Thursday, December 8, 2011

Recyclebank Reward Information

What is Recyclebank?
It is a website that gives you point rewards for watching short videos, taking quizzes & making 'pledges' to help the environment. They have new reward opportunities all the time & it is very easy! :0)

I keep adding new points to my
Recyclebank account & realized I don't think I've ever redeemed any of them so I looked on their site to see what was available. (Recycle Bank has a Facebook page too)
First I clicked on Rewards then I used the drop down menu to choose High to Low because I have almost 1,200 points then I went to the left margin & chose See All.

Anyway, a few of the ones I thought was worthwhile is:
50 points: $5 off $25 at Half Price Books
50 points: $5 off $20 at Streets of New York
50 points: $5 off $50 at Safeway
50 points: $5 off $10 at Paul's ACE Hardware
50 points: $5 off $10 at Denny's
40 points: $10 off $50 in-store purchase at Macy's
60 points: $5 off $50 + free reusable bag at Albertson's
60 points: Free Western Bacon Cheeseburger™ at Carl's Jr.
90 points: Buy 1 get 1 free general admission to Phoenix Art Museum
100 points: 1 free waffle cone & scoop of Thrifty ice cream at Water 'n Ice
100 points: Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon for Bahama Bucks
100 points: Buy 1 ticket, get 1 free at Skateland Mesa - Roller Skating, Birthday Parties in Mesa, AZ & Phoenix, AZ
100 points: One Free General Admission Ticket at Arizona Science Center
100 points: $10 Off Two Dinner Entrées at Ruby Tuesdays
150 points: Free admission to the Arizona Museum for Youth
150 points: $6 off 2 dinners at Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
200 points: $25 off $125 or more online at Kmart
250 points: Free admission to Arizona Museum of Natural History
250 points: Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon for Qdoba

20 points will get you $2 off $10 at Dairy Queen, Flancer's, & Long Wong's or $2 off $15 at Cold Stone Creamery.

‎2,500 points will get you $10 gift cards for a few retailers but that seems like a lot of points for only $10 in comparison to the other point values.
http://www.recyclebank.com/rewards/gift-cards

You can narrow your searches down by category. Here are their Restaurant Rewards.
NOTE: If you are looking for restaurant coupons check out www.dine4az.com first because they are free there.

Lastly, These points change periodically because sometimes they have special discounts. 'Like' their Facebook page & check out their site once in a while to keep updated.

Here is a link to get to Recyclebank: http://www.recyclebank.com/referafriend/?___store=us&bl=ZWJheW1hbWE4NTIwNEB5YWhvby5jb20=&utm_campaign=Refer-a-friend&utm_medium=direct%20link&utm_source=T5554396&cm_mmc=Refer-a-friend-_-direct%20link-_-T5554396-_-referral

Friday, November 18, 2011

Items For Sale at AZ Money Savin' Mama - Free, For Sale or Trade on Facebook

Here is the nightly re-cap of items for sale on AZ Money Savin' Mama - Free, For Sale or Trade

as of Thursday, 12/1/2011 at 10 pm:

There 102 are items for sale:



NEW in box BELL Barbie Bicycle Helmet with sunglasses & water bottle Ages 5-8


NEW Backyard Discovery Fairy Princess Palace Tent


NEW Rollerblade Blade Gear Wrist Guards, Elbow Pads & Knee Pads in re-usable mesh bag


NEW Rollerblade Fusion Men's Size 5.5 Blue In-Line Skates with aluminum bearing spacer upgrade kit & 76mm Black Hole Peak Performance Wheels


Boys clothing sizes 8-14


19" TV


6 person hot tub


30' Class C RV that sleeps 6 & has low mileage


21' Bayliner open bough boat


26" woman's bike


Newborn - 24 months boys clothing in all seasons


Maytag Neptune front loading washer & dryer - must pick up


blue 4GB iPod with case & USB computer cord


iSound stereo/ alarm/ iPod dock/ speakers


white side by side refrigerator / freezer with water & ice in the door


Tassimo T20 Single Serve Beverage System


Like New Sz 18 months girls Ralph Lauren Polo Rugby Dress


New handmade hair accessories


New in box High School Musical Make Your Own Window Art ages 8+


New Lisa Frank rainbow pony / horse print pink lunch bags - 2 available


New in Box Care Bear Cheer Bear plush & DVD set


Sz 16 Limited Too light green / floral print tank dress


Sz 16 My Michelle light purple / floral print short sleeved long dress with tie back


