The Frugal Free Gal

Frugal Living, Money Saving Tips, Freebies, and More!

  • More than Just Books: 8 Library Freebies to Take Advantage of Now!

    more than just books

    When you think of a library, what comes to mind? Books? Is that it?

    I use to be the same way. I use to think libraries were just for books. After all, that is the first thing that catches your eye when you walk into one, rows and rows of books. And while the site of thousands of books at your disposable may be enough to warrant a visit from you, what is even more exciting is the many other offerings your local library has for you just for the asking. Libraries these days seem to be obtaining grants and funds for a variety of other goods and services as well. These goods and services are often free, but sadly, often overlooked.

    Have you checked out your local library lately? Here are a few free or inexpensive services and programs that may be available!

    1. Special Interest Clubs- Ask your librarian if any special interest clubs are held at your library. Garden clubs, reading clubs, and book clubs for kids are often available as well and a chance for them to earn free rewards for their reading efforts. Why not check and see if your local library has a COUPON CLUB for you to join?

    2. Educational Toy Rental- Many libraries offer free check out of educational toys, games and puzzles. Surprise your child with a new-to-them toy to explore! Once they tire of it, return it and try a new one.

    3. Daily Newspapers, local and national- Libraries offer a variety of daily newspapers including the coveted Sunday paper. Your library may even allow you to take day old copies (and coupons!) home with you. Please ask first. They are usually willing to allow you, you just want to have permission.

    4. Budget Book Sales- Libraries will often sell their overstock or used books for just pennies. This is a great way to pick up children’s books for your home library, books and magazines for yourself. You can also buy them and donate them to your child’s classroom, local shelter, or just start making your own home library.

    Related: 10 Places to Find Cheap Kids Books

    5. Movie/Music Rental- Video games, dvds, cds, and computer games are all available at your local library. Books on CD are a great treat for  children in the car! Items for children are typically free of charge, as are audio rentals or instructional dvd’s. Dvd’s for adults are a nominal fee, usually less than $1 per day, which is less than you would pay to rent from a store or other service.

    6. Free Ticket Rental- Are you wanting to check out your local museum? Many libraries offer free tickets to local museums if you just ask. Tickets may only be available to use during certain days of the week but for free, you can be flexible, right? Usually, one ticket is valid for 4 people, so you can really save.

    7. Free Computer Classes- Want to learn how to use your computer? Why not ask your library if they offer free technology classes? In addition to these free classes, laptops are often available for on-site check out as well as a printer for a nominal fee. This is a great way to print extra coupons or activities for kids.

    Related: 10+ Educational Websites for Kids

    8. Craft Time for Kids- Libraries may hold a special day each week just for kids where a read aloud is held accompanied by a craft. These are often free and a great way to meet other moms while your child experiences some great literature and hands on activities.

    Did you know all of these wonderful services exist? These are just a few of the many wonderful benefits your library may have to offer! Taking advantage of these offers can save you some serious dough in the long run. Not to mention that libraries are wonderfully quiet and serene places to enjoy these free services at.

    Perhaps you do not know where your closest library is. Use this site to find one fast! www.publiclibraries.com It lists all of the libraries categorized by states for easy searching. Once you have found a library in your area, you can click on the link and be directed to their own website. Websites will display many of the special offers that library has available as well as a calendar of events, hours, special events, and everything else you need to know. You might be able to reserve materials as well.

    So check out your local library today and start enjoying everything it has to offer for FREE!

  • How I Organize and Plan My Shopping Trips

    I recently wrote a few tips for using coupons on the post below:
    https://thefrugalfreegal.com/2010/06/tips-for-beginner-couponers.html
    In this post I wrote about where to find your coupons and how to organize them.

    Now that you are saving your coupons and keeping them organized, it is time to start using them.

    I like to shop at the following stores in my area for my groceries and toiletry items:

    1.) Wal-mart
    2.) Walgreens
    3.) CVS
    4.) Food Lion
    5.) Target

    I used to shop for the majority of my groceries at Wal-mart because I thought it was cheaper. I dreaded these trips because I knew that I needed a lot of groceries and I always came out with a huge cart full. Now I make several trips throughout the week and make a few purchases at each store, stocking up on what I know I buy and need week after week, when the items are on sale, and usually with coupons. I create a stockpile of these items so that I do not have to go to the store each week to pick up one item, just to have to go back the next week because we ran out.

    For example, baby bath wash was on sale at Wal-mart recently. I found myself buying bath wash every time I went to the store. When it was on sale, I stocked up and bought six, which ends up saving me money in the end when buying it at sale price, as well as keeping me from having to go back to the store six different times for bath wash!

    When an item goes on sale that you know you buy regularly, buy several and create a small stockpile of that item. Eventually you will have done this with everything you buy and you find that you aren’t having to go to the store as often. Once the sale ends, it usually comes back in a few months. When you find that your stockpile is running low, find that sale again later and stock up again. It is even better when you use a coupon (or several coupons) on top of that sale!

    Are you ready to read about how I organize my shopping trips?

