Amazon Coupon Code: $5 off $20+ of Print Books

Posted on December 7, 2018 // 3 Comments

Amazon has a $5 off $20+ of print book purchases with promo code GIFTBOOK18. Can be one book or multiple. Offer expires at 11:59pm Pacific on December 21, 2018. Must be sold by Amazon.com. Here are some newer books that are on my to-read list. I’m on somewhat of a memoir kick.

Here are my standard suggestions for those looking to gift a financially-related book:

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Big List of Kids Ski Free Passport Programs (3rd-6th Grade)

Posted on December 6, 2018 // 2 Comments

A friend of ours told us about the Colorado Ski Passport that lets 5th and graders from any state ski for free at several Colorado resorts, and I thought that was a great concept to promote this fun outdoor activity. If you can get even a single free lift ticket (and possibly even a free lesson with rentals), that can be a big savings these days. This led me to more digging and I found that several other states have similar programs.

I tried to find all of the state-wide programs and listed them below. I am excluding single-resort promotions, but many resorts do have family or kid specials where you get discounts if you stay for a certain number of hotel nights, etc.

Canada

Colorado

Idaho

Maine

  • Winterkids App (Annual membership is $35 for a family of 5 and includes “generous discounts” to kids 18 and under” in Maine and New Hampshire)

Michigan

Minnesota

  • Minnesota Ski Areas 4th Grade Passport (4th graders, unsure if limited to MN residents)

New Hampshire

New York

Pennsylvania

Utah

Vermont

Washington

Some programs do have capacity limitations and/or strict deadlines. If you know of any that I have missed, please let me know in the comments.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Expedia Activities: $30 off $40+ Coupon Code

Posted on December 6, 2018 // 2 Comments

Update: This offer has expired.

Expedia has a new coupon code THANKYOU which will get you $30 off $40+ in experiences booked through Expedia Activities. Officially it expires 12/31/18, but it will probably end early, and your activity has to occur by 12/31/18 anyway.

“Buy experiences, not things!” Well, you can book a lot of experiences on travel portals these days. Disney and Universal are excluded, but there are a lot of options in nearly every city. Here are some examples:

  • Zoo tickets
  • Escape Rooms
  • Legoland
  • Six Flags
  • Seaworld
  • Hop on Hop off Bus Tours
  • Fishing, Boat, Segway, or Helicopter Tours
  • Dinner Shows

How to use your coupon code:

During the booking process, on the payment page you will see the link ”Enter coupon code” where you can enter the coupon code.
Enter the coupon code in the relevant field and then click the “Apply Coupon” button. If your booking is eligible, the applicable discount will be subtracted from the price of the travel reservation before the application of any taxes, applicable fees or additional costs.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Best Interest Rates on Cash – December 2018

Posted on December 3, 2018 // 16 Comments

Here’s my monthly roundup of the best interest rates on cash for December 2018, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to get an idea of how much extra interest you’d earn if you are moving money between accounts. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 12/3/18.

High-yield savings accounts
While the huge megabanks like to get away with 0.01% APY, getting higher rates is as easy as transferring money electronically from your checking account to an online savings account. The interest rates on savings accounts can drop at any time, so I prioritize banks with a history of competitive rates. Some banks will bait you and then lower the rates in the hopes that you are too lazy to leave.

Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
I am often asked what to do with a big wad of cash that you’re waiting to deploy shortly (just sold your house, just sold your business, legal settlement, inheritance). My usual advice is to keep things simple and take your time. If not a savings account, then put it in a flexible short-term CD under the FDIC limits until you have a plan.

  • No Penalty CDs offer a locked-in rate with no early withdrawal penalty. That means your interest rate can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) if you want to use it elsewhere. Ally Bank 11-month No Penalty CD is at 2.25% APY for $25k+ balance, Marcus Bank 13-month No Penalty CD at 2.15% APY with a $500 minimum deposit, and the CIT Bank 11-Month No Penalty CD at 2.05% APY with a $1,000 minimum deposit. You may wish to open multiple CDs in smaller increments for more flexibility.
  • Live Oak Bank has a 1-year CD at 2.85% APY ($2,500 minimum) with an early withdrawal penalty of 90 days of interest.