Sz 16 My Michelle light purple / floral print short sleeved long dress with ruffled hem


Size 10/12 girls New with Tags denim tank jumper


Size 7 Lizzie McGuire pink dress pants with embroidered leg & satin back pocket


Size 7 Lizzie McGuire brown dress pants with embroidered leg & satin back pocket


Size 7 Hartstrings solid white cotton short sleeved button front shirt with peter pan collar


Size 4C Stephanie Andrews solid navy blue short sleeved formal dress


NEW in Package Disney Royal Princess Nursery set of 3 dolls - Ariel, Cinderella & Belle


Sz 12 Month infant boys New with Tags The Children's Place baby blue button front sweater


New Sz 2-4 Care Bears Tender Heart Bear Halloween Costume


Sz 3 junior's / women's NEW with Tags Roxy brand jeans


Lot of 31 Baby-Sitter's Little Sister paperback books for ages 7+ (with cardboard BSLS book holder)


NEW with Tags plush moose Christmas stocking


XS NEW with Tags Juicy Couture doggie leash & harness


Like New Sony DVD player


Sz 18-24 months, 24 months/2T, 3T & 4T clothing


Sz 4/5 NEW with Tag red satin long jacket with faux fur trim from Taiwan


Sz 4/5 girls NEW Disney Princess bathing suit


Sz 5 girls NEW with Tag Barbie rain coat


Sz 5T girls NEW with Tag Sprockets long sleeve / pants pajamas


Sz 4-6X girls NEW with Tags Youngland light pink sweater poncho - 2 available


Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) blonde Blythe doll with helmet, cup & flower pot


Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) Pet Playhouse with or without pets & accessories


Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) Playful Paws Daycare with or without pets & accessories


XL Mens tan sweater with buttoned neckline


Many size 6 girls clothing items


Dora's Magical Castle dollhouse with figures & accessories


Sz 6/6X girls Mary Kate & Ashley cotton skirt


Sz 10 - fits more like 6/7 girls Rampage sweater tank (matches Mary Kate & Ashley skirt)


Sz 6 girls Limited Too vertical striped dark brown dress pants


Koala Brothers board book ages 3+ Home Sweet Homestead


2 Hardcover books: Dr. Seuss Hop on Pop & The Eye Book


Hardcover Dr. Seuss Green Eggs & Ham


Hardcover Dr. Seuss I Can Read with my Eyes Shut


Hardcover Dr. Seuss Hop on Pop


New dining room table with 4 padded chairs


Simmons Kids crib/toddler mattress. One side is baby mattress, flip it for toddler version


24" LCD HGTV & SONY DVD player

Sz 6-9M infant boy 3 pc. pant suit with vest, white long sleeved shirt & pants

Sterns Youth Life Jacket - Fits 50 - 90 lbs., chest width 26" - 29"

Samsung Chrono Cricket Cell Phone inc. UNO game, charger & built-in camera

Sz 7/8 & 10 boys shorts / pants

Like New Microsoft wireless mouse with nano receiver, battery, USB extension, instructions & product guide

New in Box Emerson stainless steel heated travel mug

Stair stepper exercise equipment

Fisher Price Power Touch Learning system with books & cartridges

Large carousel horses - 2 available

Thomas the Train Deluxe Roundhouse

Pier 1 Desk / Table with storage on sides

Sz 4 boys snow boots

Sz Small Old Navy blue winter jacket

NEW Barbie ballerina glow in the dark indoor sleeping bag for ages 4-6

NEW Paint Your Own Ceramic Tea Set for ages 8+

NEW Disney Snow White Kid Size Puzzle ages 3+

NEW Disney High School Musical 2 Twister Moves with dance mats

NEW Sz 12 girls Hanna Andersson Snow Happy pink cord girls pants

NEW Sz 10 girls Carters purple leopard print long sleeve no-fuzz fleece pajamas

Sz 9 women's / junior's Tommy Girl blue jeans with multiple patriotic design stamps

