A few more ways to raise some cash

Here's a few more ideas I had to raise a little cash for Christmas gift-giving.

Sell your used infant and children's clothes, gear, toys, and maternity clothes at a re-sale shop such as:
Once Upon a Child
Children's Orchard
The Growing Years
Plato's Closet

Bring your spare change to a Coinstar machine- no fee when you choose a gift card instead of cash.

Check out Caregivers Marketplace- a cash back program for anyone who gets, gives, or needs care. If you buy Huggies diapers or many other products- you can get a cash rebate back by mail.

Finally, consider donating your old clothes and household items to charity. Here are some guidelines from Goodwill for what you can claim on your taxes if you itemize.

CVS Huggies deal

One of the deals this week (12/7-12/13) at CVS is:

Buy $25 worth of Huggies products get $5 ECB back.

Sign up here for Huggies diapers coupons or here for Pull-Ups.

Diapers and Pull-Ups are on sale for $10 and wipes are 2/$5.

Buy 2 packs Pull-ups @$10= $20
and 2 packs wipes @2/$5= $25 total
Use 2- $2 off pull-ups coupons- $21 OOP
Get $5 ECB back
Get $2 back from Caregivers marketplace.

Free Eggs at Giant Eagle

I won't post all the Giant Eagle deals- but you can get a free dozen large Giant Eagle eggs- when you buy 4 Betty Crocker baking products. The eggs are $1.79 at my store and they take an instant $1.79 off your register receipt.

I bought 2 Betty Crocker cookie mix packet 2/$4
1 Betty Crocker frosting can 2/$3
1 Betty Crocker brownie mix box 2/$4

There are several coupons available from the newspaper insert or online here and here.
(Betty Crocker webiste)

Free Redbox codes for December

Free Redbox rental codes for Sundays in December from Deal Seeking Mom- go here. Thanks Deal Seeking Mom! (12/7/08 through 1/4/09)

How I organize my coupons

I have tried a few different methods, but here is how I currently organize my coupons. First of all, if I have several of the same inserts I usually only clip one. I use an empty baby wipes container to store my coupons. It's the perfect size to fit several letter size envelopes. I stapled an index card to each envelope and wrote the name of the coupon category on each card. Voila! An easy filing system that was practically free to make.

Ways to make a little extra money

I have been doing online surveys this year- you won't get rich, but it's a very easy way to make some spending money. The two I use are reputable:

Your2Cents- I have earned $60 dollars so far with no trouble. You need to answer short surveys they email to you. I suggest using a "junk" email account like yahoo or gmail. You can also sign up to do surveys by cell phone. They send you a check in the mail each time you reach $10 in rewards. You earn between $1 and $5 per survey.

The other is Pinecone Research- it's a little trickier to sign up for as you have to find a referral site. I have not made as much money off Pinecone- but they do offer PayPal as a way to receive your money from them. They sometimes also offer products for you to try at home.

One site I absolutely DO NOT recommend is Phonehog. I will not even post a link to them. They offer free long distance minutes for filling out email offers- but they send you a TON of unsolicitated emails. I don't like them at all.

One last idea is selling used books, video games, CD's, and DVD's on Half.com which is an Ebay company. It's very easy to do- all you need is the product ISBN or UPC number. I like it better than Ebay because your item stays listed like a store until it sells. You can also put your account on vacation if you are going to be away. We have made several hundred dollars over the years with Half.com.

Leftover Turkey Recipe

Here's a recipe to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey in the frig:

Easy Turkey Stuffing Bake
1 box any flavor Stove Top Stuffing- prepare according to directions on box
Leftover chopped up turkey- whatever you got
1/4 cup diced onions- and - 1/4 cup diced celery (I had both leftover)
1 can of vegetables drained or one bag of frozen vegetables thawed- whatever you have on hand- I used corn
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (or mushroom or celery)
1/2 cup milk- mix milk and soup in a bowl
Preheat oven to 350
Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray
Place turkey and veggies in dish
Mix with soup/milk mixture
Add onions and celery (you can omit)
Top with prepared stuffing mix
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
Top with shredded cheese if desired
Enjoy!