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Got a tip for your fellow cheapskates? Send it to hardtimesnewsletter@gmail.com!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Eucerin Everyday Protection SPF 15 lotion sample.

Pledge to put the health of your skin first and get a free sample of Eucerin Everyday Protection SPF 15 body lotion when you fill in the short mailing form. I know it doesn't actually say that on the pledge form, but it should give you a confirmation of your free sample once you go through and submit it.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Target: Free beauty sample bag.

The Target beauty bag is back! This is a good one, ladies... it's a small makeup bag packed with all kinds of fun beauty samples. It's hard to see from the thumbnail, but this one appears to have some Aveeno and Ponds products in it, maybe an eyeshadow quad palette, and of course a very cute and chic little bag to put it all in. Sign up for yours today!


Friday, August 26, 2011

BOGO drinks at Peet's through 8/30.

Summer weather is finally here in Seattle, which basically means we switch from hot coffee to iced coffee for a few months. Of course, there's no need to limit yourself now that Peet's is offering a BOGO coupon on beverages, good through Aug. 30. You may get a couple of strange looks, but if you want to hedge your bets and get a hot tea with your iced latte, you'll probably need them both before the day is over.

Tanga: 1-year Budget Travel subscription, $1.99.

It's been a while since we've seen a Tanga magazine deal, but they're always good, and this is no exception: $1.99 for a 1-year subscription to Budget Travel! Sounds like a wise investment to me... and you can order up to 3 years at this rate. Just use promo code BUDGET when you're checking out.

Bon voyage!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Free Crest Complete samples.

Maintain those pearly whites with a free toothpaste sample from Crest Complete. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like Walmart samples - they always arrive quickly and it's good-quality stuff. I haven't bought a travel-size toothpaste in years, thanks to all these free samples!

Restaurant.com certificates 80% off.

Restaurant.com certificates are 80% off again, using promo code TASTY. It's been a while since I ordered any, so I should probably check it out and see if any new places have popped up on the list lately. Or I could just order another coupon for my favorite Greek restaurant in West Seattle. Yeah, maybe I'll do that.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Free Cottonelle TP roll cover.

TP is gross, you guys - cover it up! When I was a kid, one of my grandmas used a scary crocheted doll for this purpose and the other one had a stand that looked like a miniature flagpole that could stack four (!) extra rolls. Cottonelle's modern-day solution is a discreet and tastefully patterned roll holder, which you can get free by entering the UPC of a qualifying 12-roll purchase.

Of course, only a cheating cheater would enter the numbers 3600013396 instead.

The patterns are cute, but I'm concerned this may be a little too clever. If I was at someone's party and the TP roll ran out, I would assume this canister just held Q-tips or makeup or something, so I'd still be rummaging around under the sink cabinet anyway.

Free John Frieda flyaway tamer sample.

Feeling a bit frizzy on a frazzled Monday morning? Get a free sample of John Frieda Full Repair Flyaway Tamer, courtesy of Shape magazine. Just fill out your information and submit. Frizz begone!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Facebook: Free sample of Origins Night-a-mins facial cream.

Get a free sample of Origins Night-a-mins facial cream when you use code RL62TTRDTL and sign up on their Facebook page. I'm guessing some "liking" will also be involved.

Good for the first 10,000!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Borders closing sale: everything now 40-60% off.

Time for the next round of Borders markdowns... everything is now 40-60% off! That includes 40% off board games and 50% off general fiction, which is relevant to my interests.

They claim that new inventory is arriving in stores from their warehouses, but I wouldn't delay if there's something in particular that you're after - it was starting to look picked over the last time I was in there, about a week ago. Good luck!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Facebook: Free sample of Dr. Tim's pet food.

Wow, it's turning out to be a great week for thrifty pets! Now we have a free pet food sample from Dr. Tim's when you like them on Facebook. I can't tell if it's just dogs or if they have cat food too - if you sign up for it, let us know!

Free Oprah's Lifeclass Journal & a sweepstakes.

This is more of a contest, I suppose, but there is a freebie attached to it, so I think it counts enough to post. Sign up to get a copy of Oprah's Lifeclass Journal - I can't tell if it's a blank book embellished with quotes or a "journal" that Oprah has supposedly "filled" with her life lessons. But either way, there are a million of 'em, so hurry and get yours. You can also enter to win a fabulous trip for two to Atlanta to be part of Oprah's first life class event thing, all expenses paid!

