink