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Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be expensive, and doesn’t only have to be about store-bought gifts. PennySaver has compiled some DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas just for you, in the event that you didn’t have time to shop for something, are on trying to spend Valentine’s Day on a budget, or just prefer to gift something that you made yourself.

DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

• Create an ‘I Love You’ Book

  Time to unleash your crafty and creative side! The ideas for this gift can be endless. All you need to do is create a book telling your significant other how much you love them. It can be small, it can be comically large, it’s completely up to your imagination. Here are some great examples to get you inspired.

  • ’52 Things I Love about You’ done using a pack of playing cards and 1 inch binder rings. You can make it as basic, or elaborate as you see fit.
  • Photo Love Story using index cards and photos to tell your love story.
  • ‘I Love You Because…’ Book from Wahetver Dee Dee Wants. Great way to tell your significant other why you love them.
  • The Envelope Book from Oh Hello Friend Blog to help your significant other get through their day.

• Coupon Books

  You might remember doing these as a kid. Creating coupon books for your parents on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, redeemable for you doing the dishes, or other household chores. The same gift would also make a great Valentine’s Day gift as you get older. You can still keep the coupons for the occasional hand with the household chores, but you can add coupons redeemable for foot massages, homemade dinner, car-wash, or even a kids-free day coupon! Some cute examples are:

  • Elegant Coupon Book using free printable templates, cardstock, and other office/craft supplies you probably already have at home.
  • Non-Corny Valentine’s Day Coupon book from Kind Over Matter
  • Packaged Coupon Book that’s abstract, and different from the usual coupon book format. This one’s more structured, and reminiscent of a fold-out wallet.
  • Vintage Coupon Book for the vintage-lover in your life.
  • Ticket-themed Coupon Book from Mommy by Day Crafter by Night. You can download the coupons with text already printed on them, or blank to add your own coupon text. They look similar to theater/movie tickets, and you can paste them on card stock to personalize them further.

• Love Notes in a Jar

  This one is pretty self explanatory, and not much to it. If you already have empty jars laying around you can use those, or purchase some mason jars or small jars at your local craft store. You can create thin strips of notes, or larger notes, notes in circles or notes in square, folded or flat. You can hand-write them or have them printed. The possibilities are endless, but the outcome is the same. You have a beautiful jar full of love notes and sweet sayings for that special person in your life that they can enjoy at home or at work.

• Scrapbook of Dates

  If you collect or still have receipts or movie stubs from your dates, then this is the perfect DIY gift idea for you. Create a scrapbook of sorts, or a stub diary for your sweetie. Highlight the special moments you shared, and include cute anecdotes of the times you spent together.

Buying gifts are great, but nothing shows how thoughtful you are, more than dedicating time to making something yourself, and your wallet will also be happier!

Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the entire year in the United States. This year, many stores are opening their doors on Thanksgiving night, which means right after Thanksgiving dinner, people will be bundling up and heading out the door to line up outside of their favorite store. Of course, some people line up 2 days before Thanksgiving to secure their spot and guarantee them the item they desire, but it’s not impossible to get what you want even if you’re not lined up from 3 days before Black Friday.

PennySaverUSA has compiled all of the Black Friday ads for the major department stores here, to save you the time of scouring the internet to find the Black Friday deals. We’ll highlight our picks for the best Black Friday deals at each store, and provide you with the links to view the ads for yourself.

Macy’s Black Friday Ad

Macy’s is not only known for their grand Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City every year, but also for their great Black Friday deals. This year Macy’s is opening its doors at Midnight Friday, Nov.23rd. Hours may vary by store, so be sure to check your local Macy’s to confirm what time they’ll be opening.

Our top picks for Macy’s Black Friday Deals:

• Designer Men’s Ties for $19.99
• Remote-controlled Toy Helicopter from Protocol for $19.99
• Buy 1 Get 1 FREE Toys for Kids ranging from $9.99 – $39.99
• Select Rampage Boots for $19.99
• Dirt Devil Handheld Vacuum for $9.99

Kohl’s Black Friday Ad

Kohl’s has great Black Friday deals for the entire family! They’re open at midnight on Thursday this year…so you know what to do. Eat Thanksgiving dinner, get the troops together, map out a plan, and successfully complete Operation: Black Friday at Kohl’s.