I say go for it. In fact, let's make a deal - if you win, you take me, and if I win, I'll take you. Sound fair?

JetBlue fare sale starting at $29 each way - today only!

JetBlue is having a fare sale today only for travel through December 15. You'll want to check the fine print and make sure your dates are covered, but it's a great deal if you're willing to travel on non-peak days!

"Offers valid 8/16/11 only (until 11:59 p.m., the earlier of ET or local, or while supplies last) for travel between 9/6-12/15/11. (Blackout Dates: 10/6-10/11/11 and 11/18-11/28/11). Fares not valid for flights on Fridays or Sundays."

Monday, August 15, 2011

Borders closing sale: Everything now 30-50% off + extra 10-15% off.

Borders has some new discounts this week to encourage everyone to buy more... everything in the store is still 30-50% off, but now you can get an extra 10% off when you buy 6 items, or an extra 15% off when you buy 8 items. It says "off the sale price," meaning they'll first take the 30-50% off and then reduce it from there, so it's not quite the same as tacking on 10-15% off, but it's still a little something.

No? OK, let's all just keep ordering from Amazon, then, where the prices have been this low all along.

Free can of Purina Pro Plan cat food.

"Like" Purina on Facebook and you can get signed up for a free can of Purina Pro Plan cat food. I typed that as Pro Clam the first time... I think I might need to have a little (more) caffeine this morning.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Free sample of Rachel Ray Just 6 dog food.

Rachel Ray wants the best for your dog! Thus, she is offering a free sample of Just 6 dog food for your canine companion to enjoy. It's super-premium, evidently.

I've never known a dog that didn't like free food, so they seem like the perfect audience for a free sample...

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Free SPIN magazine subscription.

No strings attached? Well, that's what they say. Sign up for a free one-year subscription to SPIN magazine, courtesy of Lollapalooza 2011. No credit card info is required and they say it's not auto-renewal or anything like that... just a free subscription for music lovers.

Enjoy?

Borders closing sale: Everything now 30-50% off.

Just got another update from Borders on its liquidation sale markdowns. Now everything in the store is 30-50% off, including:
  • 30% off children's books, toys, games, mysteries, thrillers, sci-fi, cooking, travel, music, and more
  • 40% off biography, health, pets, general reference, literary fiction, self-help, and more
  • 50% off politics and law, culture, crime, romance, philosophy, business, performing arts, Blu-ray, and more
Now that's what I'm talking about. Finally the discounts are starting to look like, you know, an actual sale. I'll be heading over there today!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Free Kerrygold cheese when you take a survey.

Have you guys had Kerrygold cheese? I really like the Dubliner flavor - it's sharp and creamy and excellent just by itself. So that's what I'll be getting with my coupon for a free Kerrygold product. Just take their short cheese survey and there's a signup form at the end so they can mail you a coupon. Say cheese!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Facebook: Get a free CLIF Mojo bar.

Get a free sample of the new CLIF Mojo bars. Well, Mojo bars aren't new (I love the sweet & salty pretzel one), but they have some new flavors: Dipped S'mores, chocolate coconut, and white chocolate macadamia. Be one of the first 5,000 to sign up and you'll get to try one of them free.

Free Suave sample box.

Get your free Suave sample box, stuffed with trial-size hair and personal care products. (Scroll down the page; it's at the bottom on the left side.)

This freebie has been very popular, so if it's not working when you click, be patient and try back in a bit.

Seattle: Get a free tree for your yard or street.

Go green this summer with a free tree courtesy of the city of Seattle. Through the Trees for Neighborhoods program, residents get free trees, watering bags, training on proper planting and care, and more.

Apply online by September 1 for trees for your street, or by October 24 for yard trees; you can pick up your free tree starting October 30.

I think this is the first treebie we've ever had!





Facebook: Free full-size body wash at CVS.

Want a free full-size body wash from CVS? "Like" the Minute Clinic page on Facebook and fill out the form to get your coupon emailed to you.

Here's the fine print: "To get your coupon for a Free full-size Moisturizing Body Wash, 'like' the CVS Minute Clinic Facebook page and fill in the form. Your coupon will be emailed to you shortly. Then take it to any CVS/pharmacy and choose Vanilla, Cherry, Escape, Romance, fresh or Tranquil scents. Retail value up to $2.27. Registration for this offer will be open until 11:59 pm ET on 8/17/11. One offer per household, while supplies last. Valid in-store only. Coupon expires 8/20/11."

