The Frugal Free Gal

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

  • Why I LOVE Over the Door Shoe Organizers: How I Use Them in My Home

    I am a clutter phobe. I do not like things thrown around here and there and everywhere. I like to have everything in a specific place, so that I know exactly where to find it. I am also not a fan of little toys and knick knacks that have “no real home” in my home. These are things that my daughter likes to play with: bouncy balls, McDonald’s toys, sunglasses, play phones, Disney figurines, and more. These also include art supplies and items that you may find in a junk drawer. Every now and then, I admit to not keeping everything in its place–but give me some time one day to set aside just for organizing and you can be sure I will try my best to tackle the “junk” and make sure that the majority of these items have a home.

    I also try my best to give my home more “storage” than it has right now. We are limited on space in some areas so I do my best to maximize that space and find “hidden ways” to create more space for items.

    Recently, I purchased a few over the door hanging shoe organizers for my home. You can find them in different styles. I prefer the ones that are clear or mesh–so that you can see through each pocket. I also have a canvas one. The prices are decent, depending on which style you get (and where you get them). I purchased mine at Target and Walmart.

    I own four of them currently but have even considered purchasing more for just about every door in our house! I say that because they are just simply wonderful: you can do so many things with them including organizing spices and medicine. I would like to hang one in my garage also on the side door to place stray tools, gardening gloves, seed packets and other odds and ends.

    See how I use over the door shoe organizers in my own home!

    Three of these over the door shoe organizers are in my daughter’s room. I bet you can guess why! There are toys galore in her room and it is frustrating to find a place for all of the small ones. I could throw them all in a bin somewhere, but that takes up more space and she doesn’t like to dig around for them.

    One of the organizers is for small toys. I try to keep the items low so that my daughter can reach them. She uses her step stool to reach items that are higher. You can see on the other door that I have a metal hanger for bags and other hanging items.

    The second organizer is for shoes. This organizer is on the other side of the door from the organizer with the small toys! So, I have two over the door shoe organizers on one door!

    The third organizer is on the other closet door (on the inside also) for hats, gloves, and other odds and ends. This one is mostly empty right now with a few items at the bottom. I am pretty sure it won’t take long to find items to place in there! You can also see that I have another hanging organizer in her closet to the right for her clothes for school for each day of the week (LOVE that organizer also!):

    Before I take you out of my daughter’s room and to the art closet, I’d like to show you other ways in which to save space. I have two storage bins that roll out from under her bed that include her dress up clothes, feather boas, aprons, hats, play shoes, jewelry, etc. This is just one other way of trying to find “extra storage” for all of the toys that she currently owns! I also made her two ribbon hangers for her wall for her hair bows.

    Back to the shoe organizers! I also have a shoe organizer in our art/storage closet near our living room. I LOVE this one–it gives me more room in the closet for other items while the art supplies are hanging on the door (paints, glitter, markers, glue, tape, and more). I place the items that I don’t want my daughter to reach towards the top.

    Again, I currently own four over the door shoe organizers and I wouldn’t be surprised if I head out and purchase more for other rooms in my house. If you are considering finding ways to keep small items in your home organized a little easier, this is a GREAT way to do it.

    Do you currently use over the door shoe organizers? Tell us about how you use them in your home!

  • Mailbox Freebies and Coupons

    Here are the latest mailbox freebies that I received!

    1. (3) 2 Packs of Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers Size 4 with (2) $1.50 off coupons (This was a Walmart, Target, and Sam’s Sample!)

    2. Quaker Oatmeal Squares

    3. Member’s Mark Complete Infant Formula

    4. Poise Hourglass Shaped Pads plus $2.00 off coupon

    5. Coupon for FREE Garnier HerbaShine Color Creme with Bamboo Extract Haircolor ($7.99 value) (Facebook Offer)

    6. Coupon for one FREE Fresh Express Salad ($4.00 value) plus (3) $1.00 off coupons (Free Sample from VocalPoint)

  • 10 Money Saving Tips for Booking a Hotel

    10 Money Saving Tips for Booking a Hotel

    By Andrew Kardon

    Vacations are awesome, but your hotel room might be the biggest expense of your trip. And why would you want to spend a fortune on the place where you’re mostly just sleeping? If you’re willing to hunt out hotels that offer money saving amenities or forgo some of the luxuries you don’t really need, you can shave big bucks off the cost of your hotel stay. Just check out these 10 helpful tips, frugal traveller.

