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frugal tips – Page 2 – Luv Saving Money

Spend $25 At Dollar Tree Get $25 Cash Back = Free Stuff!

This deal is great for knocking out some party favors, stuffing stockings, or grabbing decor. When you spend at least $25 at Dollar Tree you can get $25 cash back. This is for new members only.

Step 1: 
OFFER LINK 

Using my link, signup for a FREE TopCashback account.This offer is for new TopCashback members only.

Step 2:
Follow the directions listed on the offer page to purchase.   You must spend at least $25.00 to receive $25.00 cash back.

Step 3:
Within 7 days of purchase, $25.00 will appear in your TopCashback account. You’ll be able to withdraw this within 14 days of purchase.  You can withdraw the money straight to your checking, PayPal, or claim as gift cards.

Tips:

  • Important: Check your email to confirm your email address. Click on the link in your email to authenticate your new account.
  • Want to purchase more than $25.00?  Make a second transaction instead of adding more to an existing cart to maximize additional cash back.

Terms & Conditions:Note: Transactions must contain at least $25.00 worth of purchases (before tax +shipping)  to ensure the $25.00 cash back is credited to TopCashback accounts. Transactions may initially track lower, but within the 14 days after purchase it will be uplifted and turn payable at the amount of $25.00. Transactions may take up to 7 days to appear in your TopCashback account. The deal is open until 11:59pm PST on 11/22/2020 or until supplies run out; whichever happens first; applicable for purchases made directly after clicking through TopCashback. Only one TopCashback account is permitted per member.  Cannot be combined with other TopCashback freebie offers.  Do not close the window, open any new tabs, or use non-TopCashback approved coupons while checking out

More Info On The “Spend $10, Get $10” Prime Day Offer

Yesterday I posted the details of Prime Day 2020. Some new things, added ways to save, etc. I mentioned about the offer they have this year to help small businesses. Spend $10 or more on select small businesses from now until Oct 14 and earn $10 Amazon credit to use during Prime Day. But I just learned about more.

Whole Foods Market and Amazon physical stores are also offering a similar deal. Spend at least $10 at Whole Foods Markets or Amazon physical stores and earn $10 credit. Up to $50 in Amazon credit to use for Prime Day. You can start earning now!

Spend $10, Get $10 on Prime Day Offer

Now through October 14, Prime members have the opportunity to earn up to $50 in credits to use on Amazon.com during Prime Day. The Whole Foods Market Prime Day offer – Spend $10, Get $10 – is available to all Prime members who spend $10 ordering online or shopping at any Whole Foods Market store. The offer is also available to Prime members who shop in store at Amazon physical stores including Amazon Fresh, Amazon Go or Amazon Go Grocery, Amazon Books or Amazon Pop Up, and Amazon 4-star. Visit the stores for more details.

To earn the Prime Day credit(s), Prime members can:

  • Shop in store at any Whole Foods Market location and scan the Prime code in the Amazon app or use a linked mobile phone number at checkout.
  • Order delivery or pickup from Whole Foods Market using the Amazon app or by going to amazon.com/wholefoods. Plus, Prime members can now get free grocery pickup at all Whole Foods Market locations nationwide.   
  • Shop in store at Amazon Fresh and use the QR code in the Fresh In-Store section of the Amazon app at checkout.
  • Shop in store at Amazon Go or Amazon Go Grocery using the Amazon Go app or Amazon mobile app tied to an Amazon Prime account to enter the store.
  • Shop in store at Amazon 4-star and use a Prime account at checkout.
  • Shop in store at Amazon Books or Amazon Pop Up and use a Prime account at checkout.

Prime members will receive an email following their purchase with instructions for how to redeem the credit(s) on Amazon.com during Prime Day. To find a store near you, visit amazon.com/stores or wholefoodsmarket.com/stores.

Unfortunately for me I think the closest Whole Foods Market to me is about a 2 hour drive. But for those that have a Whole Foods Market or Amazon physical location near you, I’m a little jelly.

