Babies & Kids

Apr
25

Macy’s 25% Friends & Family Sale sitewide & 6% cash back!

Right now, you can save 25% sitewide online at Macy’s with coupon code FRIEND through April 30th! It is rare that they offer up a coupon code like this, with no exclusions.

I wanted to give you just one idea for how you could use the code, but of course – you could use it on anything – kids clothes, housewares, registry items, you get the idea.

Ruby Rox Girls Dress $34.99 (down from $95!)
Use coupon code FRIEND at checkout ($8.75 saved)
Bottom line: $26.24

Dealnews reports that shipping starts at $5.95 (but it came up as $9.95 for me in the above scenario – heads up!), or FREE with orders of $99 or more (no additional code needed). Head to Macy’s to see what you can find.

BUT WAIT! It gets better! Start your transaction at Ebates and you’ll get a nice 6% cash back on your Macy’s purchase! Just create a new account (or log onto an existing one) and search for “macy’s.” Click on the “Shop Now” link and shop as normally. A few days later, the 6% cash back will be credited to your Ebates account. If you’re new, you’ll additionally snag a FREE $5 bonus just for signing up.

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Apr
24

Time for a Kidz Kaboodle 25-cent sale (Tacoma)

There is another 25-cent sale happening at Kidz Kaboodle in Tacoma this Friday and Saturday (the 27th & 28th)!

If you’ve never been, you might be interested to know that everything in this children’s consignment sale is priced at just 25-cents each! You’ll mostly find used children’s and baby clothing, but they also offer toys, shoes, equipment and maternity items.

Here’s what I ended up with for less than $10 when I shopped this sale one time:

A huge caveat here: this sale is not for everyone. You must possess a willingness to navigate thick crowds and wade through tables of unorganized clothes piles. My favorite memory of shopping this sale is being smacked in the face from a flying onesie. You can also read some comments from readers who did this sale last time for their advice and stories. I have heard from some of you recently that this sale continues to get crazier – so consider yourself warned.

If you can put up with some aggressive shoppers and sale mess? I recommend checking it out – at least once to say you’ve experienced it! I also STRONGLY recommend leaving the kids at home if at all possible for this sale. The space is cramped and chaotic, so not the easiest place to add kids to the mix.

When you first walk in the store (it’s the space just adjacent to their 6th avenue store), grab one of the trash sacks and start shopping. My advice is if you see something you think you might want, grab it (nicely of course). At the end of the sale, you can shuffle through everything and make a final decision on your purchases. My other big tip: wear a smile and try to make pleasant small talk with the other shoppers. I found that this helped diffuse some of the tension I was feeling.

If you’ve never shopped this sale, I highly recommend you read my post called Back from the Black Hole so you’ll be prepared. For directions and more information, please do check out the Kidz Kaboodle site (but be warned: it has audio! Turn down those speakers if you’re at work!).

Have you shopped this sale before? Tips? Are you planning on shopping it?

PS if you are participating in the 81-cent challenge I’m running this could be a great option for you!

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Apr
20

Now at Living Social: Odyssey 1 Package for $19! (Tacoma)

Here is a great deal for my local readers: $19 gets you an Odyssey 1 package (Tacoma, WA)! That includes Lazer Tag or Play Park Admission for Three Plus Large Two-Topping Pizza and a Pitcher of Pop (a value of $39).

You might recall me talking about Odyssey recently because it’s where we had my son’s 6th birthday party last week. We love Odyssey!

If you’ve never been, here’s why I like it:

  • It feels safe. Unlike Chuck E Cheese, the playplace is contained by ONE door. You can let your kids run around and feel good knowing they aren’t going to run off somewhere you can’t find them.
  • It’s indoors. Given the unpredictable Washington weather, it’s nice to have some indoor play options.
  • Good exercise for the kids. My kids work up a serious sweat playing at Odyssey! They have stuff to climb on, climb under, jump in, and generally get the blood pumping.

One of the last times we went there, I brought my Kindle and my kids played for TWO HOURS. That was some quality Mommy time right there! I believe that they have free WiFi too. It just feels less fussy than Chuck E. Cheese. Highly recommend.

To take advantage of this offer, head to Living Social Tacoma. You might also consider getting on Living Social’s email list so you don’t miss deals like these in the future, too!

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Apr
18

Dave Ramsey Freebies: More than Enough, Kids Audio Book

If you are a fan of Dave Ramsey, you might be interested to know there are a couple freebies you can score right now:

More than Enough. Right now, you can snag this promotional book for free ($14.95 value) when you use coupon code MORE at checkout. You will need to pay $4.95 shipping, however.

The Super Red Racer. Through April 22nd, you can download this FREE kid’s audio book from Dave Ramsey! I’ve been starting to teach my kids about money, so I think we’ll have to snag this one. In this book, Junior learns about saving and paying for a bike. Sounds good.