    Book Early

    You know how they say that the early bird gets the worm? Well, that may or may not be true, but he sure doesn’t overpay for his hotel room. Some of the more popular destinations sell out their cheap rooms months in advance. Booking as soon as you decide where you’re vacationing can often snag you the lowest rate. Best of all, if your room rate goes down for some reason, most hotels will let you rebook at the new lower rate (assuming you don’t book a nonrefundable rate).

    Travel During Off-peak Times

    Just about every travel destination has an “off” season. Plan your trip during these less popular times and save some cash. Just remember that there’s usually a good reason for an off season, and it’s usually weather-related. Do a little research to make sure you’re not traveling during monsoon season.

    It Pays to be Loyal

    Every hotel chain has a loyalty program that lets you collect hotel points and/or airline miles for your stay. Sign up for free and try to stay in one hotel chain’s group of hotels (for example, Starwood PreferredGuest hotels include Sheratons, Westins and Four Points, while the Intercontinental Priority Club hotels include Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Candlewood Suites). When you sign up, you’ll need to select whether you want to earn hotel points or airline miles, though Hilton hotels allow you to earn both at the same time! And if you stay three or four times in one chain, your next hotel stay might be on the house.

    Save Money with More Togetherness

    Don’t pay extra for additional rooms for your large family. Get a room with two queen beds, then get an extra roll-away bed for one more person for as little as $20 extra per night. Or, consider a hotel that offers suites, like Embassy Suites, Hawthorne Suites by Wyndam, or Marriott Residence Inn. You get more sleeping space, and the in-suite kitchens let you cook meals in your room. Just remember that a “studio suite” means one big room and does not include a separate bedroom and living room.

    Say “Amen” to Amenities

    Look for hotels that offer free goodies, like free breakfast, free shuttle service and free wi-fi. Homewood Suites goes beyond the standard pastry and cereal breakfast and offers a full breakfast with hot yummies like waffles and eggs. And Monday through Thursday, they even serve a free light dinner!

    Make Your Own Free Wi-fi

    Hotels with free in-room wi-fi include Best Western, Holiday Inn and Courtyard by Marriott. Some hotels that charge for in-room wi-fi may offer free wi-fi in the lobby or even have computers available for guests’ use. (Be sure to ask.) Or pick a hotel near a coffee shop that offers free wi-fi. Even an over-priced latte is cheaper than a $10 daily charge for in-room Internet access.

    Ocean Front vs. Ocean View

    If you’re traveling to a sandy beach, decide just how much of a view you really need. An ocean front room directly faces the ocean, while an ocean view room might show just a sliver of the sea. (Guess which is cheaper.) If you do shell out the big bucks for an ocean front view, don’t be afraid to politely complain if your view is obstructed in any way. Hotels are in the hospitality business, and that includes trying to make their guests happy whenever possible.

    Watch for Hidden Fees

    Be aware of parking charges if you’re driving or renting a car. It pays to ask before you book. Hotels often include a self-park option that’s cheaper than the valet. Check the fine print before booking to avoid any other unexpected fees.

    Visit the Hotel Website and Call the Hotel Directly

    By all means, check out the hotel booking sites like Priceline, Expedia and others. But take a few minutes to visit the hotel’s own website. You might find discounts or promotions that aren’t offered elsewhere on the web (including AAA and senior rates). And it never hurts to call the hotel to try to find the best deal. But don’t use the toll-free number for the hotel’s call center; call the hotel directly and ask for the sales department. You may be able to negotiate a deal to beat the online quotes. Or, if you’ve gotten a great deal from that hotel chain before, ask for the same deal!

    Consider Paying More

    It hurts to suggest this, but sometimes the best way to save money is to spend a little extra. If there’s a chance you might need to cancel your trip (kids get sick, jobs get hectic, life happens), you might get stuck with a large cancellation fee. Some of the cheapest deals do not allow for cancellations. So make sure your great deal has a small cancellation fee, or none at all, or you might get stuck with a big ol’ fee.

    Finally, when you arrive at your vacation getaway, don’t forget to send me a postcard!

    BIO: Andrew Kardon is the president and deals, price comparisons, product reviews, shopping blogs and more.