Prime Members Shopping Whole Foods Market

Leading up to Prime Day, Prime members can receive discounts on customer favorites, including organic honeycrisp apples ($2.69/lb.), beef short ribs ($5.99/lb.) and sustainable wild-caught shrimp (30% off) from September 30 to October 6. From October 7 to October 13, customers can get deals on favorites like beef chuck roast ($3.69/lb.), medium-sized avocados (5 for $5.00) and all packaged teas (35% off). Prime members can learn more about Prime Day offers and weekly deals by asking, “Alexa, what are my Whole Foods deals?” Or by visiting wholefoods.com/primeday for more information.

Besides Prime member deals for Prime Day 2020, Prime members enjoy benefits year-round, like exclusive discounts on select popular products each week, an additional 10% off hundreds of sale items throughout Whole Foods Market stores, free two-hour delivery in more than 2,000 cities and towns from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh, free one-hour pickup from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

Now through October 31, eligible Prime members who apply and are approved for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card will instantly receive a $100 Gift Card. Cardmembers receive 5% back at Whole Foods Market and at Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership, plus 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores, among other benefits. Restrictions apply. For more information, visit amazon.com/primevisa.

Want to earn $10 more? Support Small Businesses

Amazon will offer a $10 credit to use on Prime Day to members who spend $10 on items sold by select small businesses in Amazon’s store now through October 12. This promotion is fully funded by Amazon to connect customers with local small businesses selling in its store.Visit amazon.com/supportsmall to start shopping.

It’s not too late to get in on the deals. If you’re not an Amazon Prime member yet, you can get a 30 day free trial so you can participate in Prime Days!

Will you take advantage of the credit deal? Will you shop the small business or Amazon physical locations?

This post does contain some affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my links.

The Value Of Timber On Your Land: FREE Resource

It’s not something I’ve put a lot of thought into. In hindsight, maybe I should have. We hired some arborists to cut down a few dead trees for us a couple years ago. We did keep the fallen timber to use in our fire pit and wood burning furnace. So, I guess we didn’t waste it. But we only live on about an acre. I know a number of people around us have acres of land with lots of trees or fallen timber.

Have you ever wondered about the value of the timber on your land? Penn State Extension has released the “Value of Standing Timber” publication. It helps land owners and loggers learn the economic value of standing timber and how it’s determined.

This 24-page publication describes methods for estimating timber volumes and values in a simple, easy to understand, manner. It will also help landowners and loggers understand how the value of timber is determined and, in turn, provide them with increased opportunities for obtaining a fair market price when selling timber, said Dave Jackson, extension forester and publication co-author.

The publication is available as a free downloadable PDF; printed copies are available for purchase. To learn more, visit https://extension.psu.edu/valuing-standing-timber or call 877-345-0691

I looked over this myself. It’s highly informative with helpful illustrations and tables. It covers a number of steps to take to prepare you for getting a good value for your standing timber. As well as information about how it’s valued at more. Education is the best way to make sure you’re not taken advantage of!

This is a great time to start preparing wood for the winter too. It needs to dry out for several weeks to a couple months to make good firewood. I know in my area, there are always people looking for firewood for small things like fire pits to necessities like heating their homes.

If you own wooded acreage in my area another way to make money off your land is to let hunters pay to hunt on your land. Hunter find it appealing as there is exclusivity to it. The land isn’t over-hunted.

About Penn State Extension

Penn State Extension is dedicated to translating scientific research into real-world applications to drive progress. In support of Penn State’s land-grant mission, extension programs serve individuals, businesses and communities, while promoting a vibrant food and fiber system, a clean environment, and a healthier population in Pennsylvania and beyond. With support from federal, state and county governments, the organization has a tradition of bringing unbiased information and support to the citizens of Pennsylvania for more than 100 years.

How Knowing Your Plants Can Save You Money

For way too many years, I took for granted the “weeds” that were growing in my yard. I thought they were good for nothing but making my yard look bad. Then after learning a common weed in my garden was actually edible (and not half bad) I wondered else I didn’t know about the weeds in my yard and garden. Turns out, it’s a lot.

It is important to note that you should NEVER consume plants/weeds that have been treated with weed killers or certain lawn products. If you’re not sure, it’s best not to consume it.

Just another weed in my yard?

A landscaping company posted a picture of a weed I commonly see in yard.

Crushed or chewed then placed over a bug bite, mosquito bite, bee sting, rash, or acne as a poultice and bandaged these plant is said to be able to help draw out toxins. Do a quick search and you’ll find several recipes for salves and balms using the broadleaf plantain. It’s said to be a digestive aid as well. B&D Landscaping’s facebook post has a wealth of information about this plant and uses.