Money market mutual funds + Ultra-short bond ETFs
If you like to keep cash in a brokerage account, beware that many brokers pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the money for themselves). The following money market and ultra-short bond funds are not FDIC-insured, but may be a good option if you have idle cash and cheap/free commissions.

  • Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund currently pays an 2.30% SEC yield. The default sweep option is the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund, which has an SEC yield of 2.19%. You can manually move the money over to Prime if you meet the $3,000 minimum investment.
  • Vanguard Ultra-Short-Term Bond Fund currently pays 2.64% SEC Yield ($3,000 min) and 2.74% SEC Yield ($50,000 min). The average duration is ~1 year, so there is a little more interest rate sensitivity.
  • The PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Bond ETF (MINT) has a 2.66% SEC yield and the iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) has a 2.75% SEC yield while holding a portfolio of investment-grade bonds with an average duration of ~6 months.

Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
Another option is to buy individual Treasury bills which come in a variety of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks. You can also invest in ETFs that hold a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Bills for you, while charging a small management fee for doing so. T-Bill interest is exempt from state and local income taxes.

  • You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 11/30/18, a 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 2.30% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 2.69% annualized interest.
  • The Goldman Sachs Access Treasury 0-1 Year ETF (GBIL) has a 2.18% SEC yield and the SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 2.07% SEC yield. GBIL appears to have a slightly longer average maturity than BIL.

US Savings Bonds
Series I Savings Bonds offer rates that are linked to inflation and backed by the US government. You must hold them for at least a year. There are annual purchase limits. If you redeem them within 5 years there is a penalty of the last 3 months of interest.

  • “I Bonds” bought between November 2018 and April 2019 will earn a 2.82% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More info here.
  • In mid-April 2019, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will have another post up at that time.

Prepaid Cards with Attached Savings Accounts
A small subset of prepaid debit cards have an “attached” FDIC-insured savings account with exceptionally high interest rates. The negatives are that balances are capped, and there are many fees that you must be careful to avoid (lest they eat up your interest). Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others do. There is a long list of previous offers that have already disappeared with little notice. I don’t use any of these anymore.

  • The only notable card left in this category is Mango Money at 6% APY on up to $2,500, but there are many hoops to jump through. Signature purchases of $1,500 or more and a minimum balance of $25.00 at the end of the month is needed to qualify for the 6.00%.

Rewards checking accounts
These unique checking accounts pay above-average interest rates, but with unique risks. You have to jump through certain hoops, and if you make a mistake you won’t earn any interest for that month. Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others do. Rates can also drop to near-zero quickly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling. I don’t use any of these anymore, either.

  • The best one left is Consumers Credit Union, which offers 3.09% to 5.09% APY on up to a $10k balance depending on your qualifying activity. The highest tier requires their credit card in addition to their debit card (other credit cards offer $500+ in sign-up bonuses). Keep your 12 debit purchases just above the $100 requirement, as for every $500 in monthly purchases you may be losing out on cash back rewards elsewhere. Find a local rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.
  • If you’re looking for a non-rewards high-yield checking account, MemoryBank has a checking account with no debit card requirements at 1.60% APY.

Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
You might have larger balances, either because you are using CDs instead of bonds or you simply want a large cash reserves. By finding a bank CD with a reasonable early withdrawal penalty, you can enjoy higher rates but maintain access in a true emergency. Alternatively, consider building a CD ladder of different maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you have access to part of the ladder each year, but your blended interest rate is higher than a savings account. When one CD matures, use that money to buy another 5-year CD.

  • Mutual One Bank has a 19-month CD at 3.04% APY ($500 min). 6 month early withdrawal penalty.
  • Greenwood Credit Union has a 5-year certificate at 3.75% APY ($1,000 min). Early withdrawal penalty is 6 months interest. United States Senate Federal Credit Union has a 5-year Share Certificate at 3.63% APY ($60k min), 3.57% APY ($20k min), or 3.51% APY ($1k min). Note that the early withdrawal penalty is a full year of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via American Consumer Council.
  • You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable fixed early withdrawal penalties. As of this writing, Vanguard is showing a 2-year non-callable CD at 3.10% APY and a 5-year non-callable CD at 3.55% APY. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs listed by Fidelity.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk, but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

  • Willing to lock up your money for 10+ years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable fixed early withdrawal penalties. As of this writing, Vanguard is showing a 10-year non-callable CD at 3.60% APY. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs from Fidelity. Matching the overall yield curve, current CD rates do not rise much higher as you extend beyond a 5-year maturity.
  • How about two decades? Series EE Savings Bonds are not indexed to inflation, but they have a guarantee that the value will double in value in 20 years, which equals a guaranteed return of 3.5% a year. However, if you don’t hold for that long, you’ll be stuck with the normal rate which is quite low (currently a sad 0.10% rate). I view this as a huge early withdrawal penalty. You could also view it as long-term bond and thus a hedge against deflation, but only if you can hold on for 20 years. As of 11/30/18, the 20-year Treasury Bond rate was 3.19%, so this EE bond is no longer offering a huge premium.

All rates were checked as of 12/3/18.



Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing //

Frugal Holiday Greeting Cards: Custom Etsy Design + Costco Printing

Posted on November 29, 2018 // 3 Comments

If you like to send out holiday greeting cards, I thought I’d throw out a quick tip that Mrs. MMB uses each year to save a bit of money.

First, you can buy a custom digital design off of Etsy. Search for some combination of “photo Christmas card” or “holiday card template” and look for a design that you like. The prices and inclusions can vary, so click around. Ideally, you’ll find a template where you can customize both sides to your liking. For example, a Minted or Shutterfly template might force you to put exactly 3 pictures on the back. On Etsy, you can put 4, 5, or 6 if you want. If you have Photoshop skills, those are usually the cheapest, sometimes less than $5. You can usually opt to pay a few bucks more and they will edit it for you and provide a ready-to-go file. All-in cost: under $20.

Second, upload the digital file to Costco Premium printing at $0.69 each. Costco used to only do the cheaper “Photo Greeting Cards” that are basically just one-sided photos with nothing on the back, but now they do “Premium Stationery Greeting Cards” on heavyweight 5×7″ stock. (Some of their other stuff looks identical to Snapfish, so maybe these are outsourced to Snapfish as well?) However, their template options are still relatively limited. Note that the following is included in the $34.50 for 50 cards price ($0.69 each).

  • Free rounded corners
  • Free envelopes pre-printed with return address

If you compare to a site like Minted.com, their basic 5×7 card costs $167 for 100 cards ($1.67 each). On top of that, you would get charged additional for the following:

  • Rounded corners +$35
  • Envelopes pre-printed with return address +$45

That makes the total cost $247 for 100 cards ($2.47 each). There are usually some coupons, for example the Cyber Monday deal was 25% off, which would bring the price down to $185 for $100 ($1.85 each). Compared to Etsy + Costco, that’s still roughly a $100 price difference for every 100 cards.

Obviously there are even cheaper options (like not sending out cards or handwritten cards) but these types of cards are rather popular. I like this option because it’s actually more customized at less cost.

* Remember that you can save a bit extra on your Etsy purchases (or Minted, or many other sites) with cashback shopping sites like TopCashBack, eBates ($10 new user bonus after any $25+ purchase, $5 mininum cash-out), Mr. Rebates ($5 new user bonus, $10 minimum cash-out), and BeFrugal.com ($5 new user bonus).

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

IHG Rewards Club Instagram / Twitter Promo: 5,000 IHG Points For Sharing

Posted on November 29, 2018 // Leave a Comment

IHG Rewards Club is giving away 5,000 IHG points if you do the following:

  1. Tweet or Instagram a picture of yourself at home or at any IHG® property using the hashtags #HomeWithIHG #ad and #Rewardsoffer and including the handle @IHGRewardsClub.
  2. Visit IHGRewardsClub.com/ClaimMyPoints by December 31, 2018 and sign in with the social account you used for your post. They recommend to wait 15 minutes after your tweet before doing this.
  3. Register with your IHG® Rewards Club Number to claim your 5,000 points.

Here are the full rules. You must have public profile (they are looking for publicity here…) and be one of the first 10,000 participants to get your 5,000 points. Seems pretty low effort and low risk if you already use these social media apps.

IHG Rewards Club is the loyalty program for Intercontinental Hotels, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Hotel Indigo, and EVEN Hotels. 5,000 IHG points is estimated to be worth roughly $30 towards a hotel night. They also have a discounted award night list called PointBreaks. You can also earn a lot more points with the Chase IHG Rewards Club Premier Card.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Giving Tuesday 2018: Double Your Impact

Posted on November 26, 2018 // Leave a Comment

givingtuesdayTuesday, November 27th is Giving Tuesday 2018. This time of year is huge for charities, with 40% of donations occurring in the last six weeks of the year. Here are some ways you can “double your impact” with a matching donation.

Facebook Match(good toward any charity that accepts donations via Facebook). Starting at 8am Eastern on 11/27, Facebook and PayPal will match $7 million in donations to U.S. nonprofits – up to $250,000 per nonprofit and $20,000 per donor. Donations will be matched dollar for dollar on a first-come, first-served basis.

For example, give directly with the donate button on the The Humane Society Facebook Page. You can also start your own fundraiser here or simply post up a donate button to support your favorite charity.

Check for an employer match. Try this lookup tool from DoubleTheDonation. Most of these programs don’t require you to actually give on a specific day, but you may want to start the process today so you don’t forget in the holiday rush.

PayPal (good toward any charity participates in the PayPal Giving Fund). “Make a donation using PayPal on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 (Giving Tuesday) and we’ll match every donation that you make to PayPal Giving Fund (“Offer”), for the benefit of your recommended nonprofit dollar for dollar, up to $500,000 in total matching funds.” You must use your PayPal account. As far as I can tell, you can link up any rewards credit card of your choice and use that as the funding source. Your donation will technically be given to the PayPal Giving Fund, an IRS-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and then disbursed to your selected nonprofit. It will still be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Individual charities. The following large charities have organized their own matches in the past, but check to make sure.

Check with your favorite community nonprofit. Many local charities may also have matching grants today.

Having trouble deciding where to give? Here are some charity comparison sites that will help you pick where to send your help.

  • CharityNavigator – Largest and well-publicized charity rating site, provides a 4-star rating based primarily on financial criteria.
  • GiveWell – Tries to identify the best charities, not rate them all. Focused primarily on charities working internationally
  • GreatNonProfits – Allows clients, volunteers, and funders to post personal reviews based on their experiences.
  • GuideStar – Tries to be a one-stop shop for both financial data and personal reviews of charities. Must register to see a lot of things, and pay a subscription fee for premium in-depth data.
  • Philanthropedia – Ranks non-profits based on opinions of experts, and groups them to mutual fund-like portfolios.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Giving Back //

Amazon Cyber Monday Week 2018: 20% Off Anything, $15 off $60, More New Deals

Posted on November 26, 2018 // Leave a Comment

Updated with new deals. It is now “Cyber Week”, and you can view all Amazon Cyber Week Deals here. Here are the Amazon Device deals. Remember there is free shipping with no minimums for the holidays. Some of the highlights:

Amazon Echo

Amazon Fire Tablets

Amazon Fire TV

Ring

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

IKEA In-Store Coupon Thanksgiving 2018: $25 off $100

Posted on November 20, 2018 // 4 Comments

ikea0IKEA has a new printable $25 off $100 coupon [pdf] that is valid November 22–26, 2018. The coupon states that you can also show it on your phone at checkout. Valid in US stores only. The fine print:

Offer valid November 22–26, 2018 (online only on Thanksgiving day). Valid US only. One coupon per purchase. Discount applied before tax. Offer not valid for delivery, assembly, kitchen planning or other services. Not valid in the IKEA Restaurant, Bistro, or Swedish Food Market. Not valid on previous purchases or the purchase of IKEA Gift Cards. No cash value. Cannot be combined with other IKEA offers or discounts, except IKEA FAMILY product offers. Other restrictions may apply.

IKEA coupons are pretty rare, other than their ongoing $25 off $250 moving coupon.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

WSJ Miles Activity Promo: Buy $1 Subscription, Get 1,200 American Miles

Posted on November 20, 2018 // 5 Comments

Various airline miles shopping portals are offering extra bonus miles for a $1 trial subscription to the Wall Street Journal (2 months). This is a handy deal because the miles are worth more than $1, you skip the WSJ paywall for a while, and you also get some fresh activity to keep your miles from expiring. Valid through 12/2/18.

The only catch is that you need to keep the subscription active for 45 days to get the miles. So don’t cancel before the 45 days, but do cancel before the 2 months is up if you don’t want it to renew at a higher rate. I would set a Calendar/Outlook/Alexa/Siri/Google Home reminder with a couple of extra alerts.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

The Best Baby Gear Guide: This Stuff Survived 3 Kids in 6 Years

Posted on November 19, 2018 // 4 Comments

Some close friends of ours are having their first baby at the same time that our third (and last!) kid is turning 2. That means we’ll be passing along a bunch of stuff and also recommendations. Sometimes I read these buying guides and wonder if the author actually tried it past a 5-minute trial run. We got a lot of items that sounded cool but ended up collecting dust. Other stuff we didn’t think would be useful but quickly became daily essentials through 3 babies over 6 years.

I am not a UL-listed lab and nobody sends me free stuff. These are the real things that we bought or got from our own baby registry that I would buy them again if I had to do it all over again. (I’ve even thrown in some Amazon screenshots which show our actual purchase dates.)

If you create an Amazon Baby Registry, they will offer you an extended 90-day return period as well as a 15% Completion Discount on eligible items for Prime members (Otherwise 10%). It’s a one-time coupon worth up to $300 (15% of $2,000) and valid up to 60 days after your expected arrival date, so use it wisely.

Out & About

Carriers – Beco Gemini Baby Carrier

We picked this carrier out after trying on several different types. We liked that it was convertible with snaps to accommodate both front and back facing positions. If this thing could talk, it would say “I’ve seen some stuff, man…” Poop, vomit, food, the floor of our minivan, and probably a hundred washing machine cycles. It has survived it all with a thick, beefy construction.

Strollers – ZOE XL1 (Single) and XL2 (Double) Lightweight Strollers

We’ve gone through a lot of strollers. New strollers, hand-me-down strollers, consignment store strollers. Once we started traveling with two kids, we did a ton of research trying to find something light yet useful. My pet peeve is “lightweight” single strollers that weigh 20+ pounds! The XL1 weighs 11 pounds. The XL2 is a double stroller that still weighs only 17 pounds. Not only that, but it retains important features that you won’t find on a barebones umbrella stroller – quick-fold, extended shade canopies, 135 degree recline, lower basket, and snack/cup holders. Add some saddle side bags and a handlebar organizer and you’ve got tons of on-demand storage.

If you click on the Amazon link, you can buy direct from ZOE as a third-party seller. The shipping breakdown is expensive, but it works out the about the same price as buying direct from their website. You might also find some open box returned items on their website.