Monday, August 8, 2011

Borders: More closing sale markdowns.

It's a new week and new markdowns for the Borders closing sale, Mon-Wed only. Check out some of the discounts:
  • 30% off all music
  • 40% off romance, politics, government, law and business
  • 40% off the Hunger Games trilogy and The Help
  • Extra 10% off sale prices
If those appeal to you, head on down to your local Borders... time is running out.

Facebook: Free sample of Head & Shoulders (For Women?).

I'll be the first to admit I'm not entirely sure what's going on here. So there's Head & Shoulders Shampoo which is specifically for women? And Alyson Hannigan doesn't have any girlfriends because her scalp is itchy? So we're supposed to "like" Head & Shoulders for Women on FB to "help Alyson"?

WILLOW, DO YOU NEED MONEY???

Help feed Alyson's babies and calm her itching scalp when you "like" H&SFW on FB and get your free 'poo sample. I think.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Free sample of Purina Beneful and WagWorld magazine.

Here's a Friday freebie for furry friends: get a free sample of Purina Beneful dog food and get a free sample issue of WagWorld magazine. Something for the dog, something for the human, and everyone's happy.

(On slide 1 of the slideshow, click the orange "Get a Free Sample" button and it will open a window with the fill-in form.)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Free John Frieda root Awakening sample.

John Frieda is pretty consistent with the free 'poo samples, and here's another for Root Awakening hair care. Walmart is quick with the samples, so you should see it fairly soon if you sign up now...

Borders closing sale: New markdowns, up to 40%.

For those who are keeping a death watch on Borders' closing sale, I just got an email with this update about new markdowns:
  • Audiobooks, e-readers, DVDs, thrillers, cooking, sci-fi, history, religion, and more are 25% off
  • Diet, nutrition, biography, self-help, reference, humor, and more are 30% off
  • Crime, business, philosophy, performing arts, romance, and more are 40% off
  • Blu-ray now 50% off
Looks like everything in the store is now at least 25% off. Liquidation sales are a delicate dance - you want to wait until the discounts are good enough to be worth it, but not wait so long that everything is picked clean and the good stuff is gone. I might wander over there today just to see how things are looking - have you scored any bargains at the sale?

Free Post-it Durable Tabs, Storage Container Labels, Sticky Notes samples.

I'm a bit of a Post-it hoarder, I admit, and back-to-school is a particularly tough time for me because all the shiny new school supplies are on such great sales. But you know what's even better? Free Post-its!

Get your free sample of Post-it durable tabs and storage container labels when you fill out the form.

Oh, and here's another one for Super Sticky Notes.

Facebook: "Like" Dannon, get a free Activia yogurt.

Is French yogurt the new Greek yogurt? I've never heard of it before, but when you "like" Dannon on Facebook and fill out the form, they'll send you a free coupon for one of 'em.

Fun fact: when you roll over the Greek yogurt tub, a marble head and a column come flying out; when you roll over the French yogurt, an Eiffel tower and a French flag pop up. You know what else is in the French yogurt? 3.5 g of saturated fat. Maybe they snuck some foie gras in there too.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Free $25 Kiva microloan to someone in a developing country.

Here's a freebie that's also a good deed: you can sign up with Kiva.org and loan out $25 to an entrepreneur in a developing country at no cost to you! Kiva connects people who want to lend relatively small sums of money with small-business owners who need short-term loans to help their business. So, for example, a dozen people lend $25 each, and a woman in the Philippines now has the $400 she needs to buy fish for her farmer's market stall. The lenders pay you back over time, and then the money is in your account for withdrawal or re-depositing.

I'm a Kiva lender and I really enjoy it - rarely, if ever, have I been defaulted on, and helping people to become independent and support themselves is a good feeling. If you're new to Kiva, check it out and lend someone $25 at no cost to you!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Free BIC Atlantis pens every hour until August 30!

What with today being the first day of this BIC offer, you may want to save yourself the headache and wait a week or so for the chaos to die down. The deal is that BIC is giving away 130 free Atlantis pens every hour, on the hour, from now until August 30. As you can imagine, your chances aren't great this morning, but I'm guessing it will improve.

Personally, I'm planning to wait until about August 22 at 10:59 pm to make my move. See you then!

Free Kashi cereal or granola bar sample.

Grab a free sample of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal or a peanutty dark chocolate granola bar. Kashi bars are actually pretty good, I have to say... I like the coconut and dark chocolate one best, so this peanut one looks like the right choice for me!

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