Broadleaf plantain is also edible in salads or added to recipes.

That Sticky Plant

On another occasion, while harvesting raspberries from the wild raspberry bushes we have growing in our yard, I came across this invasive weed. It was so long and sticky. It was starting to wrap around the raspberries. I wondered what it was since it was touching some of the raspberries we were going to consume. Turns out this weed has many names: Clevers, sticky willy, coachweed, goosegrass, and a few other names.

Probably my favorite thing to learn about these was that you can make “coffee” with them. Cleaver is actually part of the coffee family. Yes, those little sticky, fuzzy berry looking things. You can pick them off, dry out, then roast them in the oven, then grind them up and make coffee. Be warned the process is time consuming. Picking all those stickly little berries off takes a while and you need a lot to brew a pot of coffee. I tried it though. It wasn’t half bad. The leaves and stems are edible as well and can be added to stir fries, salads, and soups.

Cleaver is said to have diuretic properties and has been used for kidney and urinary tract ailments.

People actually plant this one on purpose!

Purslane. This is the one I often saw growing in my gardens. Almost looks like a succulent to me. I found out that not only is Purslane edible but quite nutrient dense for a little plant containing antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Iron, Potassium, and Manganese. Phew! Now that’s a hard working plant.

You can eat it raw by itself, mix it into your salad, or add it to your dish. You can easily find Purslane seeds and plants online. In fact, Purslane is commonly grown, on purpose, in many other countries.

The multitasker of the weed world

Dandelions, we all know them. Dandelion greens can be eaten. The petals can be turned into teas, wine, jams, or jellies. You can use the root for dandelion root coffee.

Dandelions are also said to have medicinal properties. A quick search will have you finding tinctures, tonics, and many other medicine cabinet ideas for dandelions.

The more I learn the more I realize the culinary adventures and medicine cabinet stocking I can do. And that saves me money! I’m also interested in learning more.

I love seeing companies like T1 payments that care. Donating to the South Florida Fairchild Botanic Gardens. I truly believe that there are so much more we need to learn about plants. There could be one out there that could be the cure for an illness, or an affordable option to help stop hunger.

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links.

Thinking About Self-Publishing? Read This

Did I ever tell you that one of my brothers wrote a book? I mean, I think I did, in a blog post about it a while back. It was something he had wanted to do for a long time and he finally did it. When it first became available to buy his book was in the top 200 on Amazon..I think it was back then. Which, when you consider all the books on Amazon that’s not too bad. Want to know something else? He self-published his book.

My brother wrote Night of the Dancing Puppets which is a horror genre. Some people say it fits in with the popular game “Five Nights At Freddy’s” I’ve never played that game or saw the movie so I can’t personally speak on that. What I do know is that it was a constant up and down adrenaline rush. My brother has lived in Florida for many years and you get a sense that the book takes place in Florida.

This book is not recommended for children as it is a horror book and some profanity is used in the book. To self-publish, he went through a site called fastpencil.com but I’m sure there are other sources as well. There are also publishing companies that can help with reviewing, printing, publishing, etc but of course there is more cost involved with that. I think if I decided I wanted to write a book someday I’d go the self-publishing route too.

Being that my brother had self-published this book and never wrote a book before, I thought this was a pretty good start. I know he was talking about doing a sequel to the book but I don’t know where he is on the process of that. I know it can take a long time until a book is finally finished and ready for shelves.

You may be shocked to know some pretty famous authors have self-published at some point or another like Mark Twain. Did you know John Grisham and Tom Clancy started off self-publishing? This an interesting piece of information from an article on the huffpost website:

Tom Clancy’s first novel, The Hunt for Red October was acquired by the Naval Institute Press in Annapolis, Md., when an editor there, Deborah Grosvenor, became enthralled by Clancy’s novel, convinced she had a potential bestseller in her hands.

Sam Haskell also talks about self-publishing books. He wrote the book Promises I Made My Mother. Sam Haskell has an impressive resume including being an Emmy nominated producer.

So in the end, I guess what I’m trying to say is that, self-publishing can be done. If you checked out any of the links in this post then there is hope for new authors with big dreams and small budgets

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links. Any opinions expressed are my own.