Our top picks for Kohl’s Black Friday Deals:

• Melissa & Doug Children’s Easel for $49.99
• Select LeapFrog & V-Tech toys for $19.99
• Bella Single Scoop Coffeemaker for $12.99
• George Foreman 2-Serving Classic Plate Grill for $12.99
• TRU Triple Slowcooker for $34.99
• iLive 2.1 Channel Tower Speaker for $69.99
• 3-Panel, 27-Opening, Collage Set for $17.99
• The Big One Plush Throwd for $8.99
• Black and Decker 550-watt blender for $9.99

Sears Black Friday Ad

Sears is a great place to shop for both men and women. there’s a little something to appeal to everyone. You’ve got clothes, beauty items, electronics, appliances, housewares, and of course power tools. Sears will be opening its doors at 8pm Thursday night.

Our top picks for Sears Black Friday Deals:

• Craftsman 18 V Drill/Driver for $29.99
• Nintendo Wii Black Console for $99.99
• Asus X401A 14″ Laptop for $219.99
• Craftsman 26-pc Wrench Set $37.49

Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the entire year in the United States. This year, many stores are opening their doors on Thanksgiving night, which means right after Thanksgiving dinner, people will be bundling up and heading out the door to line up outside of their favorite store. Of course, some people line up 2 days before Thanksgiving to secure their spot and guarantee them the item they desire, but it’s not impossible to get what you want even if you’re not lined up from 3 days before Black Friday.

PennySaverUSA has compiled all of the Black Friday ads for the major electronics stores here, to save you the time of scouring the internet to find the Black Friday deals. We’ll highlight our picks for the best Black Friday deals at each store, and provide you with the links to view the ads for yourself.

Best Buy Black Friday Ad

Best Buy is a nationwide electronics store, popularly recognized as the leading electronics store with some of the best deals annually on Black Friday.

This year, Best Buy is opening their doors at 12am on Friday November 23rd. Many people are usually lined up outside and around Best Buy stores from the Monday preceding Black Friday. Tickets are handed out to those in line who are waiting for the doorbuster items. These “golden” tickets guarantee people at the front of the line will get the item that day at the Black Friday price. Depending on the purchase, delivery dates are usually fulfilled over the following two weeks, especially on larger TV sizes. So if you want to take your TV home that day, make sure you have an appropriately-sized vehicle to transport your purchase safely back home.

Our top picks for Best Buy’s Black Friday Deals:

• Toshiba 40″ LCD HDTV for $179.99
• Samsung 15.6″ Laptop (4GB Memory – 500GB Hard Drive) Bundle for $349.95
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with 8GB Memory – Exclusive White Color for $179.99
• Sony PlayStation 3 250GB Bundle with Uncharted and InFAMOUS for $199.99
• Canon PowerShot A2300 16MP Digital Camera Bundle for $79.99
• Asus 14″ Laptop (4GB Memory – 320GB HArd Drive) for $249.99
• Various DVD titles starting at $1.99
• Various Blu-ray titles starting at $3.99
• Nintendo 3DS Super Mario 3D Land Bundle for $149.99
• Microsoft Xbox 360 Holiday (250GB) Bundle for $199.99
• Logitech M325 Wireless Laser Mouse for $9.99
• Skullcandy Ink’d Earbuds for $9.99

Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the entire year in the United States. This year, many stores are opening their doors on Thanksgiving night, which means right after Thanksgiving dinner, people will be bundling up and heading out the door to line up outside of their favorite store. Of course, some people line up 2 days before Thanksgiving to secure their spot and guarantee them the item they desire, but it’s not impossible to get what you want even if you’re not lined up from 3 days before Black Friday.

PennySaverUSA has compiled all of the Black Friday ads for the major super stores here, to save you the time of scouring the internet to find the Black Friday deals. We’ll highlight our picks for the best Black Friday deals at each store, and provide you with the links to view the ads for yourself.

Walmart Black Friday Ad

Walmart is infamously known as possibly being the craziest place to shop at on Black Friday. From stampedes, to fighting over xboxes, it gets out of hand.

This year, along with opening their doors at 8pm Thanksgiving night, Walmart also has a new promotion called the ’1 Hour In-Stock Guarantee’ on 3 of their doorbuster items. From 10pm-11pm on Thursday, November 22nd, Walmart guarantees that the three items featured for their 10pm doorbusters will be in stock. If any of the items sell out in the first hour, you can purchase a Guarantee Card that ensures you will get the item at the Black Friday price before Christmas.

The three items eligible for this promotion are:

1. Apple iPad 2 16GB Wi-Fi for $399 plus you get a $75 Walmart gift card
2. LG BLu-ray Plaer for $38
3. Emerson 32″ LCD 720p TV for $148

Our top picks (in addition to the 3 doorbusters listed above) for Walmart’s Black Friday Deals:

• HP Laptop with 15.6″ screen for $279
• Vizio 60″ LED Smart TV for $688
• Microsoft Xbox 360 4GB SkyLanders Bundle for $149.99
• Sony PlayStation 3 250GB Bundle with Uncharted and InFAMOUS for $199.99
• Various Wii, Xbox and PS3 video games between $10 – $25
• Leap Frog LeapPad 1 Explorer for $65
• Eureka Maxima Upright Vacuum for $36
• Toshiba 1TB Portable Hard Drive for $59
• Emerson 50″ LCD HDTV for $298

Target Black Friday Ad

Target gets just a busy as Walmart, but does seem to be a little bit more organized on Black Friday. Doors open for Target at 9pm on Thursday November 22. As an added incentive to do you Black Friday shopping at Target, on Friday Nov. 23, from 4am-12 noon, you’ll get a free $10 Target Gift card when you spend $50 or more on Apparel, Accessories or Home merchandise.

Our top picks for Target’s Black Friday Deals:

• Westinghouse 50″ 1080p LCD TV for $349
• Sony PlayStation 3 250GB Bundle with Uncharted and InFAMOUS for $199.99
• Various DVD titles between $1 – $8 and Blu-ray titles between $4 – $10
• Dyson DC24 Multi Floor Vacuum for $269
• Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch eReader for $49
• Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle for $199.99
• Nintendo 3DS Super Mario 3D Land Bundle for $149.99

Kmart’s Black Friday Ad

As always, Kmart has low prices year round, and even lower prices on Black Friday. This year, their Black Friday deals start Thursday night at 8pm! So you have from 8pm-3am to attempt to get some doorbuster deals!

Our top picks for Kmart’s Black Friday Deals:

• Proscan 50″ LCD 1080p HDTV for $288
• HP Pavilion g6 Laptop for $299.99
• Nintendo Wii Black Console for $129.99
• Samsung 7″ Galaxy Tab 2 Tablet for $177.99
• Basic Essentials 16pc Cookware Set for $19.99
• 12′ Trampoline with Enclosure for $184.99

Everyone needs a getaway, but vacations typically involve a huge expense. If you don’t have a lot of disposable income, you might forgo an annual trip. But rather than pass on the opportunity to enjoy a little relaxation and fun with your family, consider these tips from PennySaverUSA.com, to help you save money on vacations.

Stay With Family or Friends

This is probably one of the easiest ways to save money on a vacation. If you’re going somewhere that you have friends or family you can stay with, instead of paying $100+ per night, you can stay with friends or family for free. Even if you’re only staying with them for a portion of your trip, you’re still saving a considerable amount of money overall.

Find Discount Hotel Rates

If it’s not possible to stay with friends or family, then always look for discounts when booking your hotel. Use online discount sites like Expedia.com, Priceline.com, or Hotels.com. You can get great savings up to 75%! You can also look for coupons and promo codes if you want to book directly with a desired hotel. Do an online search for a specific hotel followed by the words “coupon code” or “promo code”.

Book in Advance

Last-minute airline tickets are costly, but you can save money by booking plane reservations three or four months in advance. Use a comparison travel website to get the best deal, such as Kayak.com.

Do you NEED a Rental Car

Before you book a rental car, figure out if you really NEED one. Most hotels offer airport shuttles, and may also provide shuttles to nearby attractions. You can also opt to use public transportation. If you determine that you only need a rental car for certain days, check through your options when booking. See if it’s a better value to book for the entire length of your stay, or only for the days you’ll need to use the car.

Monitor Hotel and Rental Car Prices

Even after you’ve already booked a hotel or rental car, still continue to keep a close eye on hotel and rental car prices. Prices for both can fluctuate on a daily basis. Do book your hotel and rental car reservation early, but continue to check for specials or deals. If you find a better rate, cancel your previous reservation and re-book to take advantage of lower rates.

Plan a Cruise

Cruise vacations are an ideal way to save money, especially if you’re able to drive to the cruise port. Accommodations, entertainment and food are costly when planning a vacation. But if you book a cruise, you can enjoy all three for one affordable price. Book during the off-season or with a group to enjoy additional savings.