Sz 9 women's / junior's Tommy Hilfiger tropical capri pants

30x30 LEVI 701 Student dark blue jeans

31x30 LEVI 550 Relaxed Fit tan jeans


31x32 LEVI 501 off-white jeans


Sz 36x34 Slates men's dress pants / slacks


Sz 30x28 GUESS dark blue jeans


Sz 5 women's / junior's Calvin Klein cornflower blue jeans


Sz 3 girls Coasters brown sneakers with tan accents & laces


NEW Nintendo DS Gunpey puzzle game


Sz 11 1/2 girls NEW Madagascar sandals


Sz 14 women's Tommy Hilfiger jeans

Sz 2 girls NEW red velour mandarin style long sleeved shirt & pants set

Step 2 girl's vanity with mirror

Frigidaire Dishwasher

Maytag Dryer

Nikon D40 camera

solid dark cherry wood Hon desk

Sz Medium junior's / women's Hollister gray "Snow Bunny" sweater

Gossamer Wings baby bedding / bedroom set that inc. wall hangings, blanket, crib sheet, valance, blanket, & bed skirt

Fisher Price blue kids tough digital camera with case

Fisher Price pink kids tough digital camera without case

Fisher Price Peek-a-boo Piano

If you are interesting in purchasing any of the above items please click over to the AZ Money Savin' Mama - Free, For Sale or Trade Facebook page to see the individual posts with the location & price then leave a comment for the owner or contact them directly on Facebook by mousing over the user's name then clicking on the blue link of their name which will take you to a new page that has a message feature in the upper right corner. It will show up in their Facebook e-mail / message box so you can communicate privately to exchange personal info.

Thanks again for your support & interest in my page.

Tonya

AZ Money Savin' Mama

& AZ Money Savin' Mama - Free, For Sale or Trade

Facebook page owner






Brand New AZ Money Savin' Mama Page UPDATED 12/3/2011

Hi, I'm AZ Money Savin' Mama,

In November of 2011 I was struggling with how I was going to buy gifts for everyone on our Christmas List & also realized that I had quite a few items in my gift closet that we no longer need. I was hoping that I could sell the unnecessary gifts & use the money I got to buy necessary gifts. Soon after I realized that I am probably not the only one struggling with this problem & wanted to provide a forum so my fellow Arizona residents can all join together & help each other out. That is how the AZ Money Savin' Mama - Free, For Sale or Trade page was "born".

At the beginning of December the page had already grown to almost 150 members with over 100 items for sale as well as some free items & ISO (in search of) posts. Then I joined a few other similar communities on Facebook to get a better idea of the best way to ensure all the members get the most out of it. That is when I realized that the Facebook Group Format is the best way to provide a community of people with the opportunity to buy, sell & trade with each other as well as post free items & ISO posts. I hope it will be continue to grow & be an even better opportunity for us to "buy local" this Christmas & throughout the year.

I am hoping that instead of spending all our hard earned $ on Christmas gifts bought at large stores, we can make an effort to buy them closer to home & spend less too. Here is an ad I found encouraging buyers to keep their money in their own community.

The AZ Money Savin' Mama Buy Sell Trade or Free GROUP layout consists of individual posts made by the members which includes all the information & hopefully a picture of the item(s) or service(s) they are either selling, hoping to trade or giving away. The page can also be used to ask for specific items that someone needs which can be abbreviated ISO (in search of).



1. Whenever someone comments or posts something to this group you will get a Notification (on the little globe icon at the top left of your Facebook page) so I won't have to create new posts telling everyone that someone has something to sell / trade to alert the members.


2. If you are NOT interested in receiving update notifications on a specific post you can click on the "unfollow post" link.


3. Instead of having to re-post items to get them to the top again all you have to do is comment on your post to "bump" it to the top (you can just type 'bump').


4. You can create a Facebook Photo Album with all the items you are selling or trading then post a link here for other to see (I'll post specific directions soon).



Quick tip: If you would like to directly contact a person about their item(s) (via Facebook) you can mouse over the user's name then click on the blue link of their name which will take you to a new page that has a message feature in the upper right corner. It will show up in their Facebook e-mail / message so you can communicate privately to exchange personal info.




Here are some tips that I have posted to the page but wanted to put them here so they can be easily referenced

How to post your items for sale, trade, barter or free:
If everyone follows the same format it will make scrolling through the page easier & will lead to less questions. If you are unable to take a picture of the item please describe it well. For example: provide measurements, color, brand, etc. If you can find it for sale anywhere on-line with a picture you can post the link to it so a picture will show up on the page along with your post. Here is the format to use for posting items.