  • Mailbox Freebies & Coupons: Honey Nut Cheerios, Shout, L’Oreal Youth Code & More

    Here are the latest freebies and coupons that I received in my mailbox:

    1. Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal with a $0.75 off coupon WYB one box
    2. L’Oreal Youth Code with $2.00 off coupon WYB any one Youth Code
    3. Shout Wipe & Go with $0.55 off coupon on Shout 12 ct. Wipe & Go or Shout Color Catcher (Sample still available here.)
    4. FREE Nestle Drumstick Coupon (Enter to win this coupon here.)

    More Mailbox Freebies:
    Mailbox Freebies 7/25
    Mailbox Freebies 7/22
    Mailbox Freebies 7/15

  • Mailbox Freebies & Coupons

    Here are the latest freebies and coupons that arrived!

    1. Huggies Supreme Thick n’Clean Wipes (8 pack)
    2. Fekkai Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner, & Cream (0.3 oz.)
    3. Crest Pro-Health Clinical Gum Protection Toothpaste, Mouthwash, & Floss with four money saving coupons

    • $1 off one Oral-B Pro-Health Manual Toothbrush
    • $1 off one Oral-B Glide Floss 25M or Floss Picks 30 ct. or higher
    • $1 off one Crest Rinse 440 mL or larger
    • $1 off one Crest Pro-Health or Crest Sensitivity Treatment and Protection Toothpaste 4.0 oz. or larger
    4. SOYJOY Blueberry Bar
    5. Barista Prima Coffeehouse K-Cups (Italian Roast, French Roast, House Blend, and Columbia
    6. Coupon for FREE Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner 12.6 oz. excluding trial size. Max Value $4.99 (Exp. 9/30/11)
    7. Full Size Milani Lip Product
    8. Disney Parks 2011 Vacation Planner DVD and Guide
    9. JCPenney Coupons: $10 off a store purchase of $10 or more and $10 any purchase totaling $25 & up

    Interested in receiving updates when freebies are released? Become a Fan on Facebook or Subscribe to The Frugal Free Gal by Email!

  • Are You Addicted to Couponing?

     

    Are you a “addicted to couponing?”

    Do you…

    -get overly excited when you see a coupon?

    -spend hours a day searching for and clipping/printing coupons?

    -dive in dumpsters to find coupon inserts (and have your children help)?

    -have piles of inserts and coupons laying around your house?

    -have huge stockpiles taking over your house?

    -head from store to store each day just to use your coupons?

    -go to sleep/wake up thinking about coupons?

    -get anxious if you can’t get your coupons organized?

    -spend time away from family to clip/organize coupons?

    -have family telling you that you spend too much time on couponing?

    -feel anxious, overwhelmed, and even depressed since you started couponing?

    I am not a doctor and do not have the qualifications to diagnose anyone, but if you answered yes to many of these, you may be “addicted to couponing.” At one time, I could have answered all of these with a “yes” (except for the dumpster diving–don’t get me wrong, it crossed my mind when I took items to the recycle center and saw newspapers laying in the dumpsters.) I was heavily into couponing and thought I was going to be the next “extreme couponer.” I ended up finding out that it just wasn’t for me. I would rather spend that precious time with family and doing other fun activities then sitting down clipping and organizing coupons for several hours a day (especially when I knew I wasn’t going to use about 75+% of them).

    I believe there is a healthy way to coupon and an unhealthy way. The unhealthy way is mentioned above—when I mention getting anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed since you started couponing. If you feel that way, you may need to step back and reassess your couponing techniques. It is easy to get overwhelmed when newspaper inserts are piling up and you haven’t had the chance to go through them to clip what you need.

    It’s ok to admit that you may be addicted to couponing, but it’s not a good idea to continue to be miserable in the process. These are coupons we are talking about. Coupons are fun and exciting, but only when used right. That’s why I stepped back a few months ago, reassessed my situation, and made a change. I vowed to only use coupons on items I needed and used (not for the sake of getting them free or cheap). I also vowed to create my grocery list first and then search my Coupon Database for the coupons that matched what was on my list. By using this method, I was still saving and I am only bringing home items that my family consumes. I am no longer throwing out items that we didn’t eat or want (but that I was able to get so cheap at the grocery store–what a waste!)

    I still consider couponing to be fun, but it no longer consumes me. I hope that some of you find this article helpful if you are struggling with finding a balance between couponing and living life.

    If you would like to read more about my adventures with couponing in the past, read my articles: The Dangers of Extreme Couponing and 5 Reasons Why Cutting Back on Coupons Has Saved Me Money.