Need some free fun this weekend?

One thing that many of us overlook when considering our weekend fun are the State and National Parks. Many of these great places are free (or nearly free) when considering all the things that you can do once there.

I'm not a hiker, biker, or really much of an outdoorsy person, but I do love Spring and being outside when the flowers are freshly bloomed and the air is clean. This next month or two will be a beautiful time to hit up some of the things within driving distance of your home.

Before you set out on this great adventure, ask yourself some questions:

(1) Can I take my own food? Packing a picnic lunch or bringing your own snacks/drinks would certainly help on the cost of the day. Check the parks website to see what the restrictions are on this.

(2) What are my photo opportunities? We're heading out to the Texas Bluebonnet fields this weekend. I can't wait to take photos of my kids! If you have photo opportunities, consider bringing a change of clothes for whoever is involved. Something for the photos, and something for play!

(3) Is there an admission and what kind of payment do they accept? I'm horrible at carrying cash - I never have it! Will they accept my debit card? Will I have to pay for parking?

(4) Is there anything that we can read beforehand to make this trip more enjoyable? If you are going to a cave, what can you read or find online before the trip to help get everyone excited. Kids love to read a book about something and then see it come to life! Do the same for everyone in the family.

Here is a great link to the National Park Foundation. You can search in a couple of different ways to find exactly what you are looking for.

For state and local parks, use your Swagbucks search engine!

Do You Meal Plan?

Do you plan your weekly meals? It's a great way to save money and time on busy weeknights.

The key to making this the most cost effective solution is using your grocery flyers. Most grocery sales (in my region, anyway) begin on Wednesday. Sign up for the grocery sale flyer to be delivered to you via email. Once you get it, see what's on sale and base your meals on the sale items.

If you are a Grocery Game player, this can still work, you just need to plan your meals on Sunday when the list comes out! Combining meal planning and the Grocery Game is the absolute BEST way to get the biggest bang for your buck!

Does this sound overwhelming to you? Start with just planning dinners. (Don't forget to list all the ingredients you'll need for each recipe!) After you get the hang of that, add on lunch. Finally, work your way to breakfast and snacks. Before long, you'll be planning two weeks out.

Take the hassle out of the nightly routine. Try it ... it will save you time AND money!

Swagbucks

Have you heard of Swagbucks? It's a great new way to earn free things while you search the internet.

I love Google, so it was a hard switch for me. But, now, I can't believe I waited so long.

All you do is sign up at Swagbucks, then use their search bar when you would normally use Google. The catch is that Swagbucks is powered by Google, so you are getting the same results.

Every now and then (I average about twice a day), you'll earn a Swagbuck (or two). The image will show up above your search results. You can't miss it.

Save your Swagbucks until you have enough for the prize of your dreams!

I'm saving right now for a Target gift card. You can too!

CVS

Anyone that knows me KNOWS that I am in love with CVS. I have saved more money in that store than at any other place I shop.

There is a huge misconception that it's all health care, medical, and beauty products. That couldn't be further from the truth. They carry food, school supplies, storage devices, cleaning products. Think Wal-Mart only smaller ...and friendlier.

Their ECB (Extra Care Buck) program is second-to-none in my book. I'd consider myself a relative expert on rewards programs and they have it down.

I could write a post on how to get started, but some of the women that I follow regularly and value have already done that. There's no need to reinvent the wheel.

The best posts I've found are at Money Saving Mom. Check out CVS 101 and CVS: Making It Work for You.

If you haven't dug into the market of FREEBIES, then bookmark MoneySavingMom.com. It's where I go to see what all the latest FREE offers are. She is the guru of that.

Remember that I'm always eager to answer your questions and help in any way, so if you have CVS questions - Send them my way!

Twitter

Are you on Twitter yet? If you aren't, you certainly are missing out.

I feel that I'm pretty good at this saving money stuff. I've got it down for the most part, but I THRIVE on learning new things from other women. It's like we're unlocking the secrets together.

STEP ONE: Get a Twitter Account - go to Twitter and sign up (it's free, of course!)

STEP TWO: Follow me - stephanieclick; or if you are really confused, you can go here and click "follow"

STEP THREE: Here are five "must follows" for saving money and getting your life in order - 5DollarDinners; CouponCravings; KingdomFirstMom; DoodlesPlace; and DealSeekingMom.

These ladies won't steer you wrong and you'll have a ball learning about them as you go!