PRICE
CITY - Major cross streets
CONDITION
ITEM SIZE (if necessary)
ITEM DESCRIPTION including brand, age guidelines (for toys, etc.) or measurements
You can include the price you paid, the price the item is selling for and/or the price on the price tag if the item still has one
Remember that the more info. you include in your post, the better chance of someone being interested.




Some basic ways to use the page:
1. You have an item or items you no longer need & want to give it/them away to someone for free




2. You have an item or items you would like to sell to make some extra $




3. You have an item or items you no longer need & would like to trade for something else




4. You are looking for an item but can't find it at stores or you would like to find it at a lower price or free




Some specific ways to use the page:



1. 1. You have an open package of diapers or outgrown clothing & would like to sell or give them away.



2. You have some coupons that you won't be using & you'd like to give them away or trade with someone else who may have coupons you can use.



3. You have some CDs or DVDs that you no longer want so you decide to sell or trade them.



4. You have a storage room of items that you no longer need so you'd like to give the a new home or sell them to make some extra $.



5. You just got something new (upgraded) & no longer in need of the other item(s) but they're still usable so you make a post on the page to either give it / them away or sell it / them



A few more ways this page can be used to help each other:



1. You make things & would like to sell them



2. You work at or own a store & would like to offer a discount to local customers to help with advertising




3. You would like to offer a service like cleaning, baking, etc. in exchange for cash or items

Lastly, here is a short message you can send to your local friends / family members who you think would be interested or benefit from this new GROUP:

Hey everyone,



I just found a new GROUP on Facebook where Arizona residents can post things or services they are giving away for free, selling or would like to trade or barter.

It would be great if you would 'join' it & spread the word so we can help each other out, especially since Christmas is quickly approaching & many people are having financial difficulties. Unfortunately, Santa doesn't bring along any extra paychecks this time of year so I'm hoping this will help.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/AZBuySellTradeorFree/



I sincerely hope that this GROUP fills a need to help people make the most of what they have & allows them to help each other in the process. If you have any suggestions please let me know because this is a new venture for me & I am learning as I go.

Thanks for your support!

Tonya
AZ Money Savin' Mama Facebook page owner
& AZ Money Savin' Mama's Buy Sell Trade or Free Facebook group owner

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

How to Save Money at Disney



This post was copied from http://networkedblogs.com/eUTLJ

Are you planning a trip to Disneyland? Here is a guest post from Budget Savvy Diva about when to go and how to save money, at the park. Enjoy!

So you want to go to Disneyland – the happiest place on earth but you do not want to pay a FORTUNE. Well Budget Savvy Diva – who worked 3 years at the resort and attended the parks over 100 times – has the low down on HOW you can save money.

Deciding When To Go:

Though the price of ticket does not change – except for the slight yearly increase – which affects both Disney World and Disneyland at the same time, the amount of enjoyment will vary on how many people are attending the parks the time you are going. When I taught new hires at Disneyland I told them of a study where it was determined that the average number of attractions that a guest will enjoy in a day is 10. This means that it is slightly less then $10.00 per attraction if you divide by the ticket price.

The best days to go is Tuesday or Wednesday by far. The worst is Sunday – try and avoid Sunday – due to the amount of annual passholders who live around Disneyland – Sundays even on off-season is VERY heavy.

Best time of the year is Sept – Nov and Feb – May. Please note that Spring Break is SUPER BUSY – I remember many times that both California Adventure and Disneyland being sold out during those few weeks.

Because Disneyland sits on a mere 40 acres when it is busy you really feel it. There are some sections such as Adventureland that seem to always feel packed even on a light day. When the amount of people reach a certain level Disneyland enforces traffic flows using guest control which means a lot more walking for you to get where you need to go.

Resort Tickets

This is one of the more important tips to help you save money. It is much better to buy your tickets separately, outside of a package. The Disney packages do make things much more convenient, but the cost is a great deal higher

Parking:

Try and carpool because parking is at a new high of 15.00 per car – there is not many other options BUT if you want to know Budget Savvy Diva’s trick is parking at Downtown Disney which gives you three hours for free – and moving the car and re-parking. It takes about 20 minutes to do – I know this might not be a possibility for you. Again I am extremely frugal and try and cut as many costs as I can.