If you want to read more about Dave Ramsey, you might be interested to read these two recent posts:

Thanks, Because More is More!

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Apr
17

Ways we saved on my son’s birthday party last week

I had a little guy turn 6 last week. It’s crazy how fast it’s gone by! One baby picture, just to kick off this post….

SIGH! I miss those chubby cheeks!

Anyhow, back to the topic at hand…birthday parties. Our son asked for a special party at Odyssey in Tacoma, so we saved a couple months to do that for him, and made that his main gift. That means I had to be creative to come up with the other stuff we needed.

Total cost of gifts: $8.64!

I got him four gifts:

Leapster Game: $7.64 at Target’s Toy Clearance sale in January
Jump Rope: $1 at The Dollar Tree
Rainstick & Leapfrog Tag Map: FREE with Swagbucks at Amazon (total value: $40)
Total spent: $8.64!

Total cost of supplies: $11!

Now the cool thing about Odyssey is that they have everything for the party, but I wanted a few of my own touches.

Here are some items I picked up at The Dollar Tree:

(2) Packs of Birthday Plates $2
(2) Packs of Birthday Cups $2
(2) Packs of Birthday Napkins $2
(1) 25-ct Party Favor Bags $1
(2) Party Blowers $2
(2) Gift Wrap $2
Total Cost: $11! 

Cost of each party bag: $0.35!

I also wanted to put together some little party bags. I think sometimes parents spend far too much money on these little gifts – what do you think? Really, all I think that needs to go in them is a few pieces of candy and maybe a couple toys.

Mine included:

Easter Candy found on clearance (Party City)
One small sheet of stickers each (Party City)
Noisemakers (found at The Dollar Tree – mentioned above)
Bags (found at The Dollar Tree – mentioned above)
Total cost of bags: $7.17 ($0.35 PER BAG!)

Total cost of clearance candy: $1!

OH! And I think I was most excited about this one….

This was a little barter action. I have a talented cake-making friend I’m swapping a coupon class for cakes for my kids! Didn’t she do an AMAZING job?

The cool thing about doing our party at Odyssey is that it included an hour playtime and pizza and drinks for all the kids. Plus, I DIDN’T HAVE TO CLEAN MY HOUSE. This was probably the biggest plus.

Best of all, my little guy had a great time! I might be biased, but I think he’s one special, handsome little dude.

Make a wish, sweet boy!

Here’s the total breakdown:

Odyssey Party (includes food, entertainment, and playtime): $164 (with tax and everything)
Gifts: $8.64
Dollar Tree Supplies: $11
Party Bags: $4.14
Total Cost of Party, Gifts, and All: $187.78

While we could’ve done this less expensively at our house, I think this is an instance where we placed emphasis on one thing (having the party at Odyssey) and made it more affordable by keeping the cost down on other items. For me, living a frugal lifestyle means saving in some areas so you can spend in areas that matter most.

I’d love to hear what creative ideas you’ve had for saving on kids’ birthdays too!

Want to read some past posts on this topic?

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Apr
13

Guest post about involving children (Common Sense Home)

Laurie from Common Sense Home guest blogged here earlier this week, and I’m thrilled to be guest posting for her today!

The topic? Involving your kids in your homemaking activities! Make sure to head to Common Sense Home and check it out!

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New Kidz Club Groupons: Birthday Express, Claires

April 9, 2012

Groupon has a new Kidz Club section to their site with kid-friendly offers! Look for this button in your right-hand sidebar: Or simply head to the Kidz Club page. There were quite a few good offers today as well. I’m not sure if this will prove to be the norm, or if it’s because this [...]

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Hot Tugaboos Diaper Deal at Rite Aid!

April 4, 2012

Frugal Living NW is reporting this fabulous deal right now at Rite Aid: Tugaboos Jumbo Pack Diapers on sale $7.50 Buy 2, Get $3 Rebate (limit 3) Buy 4 and Pay $30 Receive a $10 UP Reward Submit for $6 rebate Bottom line: $3.50 each after UP Reward and rebate! Please note that if you’ve [...]

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The unfortunate episode in the produce department with me, my kids, and the “car cart”

April 2, 2012

The kids were out of milk and eggs, and we were so out of toilet paper we were at the point of having to drive to a public restroom just so we could wipe decently. Yes, it was time to do our weekly grocery shopping. I thought it would be “fun” to take the kids. [...]

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RARE $5 off Store Brand Formula coupon!

March 29, 2012

Here is a great coupon for formula if you need it – fill out the short form to receive a $5 coupon good for store brand formula. The coupon will apparently be good for stores near you including Kroger-based stores and Walgreens. Right now, the Kroger Comforts formula is selling for $13.99 at Fred Meyer. [...]

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