Queen Mother Blog

Have you requested four coupons yet from Free Chocolate Friday? If you haven't, go here today and sign up! I received my coupons already and can't wait to eat a bunch of free chocolate :D

The freebies seem like they've been so light lately it has been a while since I made a post for them. Here's what I can find all in one place :)

Walmart is offering a free sample of Crest ProHealth Enamel Shield Toothpaste.

Also from Walmart:

Your choice of 4 Aveeno Nourish+ shampoo & conditioner samples,

A Sun Crystals All-natural sweetener sample,

A Tampax Pearl sample, a Playtex Gentle Glide sample, & a Kotex Overnight sample,

A sample of Prilosec OTC,

& a sample Crest Whitestrip Advanced Seal

Jiffy mixes will send you a free recipe booklet (good to get some ideas if you stocked up when Acme had it for $0.25 a couple weeks ago!)

The Home Made Simple coupon booklet is back up to request again, and this has always had a coupon for a free product (usually rinse aid) along with other $off coupons.

Have your child complete REI's Passport to Adventure program and he or she will earn free binoculars or other cool prizes.

Also for little ones, Fisher-Price will send you a free DVD of 4 GeoTrax episodes.

That's all for now...enjoy!

I would never in a million years call myself "high maintenance." Just recently, though, I pulled a bit of a stunt on my husband at a restaurant. We were at the beach and I really wanted 'a good seafood platter', particularly clam strips. I don't know why I had that craving in my head, but sometimes you just really want something, right? Well anyway, the time came to pick a restaurant and I let my husband pick a place ;-) We were seated and ordered our drinks when we realized that....GASP! There was not a single clam strip at the place. Instead this was a sandwich joint with highly overpriced salads and sandwiches. I started getting upset, because I was frustrated at the fact that I was going to pay $15 for a salad (yes, $15!) that I didn't really want & I'd probably be pouty about no clams all the way home.

Yes, I know that I might sound like a prima donna, but my husband wisely suggested that we just leave and go to a different place where I'd be happy. I'm not going to speak for all women here, but I know that I would usually just complain through the meal and for a while afterward, that this was not what I wanted, but feel some sort of obligation to stay. Instead, I decided that I would be happier if we just paid for the drinks and left. After getting the drinks to go and leaving a little tip to our would-be waitress, we went to a seafood place and ended up both loving our food and had a good time. I realized that for the cost of some sodas, I ended up being much happier and it was way worth it.

I just read this article called "Some Thoughts on the Sunk Cost Fallacy" on one of my favorite personal finance blogs, The Simple Dollar. Though what the author is talking about is a little bit different, it really made me think that sometimes we fall into a trap of doing something out of a false sense of obligation. I think we'd all be a bit freer if we all realized his point that sunk costs can "convince you to make a poor choice about how to spend your time." Some times you just gotta let go of that little bit of money and not let it hold you captive!

A friend passed along a couple of deals for Six Flags that I wanted to share.  Six Flags is offering a new "Big Six Pass" for $49.99 a person that will allow you entry any 6 times now through November 1st.  If you are interested in going to the park more than once this summer, but not more than 6 times, this will save you $50 a person instead of purchasing a season pass!  Check out the ticket price website here for more information.

Even better, if you participate in Six Flags'  fundraiser to cure childhood cancer, A Walk in the Park, and raise $50 for the great cause you get a free park ticket.  Check out the website here if you are interested in the fundraiser (hurry, the walk for Great Adventure is June 14th!)

Thanks to Yukline for sending me this!

Printing a lot of coupons can make you go through printer paper pretty fast! (like my alliteration?)  Staples is running a deal this week on Hammer Mill Copy paper.  One ream of the CopyPlus paper is on sale for $4.99 and then you can submit a rebate for $3.99, making it only $1!  This is limit 2 per customer & is only valid in the store.  What is extra convenient is that the rebate information will print at the bottom of your receipt.

Hooray for easy rebates!

**There is a Catalina deal on the back page of the circular this week.  If you buy $25 in participating products you get a $10 off coupon for your next order, if you buy $15 you get a $5 off and if you buy $10 you get a $2 off.  There are too many items to go through individually, but there are some items you can use coupons on (Cheerios, Yoplait kids yogurt, BC fruit snacks, etc.) that will help you lower your out of pocket total down and you still get the coupon for the original amount spent.

I love the TGIFriday's buy one entree get one free coupons!  There's a new one for June that expries on the 22nd.  Just click here and print it!