Food:

First off – Have a Large Breakfast – common sense I know. But there have been times I have been SO excited to go to Disneyland that I plum forgot breakfast. Food like the prices seem to rise in cost every year. To give you a reference whole fruit ( banana, apple or orange is 1.79) .

Bring your own food: Disney has no problem you bring food into the park – just nothing in glass. Try and bring at least two snacks for every person in your party. Trail mix is great to munch on. Do not bring anything that can cause havoc in your bag such as a juice box – it might become an empty juice box when you get off of space mountain

HUGE Budget Savvy Diva tip: If you are in California Adventure make sure to head over to Mission Tortilla factory where you will see a cute 2 minute video on the history of the tortilla AND you receive a FREE tortilla freshly made before your eyes – each person in your family gets one. Boy Howdy are they yummy. PLUS if it is your birthday – you can get a free birthday button at city hall and at guest relations in California Adventure – you get a FREE bag of tortilla ( 10 to be exact) – how COOL is that. They are pretty filling and are a perfect snack.

Knowing where to eat in the park is important to. There was a general consensus between us castmembers about where to eat in the park and where not to eat.

Let’s get where NOT to eat:

- Tomorrowland Terrace – The food at best is average.It is your normal burgers and sandwiches. But the prices are pretty high – no entree under 8.00. I do not want to be mean or anything but I would rather walk across the park then eat anything from there.

- Village Haus Restaurant – Again grayish burgers and greasy fries. It is located in Fantasyland and gets full pretty quickly.

Where to Eat:

- Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port – Located in Tomorrowland is AWESOME with a capital A. The pizza is not that out of price and the slices are HUGE – this restaurant always has a lot of traffic but also has a lot of space and indoor and outdoor seating – because of the heavy business there is always fresh pizza being served. PLUS you can buy a whole pizza pie perfect for a larger number parties. The pasta I hear is amazing – the Chicken with Alfredo Pasta is always a hit. There was a time when the cafes for cast members would periodically serve the Chicken Alfredo and you thought it was pizza day at school by how excited cast members were about it. Also the salads are made fresh right in front of you – always a plus. There is a soda fountain where you serve yourself so you can control the amount of ice you get. The soda is already chilled so you really do not need that much ice.

- Rancho Del Zocalo – Located near Thunder Mountain – you can actually see the attraction as you eat. Hand-downs this is where I eat every time. I L.O.V.E this restaurant – I find the food to be quiet good and the prices to be fair. Most plates are around 12.00 ish dollars – my husband and I always share a plate. . Entrees include citrus fire-grilled chicken, 4 cheese enchiladas, soft tacos, burritos and even a tostada salad. The salads are made to your liking right before your eyes – again a plus. I have a gluten allergy and they were very quick to get a chef who personalized the meal to fit our needs free of charge. The outdoor eating is beautiful – we sometimes go there just to take a break and watch people ride thunder mountain.

Dole Whips – If you have not had a dole whip then you NEED to get one – you will thank me. Words cannot describe how awesome it is. The dole whip cart is located next to the original Tiki Room in Adventureland. Dole whips are pineapple flavored – but it is not exactly ice cream nor yogurt – it is very airy soft serve. Unlike other food products that have rose in price at Disneyland during the years – dole whips have not. Dole whip cost 2.79 and boy do they pile it high. My husband and I love to get a dole whip and watch the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Though there are other amazing restaurants at Disneyland – these are the one’s I feel you get the most bang for your buck.

Other tips:

- Bring in your own water bottles – you can always fill them up at the many water fountains.

- Also did you know that you can get free water from any service counter – that is right – save over 2.70 every time you ask for a cup of water.

Bring extras: Suntan lotion, digital cards or film for your camera, baby wipes, ponchos, anything and everything you can think of that you might need at the park. They are all available inside for purchase but you will again pay a premium. Instead, once inside the park, rent a locker for just a few bucks and place those items inside. Then when you need them they’ll be waiting for you. Another biggie is a stroller. If your child is still in a stroller, bring yours. The strollers for rent start at $10 per day.

Do you have any Disney money saving tips? I would love to hear them!

Here's another post on how to save $ at Disneyland
from a different blogger.