    1.) I collect the store circulars from the stores listed above from the Sunday paper, or from the store itself.
    2.) I look through each circular, find what is on sale that I need and circle that item.
    3.) Then I look to see what coupons I have that will match the sale.
    4.) I spread out my shopping trips throughout the week when I am out and about and stop into those stores, with my coupons.
    5.) I buy what I need and head home knowing that I have saved some money!

    I hope you have started saving your coupons that you are coming across daily. This is important because I will eventually be posting deal scenarios where you can get certain items for FREE if you have the coupon. The blogs to the right on the Deal Watch List post deal scenarios often, so you don’t want to miss out if you do not have the coupons.

    Now that I have given you tips on where to find your coupons and how to organize them (on the previous post), and given you tips on how to organize your shopping trip, I am ready to start giving you more information on using certain coupons with deal scenarios.

    I will also be posting a few free samples that come along my way. Come back often!

  • FREE Smile Cards

    Request here

    Head on over to request some FREE Smile Cards from KindSpring! You can download and print out the cards or get some pre-printed cards mailed to you.

    >>> More Freebies <<<

  • Ways to Save Money When You Travel By Car

    ways to save money

    Summer is almost here, and this is the time most families go on their planned family vacations. Are you going to be traveling during the hot summer months to a fun location–maybe to the beach or to a theme park? Maybe you are going to be traveling across the country to visit a family member or a friend. No matter where you are going, you’ll want to make sure you can save as much money as you can when you travel. Here are a few ways that you can save money when you travel.

    Skip the hotel, if possible. If you are traveling a long distance, be sure to call up an old friend or family member that may live around the area where you will be traveling. They may have a room available for you to get a good nights rest. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind having you stay over for one night. If you must get a hotel room, be sure to plan ahead and find the best deals online before you stop.

    Plan ahead and pack plenty of food, drinks, and snacks. If you know that you are going to be traveling for a while, plan for the family to eat in the car or stop for a picnic and eat the food you packed. The last trip we went on, I had a large lapboard that we brought with us. I packed bread, peanut butter & jelly, turkey & cheese, chips, drinks, plastic ware, and paper plates with plenty of snacks. When it was time to eat, instead of stopping and while my husband was driving, I made everyone lunch and dinner on the lapboard. It worked out great and we didn’t have to stop and pay for overpriced food!

    Make sure your car is serviced before you travel. You don’t want to find yourself buying replacement car parts or having to search for a mechanic during your trip. Get an oil change, check the air in your tires, and check the air filter. You may even want to get an inspection on your vehicle. We traveled to Asheville, North Carolina one year and we ended up shelling out a lot of money for a problem that could have been prevented if we would have had our car serviced before we left.


    Bring plenty of entertainment for the kids. Create a bag of activities for the kids so that they will be entertained during the trip. It’s a great idea to bring the DVD player with movies to keep them entertained for a longer period of time. We usually take small books and toys along with crayons and coloring pads to keep our children entertained.

    Pack an emergency kit. Bring a first aid kit, flashlight, and a cell phone plus a charger in case you break down. You may want to have a road assistance number saved onto your phone in case you need assistance during your trip. You will also want to make sure you have plenty of water available for all of the passengers in the car, along with items like diapers and medicine, too. Don’t forget the jumper cables!

    These are just a few ways to save money when you travel by car this summer! Please leave a comment if you have more ways to save!

  • YouTube Video: Mailbox Freebies (5/22/19)

    Check out the mailbox freebies from the last few weeks! In this video, I take 5-10 minutes to share a few of the latest freebies I received in my personal mailbox. You can receive freebies in your mailbox, too! Read the bottom of this post to find out how.

    VISIT YOUTUBE CHANNEL

    How can YOU start receiving freebies, too?!
    1. Visit my website daily to find freebie posts. Simply follow the instructions in each post to claim your freebies. I do not personally send the freebies! The company advertised in each post sends the freebies.

    2. Follow me via social media to get updates when freebies are posted:

    • YouTube Channel Check out my Mailbox Freebies series on my YouTube channel. Subscribe if you’d like to be notified when new videos are made.
    • Subscribe via Email – the most popular way to receive freebie notifications daily in your email inbox!
    • Facebook – FB doesn’t always show posts to readers, so make sure you check to receive notifications. Engage with posts to see more.
    • Facebook Group – Join my FB group! I post the hottest freebies to the Facebook group! Engage in discussions with myself and others.
    • Twitter – I do check my Twitter feed regularly, but I’ll admit, some of it is automated. I do like to get on Twitter often to try to engage with readers.
    • Instagram – I post mailbox freebies and more here!

    Here are more videos of recent mailbox freebies.

  • I Won a Giveaway: Unboxing Video!

    A month ago, I started a new list of giveaways. Check the list out here. You can enter as many giveaways as you’d like for a chance to win, too! I’m happy to report to you today that I WON a giveaway! My giveaway prize shipped out to me already and arrived yesterday. Here are the contents below. Make sure you take some time and enter giveaways today!

    Enter Giveaways