80% Off Cardstore.com

Cardstore.com is offering a great sale right now.There is 80% off site wide with the code "CSSAVE801". This is for today only! They also have a deal going for free shipping and free stamps without an additional code. If you need new thank you cards or personalized cards and invitations you can get them for cents! Plus if you select "print my return address and recipient address and add FREE postage and ship it to me in a package" OR  "mail to the recipient"postage is free. Some of these cards come out cheaper than an actual stamp would cost, so you are making money on the deal!

Free $2 MP3 Credit from Amazon

Amazon is offering $2 free credit for MP3 downloads. Simply link your twitter and Amazon accounts by following the instructions on this link. Use it fast, because credit expires on October 31st.

Upcoming Chance at $25 Free

Mark you calendars. On November 1st FedEx is offering a $25 Shop Small American Express gift card to the first 30,000 people to sign up on their facebook page. This is going fast, in minutes if not seconds so be prepared.

UppaBaby Stroller on Zulily

Thank you to a reader for sending int he folowing deal:

The UppaBaby Vista is on sale at Zulily for $384.99. Plus $10 shipping. This stroller used to run at $680 and is not running for $480 on amazon. If you were thinking about getting this stroller, now is the time.

SaveMore Deal $5 Off $10 at CVS

With today’s Savemore deal, spend only $5 and receive a $10 gift card to use toward your CVS/pharmacy purchase. This gift card can be used at any CVS location and can also be used toward prescription services. Savemore usually takes a day or two for te voucher to be prepared so don't panick when you don't see it immediately.

*Excludes alcohol, gift cards, lottery, money orders, prescriptions, postage stamps, pre-paid cards, tobacco products or items reimbursed by a government program.

**Excludes pharmacy items paid for in whole or in part by state and/or federal health care programs. This includes, for example, Medicare, Medicaid and TriCare. Not valid on prescriptions purchased in NJ or NY. In Louisiana, not valid on any prescription for a controlled dangerous substance. CVS/pharmacy may, at any time and for any reason, exclude prescriptions dispensed in other states, other types of prescriptions, or prescriptions paid for by other payers.

*** Restrictions apply. CVS/pharmacy gift cards cannot be used on-line at CVS.com® or for any other retailer’s gift card or prepaid card that CVS/pharmacy may carry. Terms: Usable up to balance only to buy goods or services at a CVS/pharmacy® store. Card is reloadable. It is not a credit or debit card and has no inactivity fees. It is not redeemable for cash in New Jersey, or for cash in any other state unless the state requires cash redemption. Cannot be used to buy money orders or prepaid cards, or as payment on a credit account. SAFEGUARD CARD. It will not be replaced or replenished if lost, stolen or used without authorization. CardFact 25, Inc. is the card issuer and sole obligor to card owner. CardFact may delegate its issuer obligations to an assignee, without recourse. If delegated, the assignee, and not CardFact, will be sole obligor to card owner. Purchase, use or acceptance of card constitutes acceptance of these terms. Distributed through CVS/pharmacy®. For balance, visit www.cvs.com. For assistance Call Customer Service toll-free at 1-877-295-7777. CVS and related marks and designs are trademarks of CVS/pharmacy. ©2011 CVS/pharmacy®

The Great Maternity Dress Hunt

Many of you have been following my tips for maternity clothes shopping and affording a new baby. However sometimes life throws us a curve ball that we cannot plan our way out of. In my case, it's the wedding of a sibling while I am 7.5 months pregnant. Since I am walking down the aisle at this wedding, I have to be very dressed up and ideally I would fit into the color scheme - silver or purple. Not such a small feat! Especially since I do not want to invest anything more than $100 on a dress that I will likely never wear again, ideally I would spend much less. The hunt was on!

My first step was to look around at traditional maternity dress locations to get a feel for the market. Bridal stoers like David's Bridal do have maternity lines but frankly the selection was not great, nothing really worked with my needs for modest dress and the prices were outrageous. I have found that things designated "maternity" tend to be made of cheap fabrics (they figure you are only wearing it for a month and throwing it out) yet cost way more than garments made with better fabrics and superior construction. Stores like Destination Maternity did have some decent items but many were not in the color scheme or over priced.

My usual haunt for regular clothes that can work for maternity, H and M, turned up a beautiful dress for $40. It was long, draped wonderfully and fit really well. Since the style was draped, one size up from my usual size fit over my belly with room to grow if needed. The only hitch? It was the wrong color. Now, normally I think I'd be forgiven for showing up in a different color but this dress was not just the wrong color - it was off white. I have been to "snowball" weddings where everyone in the bridal party wears white but that was not the case for this wedding. To show up and walk down the aisle in a white dress would have been inappropriate and rude. So alas, that dress would not suit my needs for this wedding. Although it is getting use at several friends weddings and other family events surrounding the wedding.

Being pregnant also means I do not have as much strength to stand around all day and shop like I used to. Nor do I have the time for that. I do work full time in the lab! However with the wedding fast approaching and nothing popping up online or in stores that I have been passing as part of my regular commute I decided this needed to be taken care of pronto. I tried to pick a location with the maximum amount of stores in close proximity to each other to minimize walking distance, minimize time spent and increase my chances for success. I settled on union square.

The first store I visited was the Nordstrom Rack. This is a great store, often with good prices. Plus you can return items from a regular Nordstrom here and the men's department is nice too. I found one likely looking gown which was in the purple family. It fit! However there were a few reasons why my hunt did not end here. The dress was in the "wine" color family and the wedding colors are much closer to plum. The dress was also not the most flattering style as it had a rhinestone studded keyhole that extended into a neck strap. Since I was going to need to wear a shirt underneath to cover my arms and cleavage this was going to look awkward. It was about $90. Good but not great. I put it on hold.