Playards – Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard

The “Pack N Play” has reached the status of Kleenex and Band-Aid where the brand names are used instead of the official term. Once you figure these things out, they are both sturdy and able to be setup/taken down in seconds. They just work, and can be found in hotels everywhere. If you add a custom-sized mattress, you could realistically use this as a permanent crib replacement (or at the grandparents house, etc). We just bought the most basic best-selling version, but there are tons of add-ons.

Car Seats – Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

The Chicco Keyfit 30 has housed all three children in comfort and safety. It has been rated #1 by Consumer Reports for who knows how many years. It’s lightweight, ergonomic, durable, and the cover washes easily. It’s been in airplanes, taxis, Ubers, rental cars. Our “Kee-koh” has finally earned a retirement full of leisure, while we have handed down the convenient car seat bases to someone else. We definitely maxed out the value on this one.

Travel Systems – Chicco KeyFit Caddy Frame Stroller

We don’t like all-in-one “travel systems”. They tend to be too bulky and heavy, I’ve seen some weigh over 40 pounds! Why push around parts that you’ll only need a year later? If your child is still small enough for the car seat, buy a bare frame and use that as your stroller. It’s lighter and you can still make easy transitions between car and stroller (especially if napping). When your child is older, just buy an independent lightweight stroller (see above).

Nursery

Cribs – Delta Children Emery 4-in-1 Convertible Baby Crib

We bought this crib because it has no moving parts (safe) and it had pictures of it being used as both a toddler bed and eventually a headboard. However, we keep having kids so it’s always been just a crib. It is simple, sturdy, and has lasted through all three kids (and is being slept in as I type this).

Gliders – Dutailier Sleigh Glider and Ottoman Combo

We didn’t buy a Dutalier for the first baby because we thought it was too expensive. However, those all-nighters with a colicky baby means you’re spending a lot of hours sitting on something. If that something makes both you more comfortable and the baby more likely to go back to bed, well… take my money!! When we found out we were having a second child, one of the first things we bought was this glider. We did not regret it. The good news is that it is high quality and still glides quietly and smoothly after 4 years of constant use. The bad news is that they are still pricey. *Cough* Put it on the baby registry and hope someone really likes you *Cough*

Mattresses – Colgate Classica III Crib Mattress

We picked this mattress because it had dual firmness and did not have any funny plastics or smells (supposedly certified by so and so, etc). Infants are supposed to have very firm mattresses for safety, and then you can switch it over to the softer side when they are older. It is of quality construction and well-sealed so that you can wipe off… whatever needs to be wiped off when the time comes.

Here is our favorite mattress sheet. No fancy design but it is super-soft cotton even after lots of washes.

Bathtime

Bath Tubs – PRIMO EuroBath

It’s simple, durable, and made of thick plastic. Would probably last for 100 babies. I didn’t want anything cloth or stretchy. You can just wash or even bleach this thing as needed. I hung it up to dry each night over the tub (use 3M bathtub hook or two).

Diapering

Diaper Bags – We got multiple diaper bags as gifts, but we never used them. Too heavy. We just used whatever bag felt right, often a smaller purse/messenger bag thing for her and a backpack for me. Once they are old enough, I use a reusable grocery bag. Mainly you need to remember snacks and the…

Changing Mats – Skip Hop Baby Pronto Portable Changing Station

Diapers, butt cream, wipes, poop bags. Check. Mat for really gross places. Check. Okay, I usually leave the mat at home now (it zips off). Have I mentioned I don’t like carrying extra weight?

Diapers – I know I should use cloth diapers, but we got a million diapers as gifts with the first kid and… that was that. We were so overwhelmed with everything else that the idea of dealing with cloth diapers was too much. Sorry. Although for some reason, kid #3 goes through about 1/3rd of the diapers that kid #1 did…

We like Huggies. and Pampers. and Luvs. I only look at the cost per diaper. If you wait for a sale + Amazon Family 20% off, you can get close to or at 10 cents a diaper.

