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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Military Discounts

Since I have recently joined the military, I was curious as to how many different places give a military discount.  I got my military I.D card almost two weeks ago and I have already saved around $40!  I used it to save money on a cabin in Tennessee, a few gift items from there, and also dinning out while we were on a vacation.  That was over a span of a week.  I was pretty surprised.  Now, to some of you, $40 may not seem like much, but that is going to add up very quickly. 

Through my research, I have found that the following places are some that give military discounts:


Clothes/Apparel

  • Aeropostale (10 %)
  • The Buckle
  • Dress Barn
  • The Finish Line
  • FootAction
  • Footlocker (10%)
  • Gadzooks
  • Goody's
  • Hot Topic
  • Jos. A. Bank
  • Jockey
  • Kohl's
  • Lerner
  • New York & Company (15%)
  • Nike
  • Old Navy
  • Pac Sun
  • Rack Room Shoes
  • Timberland Outlets (active duty only)
  • Under Armour Outlet (10%)

Auto

  • AutoZone
  • Big 10 Tires
  • Checker Auto Parts
  • Kragen Auto Parts
  • NAPA Auto Parts
  • O'Reilly Auto Parts
Cell Phone
  • Alltel
  • Cingular
  • Nextel
  • Sprint
  • T-Mobile
  • Verizon

Restaurants

  • Applebee's
  • Arby's
  • A&W
  • Back Yard Burgers
  • Barnhill's
  • Burger King
  • Captain D's
  • Carl's Jr.
  • Chick-Fil-A
  • Ci-Ci's Pizza
  • Cotton Patch
  • Denny's
  • Dunkin' Donuts
  • Golden Corral
  • IHOP (20%)
  • Java Cafe
  • KFC
  • Long John Silver
  • Maggie Moo's
  • McDonald's
  • The Melting Pot
  • Moe's
  • Pancho's Mexican Buffet
  • Panda Express
  • Papa Murphy's
  • Pat & Oscar's
  • Pizza Hut
  • Quizno's
  • Red Robin
  • Shoney's
  • Sizzler
  • Sonic
  • Taco Bell
  • Texas Roadhouse
  • Wendy's
  • Whataburger
  • Zaxby's

Services

  • AT&T
  • California Cryobank
  • Geico
  • Jiffy Lube
  • Meineke
  • Sears Portrait Studio

Travel and Leisure

  • Amtrak
  • Beaches Family Resorts
  • Blockbuster
  • Budget Truck Rental (10-20%)
  • Camp Jellystone
  • Greyhound
  • Movie theaters
  • Professional Sports teams
  • Ripley's attractions and museums
  • Sandals Resorts

Other Products

  • Apple Computers
  • Bass Pro Shop
  • Champs Sports
  • Copeland's Sports
  • Dell
  • Dick's Sporting Goods
  • The Discovery Channel Store
  • GNC
  • Great Party
  • Happy Harry's
  • K-mart
  • Michael's
  • Play It Again Sports
  • Pure Beauty
  • Rack Room Shoes (10%)
  • Sally Beauty Supply
  • Spencer's Gifts
  • Shoe Carnival (10%)
  • Sportsman's Warehouse
  • Suncoast
  • Wilson's Leather

This is not a complete list, I'm sure, but it is a good start.  If you are in the military, do NOT miss out on these deals!  You are sacrificing your life for others;  these companies can sacrifice a few bucks to help you.  Feel free to comment me if you know of any more to add :)

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Walking down the laundry detergent aisle can be overwhelming.  There are so many options!  What do you choose?  Color safe?  The cheapest?  The most expensive?  What is going to be the best option for your money?  One idea is making your own laundry detergent.

Homemade powder laundry detergent takes 3 ingredients and only a few minutes to make.  Homemade laundry detergent is actually cheaper than store bought liquid or powder detergent.  Most store bought laundry detergents average around $0.21 per load.  Homemade laundry detergent averages around $0.15 per load!  With homemade powder detergent, you use one tablespoon, whereas with store bought laundry detergent you use 1-2 scoops, depending on how soiled the items are. 

Recipe:

Steps:

1.  Start with your ingredients and the following items:
  •  Hand grater
  • Wooden spoon
  • Bowl
  • Measuring cups
  • Container to hold finish product
2.  Shave 1 bar of soap into bowl.  Use hand grater.

3.  Add 1 cup of borax.

4.  Add 1 cup of washing soda.

5.  Stir thoroughly.

6.  Place in a container with a lid and label!! 

*Use 1 tablespoon per load, or 1-2 tablespoons for heavily soiled loads.

*Each batch yields about 32 ounces, which is about 32-60 loads, depending on the amount of tablespoons used. 
Also, make sure to keep out of the reach of children!!


Hope you find this for good use!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

GET ME OUTTA HERE!!

We all have those days, maybe even weeks, where we have had enough.  We just have to get away.  As a high school teacher, those weeks seem to turn into months!  My husband and I try to get away from our hometown about once every two months.  Now, when I say get away, I don't mean to places like Mexico or Florida.  Since we don't live far from Indianapolis, we usually go downtown. 

Downtown Indy has something to offer everyone.  There's a mall, plenty of restaurants (expensive or reasonable), carriage rides, various bars, and even history.  For just a small fee of around $2, you can go up in the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and get a great view of Indy.  There are wonderful hotels within walking distance to all of these.  To look at the hotel's websites, they can cost between $100-$300 a night.  I don't know about you, but I am NOT paying that much for a hotel room per night. 

My husband and I use www.hotwire.com when it comes to booking hotel rooms.  You simply click that you want a hotel, where you want to go, when you want to go, and how many people will be staying in your room, then click "Find a hotel."  Next, you will find a list of available hotel rooms.  You can choose to have them listed by star rating, cost, location, etc.  Unfortunately, you do not know what hotel you chose until you pay for it.  I know that sounds a little intimidating, but we have had great luck with this website.  I figure, you can really go wrong with a 4-Star hotel! ....At least I hope not! :)  Each hotel description lists what amenities they have and a map of a vague location, until you pay of course.  We usually get 4-Star hotels for less than $70/night. 

On one more note, if you and your significant other are traveling together, you may want to ask the hotel receptionist at check-in if your room has a single bed or double beds.  Sometimes the hotel sets you up with a room with two beds.  They will be more than happy to give you a room with one bed if that is what you wish.  :) 

Happy hotel hunting!! 

Hello!!!

Hello everyone!  Welcome to my blog.  My husband and I are frequently trying to find ways to save money, without having to sacrifice quality.  I plan on sharing ideas, sites, coupons, etc to help you save some moola too!