Next I visited Filene's Basement. This is where I got really lucky. There was a great Adriana Pappel dress in lavender. I tried it on in a 10petitie and lo! It fit. The style was much more flattering to my needs - it wrapped around the arms and it was only $70. I decided to purchase it. The store was right in front of the train station so if I found something better I could return it before heading home.

My adventures next took me to TJ Maxx and Marshalls because I had a gift card there. Alas, the selection was very paltry and nothing would even vaguely work. I quickly exited and headed to Loehman's. The selection there was very good and there was one dress in the plum family that I really loved. It was $110 but it was so gorgeous and perfect I was willing to go over the budget. However the dress had other plans. After valianty trying to squish myself into it in the dressing room I had to admit defeat. While the bottom was flowy and fit my belly just fine, the top was so constricting I am not sure who could wear that dress - even with my new maternity bulk I am a small chested woman. Yet that zone just would not zip. I placed the dress back on the rack happy to be spared to temptation to overspend.

The Filene's Basement dress is the winner! And I am relieved to have an outfit settled on for a decent price. Plus by not buying maternity I ensured that somebody might actually be able to wear the dress again - the flowy style goes over a belly but it is really meant to flow around a regular sized person. Overall, it was worth the effort. But I was exhausted at the end of the day!

Free Angry Birds Game Guide for Kindle!

Graco metrolite Stroller for $68 Shipped!

Overstock.com has the Graco MetroLite stroller in Zarafa for $68.04. Shipping is $2.95. Using coupon code "207912" will cut everything to $68.04. The same stroller usualy sells in the $120-200 range. Plus while this is just the stroller it accepts Graco and Snurgride car seats t make it a travel system, and experience has shown that buying the stroller and car seat separately on sale is cheaper than buying the full "system" together even on sale. Description below:

The aluminum-framed MetroLite stroller provides the sturdiness of a standard sized stroller with the comfort and convenience of a lightweight stroller. The comfy seat reclines to three positions, including nearly flat for infants.

Lightweight aluminum frame weighs less than 20 pounds
Height-adjustable handle lets both Mom and Dad push comfortably without stooping over
Easy access drop-down basket lets you reach in without disturbing reclined child
Parent storage tray with two cup holders keeps keys and drinks handy
Child's tray with cup/snack holder pivots open for easy stroller entry
One-hand fold closes simply in seconds
Multi-position reclining seat keeps baby comfy
Canopy with peek-a-boo window lets you see baby at all times
Lockable front swivel wheels with suspension for a smoother ride
Convertible 3- and 5-point harness grows with your child
High performance, 'never flat' rubber tires smooth out rough terrain
Canopy with decorative lining
Accepts all Graco SnugRide, SnugRide 32 and Infant SafeSeat Car Seats
Suitable for children up to 40 pounds
Dimensions: 15.8 inches wide x 40 inches high x 28 inches long


Dimensions:
15.8 in. W x 40 in. H x 28 in. L
Warranty:
1 year Manufacturer
Materials:
steel, polycotton, plastic
Model No:
1750788

Free E-bay Auction Listings!

Today only ebay is offering 250 auction style listings without any insertion fees. This includes high priced items. This is huge! To get full details read the announcement here.

Kohls Clearance - extra 15% off

Kohl's final clearance is marked down 60-80%. You can get an additional 15% off with the code "EXTRA15". Shipping is just 99 cents an item.

Free Kleenex Samples

Fill out this short form in order to send a free Kleenex package to a friend In return you will be sent a sample of Kleenex cool touch tissues. You can only send one package, and you can't send it to yourself, so pick a worthy friend and you will each get your samples!

20 Free 4 x 6 photos at Target

Target is offering 20 4x6 photo prints for $2 at participating stores. If you select in store pickup and then print out this coupon, you can get them for free! Who doesn't love free photos?
 

Lock and Lock Storage Containers - 93% Off!

Lock and Lock has cut prices on many items in the clearance section. Using the code "REPEAT5" will get you another $5 off purchases of $25 or more. This is a great deal on tupperware type containers. Shipping starts at $3.99. The site is a little slow today, so hang in there!

AMEX Free $25

Last year AMEX ran a deal to help small business by giving away $25 to all who registered their AMEX cards and then spent $25 at a small business. They are bringing it back this year! Small business Saturday will take place on Novemebr 26th. To participte you must register your American Express card. Then on the 26th spend $25 or more at a small business and AMEX will credit $25 to your card.

Last year the deal was extended for several days and I got some nice groceries with my AMEX from a small store while my husband used his AMEX to take us out to dinner for free. It was great! This is literally free money. This year I will head out Saturday night to pick up some groceries at a small business.

Free Kindle Cookbooks!

Amazon has several cookbooks for the kindle up for grabs. You can't beat a $0 price tag!

Fifty-Two Sunday Dinners A Book of Recipes

Dishes & Beverages of the Old South

Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking

The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care of the Sick, Health Suggestions, Facts ... Cyclopedia of Information for the Home

Recipes Tried and True

Sandwiches

Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes and Sweetmeats, by Miss Leslie

Things Mother Used to Make

25% Off at H and M

The popular clothing retailer H and M is offering a printable coupon for 25% off one item. Cannot be combined with other offers, must be used in store. It is good until October 10th. I got a lot of great items for the holidays there plus they just put some stuff in the store on clearance as they change the seasonal clothes.