Diaper Pails – We received and have used a Diaper Genie for all three kids, and it has worked for the most part, although I’m always appalled at how much the refills cost. I’ve tried the generics and also just using a trash bag, but somehow the smell gets out. Our main attempt at economizing is that we only put #2s in the diaper genie and the #1s go in the normal trash. This is more so we don’t have to keep emptying the darn thing than the cost. Otherwise we just buy the name brand refills.

Bottles – We used Medela bottles, primarily because we got a Medela breast pump from our health insurance. They worked fine and were of good quality in my opinion. The bottles lasted for multiple kids.

Bottle Sterilizers – We don’t use any bottle sterilizer gadgets. We just follow the CDC directions and use warm soap and water, clean hands, and the dishwasher.

Breast Pumps – We got a Medela breast pump from our health insurance. It kept working despite some pretty heavy usage. The battery life does start to go after a year or so.

Feeding Pillows – Mrs. MMB was not a fan of the Boppy. It moved around too much and was uncomfortable. She much preferred the questionably-named My Brest Friend, which is ergonomically better and has a strap for security. We even bought the inflatable travel version which also worked well. The cover is easy to remove, wash, and put back on.

One Last Random Thing – Little Martin’s Baby Nail Trimmer

I know, you’re worried about what the baby is going to eat, how it’s going to sleep, and keeping it safe in the car. But one of the more stressful things for me was trimming the nails. If you don’t trim, their little claws can scratch their own face and even eyes. But using a traditional nail clipper is tough on a tiny wriggly hand, and I have drawn blood before. One of my favorite purchases was this little Dremel-like nail trimmer. No more blood, no more fighting, and I can still use it on my older kids.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Family, Frugal Living //

Buy Audible Membership for $6.95, Get a Free Echo Dot ($39.99 Value) – 11/19 Only

Posted on November 19, 2018 // Leave a Comment

Update: This deal appears to be expired.

Amazon has a great deal today only (11/19) if you’re interested in a free Echo Dot. Sign up for a discounted membership at $6.95/month, and you get can get a free Echo Dot ($39.99 value). Here’s how:

  1. Click here to see offer and buy the discounted Audible membership. Look for the green banner as shown below. After clicking “Get this deal”, you should also see “Receive a $39.99 credit for an Echo Dot (2nd gen) after checkout.”
  2. After buying the membership, add an Echo Dot (2nd Gen) to your cart and checkout. You should see the $39.99 discount, making it free. If you don’t want it linked automatically to your account, set it as a gift. You should get an e-mail immediately that says it might take up to 48 hours, but you should be able to buy it right away.
  3. You can still cancel your Audible membership at any time (easily online and with no hassles), even after a single month. You can even buy your audiobook immediately and cancel right after.

I was a former Audible member, but not a current one, and was able to get this deal. An audiobook that I’ll actually listen to (and get to keep forever) and a Echo Dot for seven bucks? Good deal.

You can see the deal terms when you click here and scroll down and click on “Terms and Conditions Apply”:

Offer available from November 19, 2018 6:00AM PT until November 19, 2018 at 11:59PM PT or while supplies last. To qualify for this offer, you must have an existing and active Amazon.com account (as evidenced by at least $1 in transactions in the 6 months prior to redemption of the offer). This offer is not available to existing Audible members. Offer applies only to an Audible monthly membership sold by audible.com. For the first 3 months of your Audible membership, you will be charged the discounted price of $6.95/mo. After the first 3 months, your Audible membership will continue at the then current full price (currently $14.95/mo.) until cancelled. Cancel anytime by visiting the Account Details page. After you sign up for your membership and your payment information is verified, you will receive a confirmation email and the Amazon.com account that you used to sign up for your membership will receive a $39.99 credit (within 48 hours after sign up) redeemable for an Echo Dot (2nd Generation) device.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //
« Previous Page
Next Page »