Eat Cheap

To save money on food, purchase an ‘Entertainment Book’ for the area that you’re visiting. These books can costs as much as $35, but with so many two-for-one deals, you can recoup your investment after two meals.

Cheap Vacation Packages

If you can’t book a cruise vacation, or an all-inclusive, look for packages that bundle attractions and offer discounts. Sometimes, you can get packages with tickets to multiple attractions, or that offer 2-for the price of 1, which will save you quite a bit of money.

Back to school shopping is an exciting time for children and a stressful time for parents. As the fall approaches, many parents’ thoughts are turning to how to save money on back-to-school items. The start of the school year can be tough on your household budget. School supplies seem to get more expensive each year and it’s amazing how quickly supplies lists can tally up into large expenses. Doing this for multiple children for years can put a strain on any family budget. Luckily, there are some easy ways to make the back-to-school purchase season less daunting.

If you are worried about your ability to pay for school supplies, this year, there are some surprisingly simple ways to help make the start of the school year easier.

Start at home

Begin by thoroughly investigating office supplies and school supplies you already have. We often have supplies tucked away that we may have forgotten about. Open drawers, and you’re likely to find a forgotten stash of #2 pencils, a random pack of erasers, or unused rolls of tape. Also, many school supplies such as pencil sharpeners used by older siblings, can easily be reused. Plain office supplies, such as white binders, can be redecorated with pictures and markers to be unique.

Think outside of the box

Parenting Magazine suggests doing basic school shopping at the grocery stores. You can easily browse circulars for bargains and coupons that might not be available in traditional school supply stores. In the same vein, hit the various end of summer sales for back to school clothes. Clothes for warm weather can be worn through most of the fall and can be used again come spring.

Buy Used or “Un-Used” Items

Search both the printed classified ads in the PennySaver, and back-to-school online listings at PennySaverUSA.com. Look online for common back-to-school items that someone may be trying to unload. Often, used items are simply products of which someone purchased too many. They may have never actually been used. Families that have children who have gone away to college, or who have completed their academic years, will often place items from their childrens’ room on sale in the fall. It’s the perfect opportunity to purchase reduce price books, toys and furniture that are in near perfect condition, for considerably less money than if you were to purchase new in store.

Shop Online

Everything seems to be online now, even back to school shopping. Look for online offers and savings. Many stores and companies email discounts or post coupons and deals to their blogs during this time of year.  Some companies and website even offer online freebies for back-to-school items. Sign up for our Free Friday Newsletter, to never miss out on another freebie again. Rather than heading straight for the nearest retail location, do some surfing online first. You will be surprised at how much you can save.

When you are ready to start looking for savings on back-to-school purchases for your student’s list, there are a number of ways to save money and keep your family budget in check for the coming year. These tips will definitely help you start on the right foot.

Disclaimer: Feel free to look at previous Free Friday posts to see if you can find any other freebies that are still active, but only this week’s freebies are new. Many older ones will be expired.

In celebration of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, for today’s Free Friday, we’ve rounded up some freebies sure to get you pumped for the Olympics games! Check out these freebies and see what swag you can get this weekend!

PennySaverUSA.com has brought together as many Free Friday freebies as we could find, all for you!

Food/Drinks

FREE Order of Queso & Chips at Chili’s: Join the Chili’s Email Club to get special offers and discounts , plus when you sign up you get a FREE order of Skillet Queso & Chips. Sign up now to get your free appetizer at Chili’s.

FREE Large Soft Drink at AMC Theatres: If you’re going to take a break from watching the Olympics and watch a movie at an AMC Theatre this weekend, print out this coupon and take it with you for a free large soft drink. Expires 8/2, so this is your last “weekend” to use this coupon to get a free large soft drink!

Keep Calm and Freebie On

FREE Sample of Tea Forte: You can get the free Skin-Smart eco teabags in the mail by liking the Tea Forte page on Facebook, and filling out the short form. You don’t get to choose which flavors you want, but they all seem tantalizingly intriguing. You’ll be receiving three of the following flavors: cherry amrzipan, cucumber mint, honey yuzu, lychee coconut or swiss apple. Personally, I’m hoping to get lychee coconut as one of my three.

FREE Lipton Tea&Honey Mango-Pineapple Mix: Get your free sample of the new Lipton Tea & Honey Mango Pineapple To Go sample packet, by filling out a simple form through their facebook app. You must be 18 or older to get this offer. once you’re all signed up, you’ll see a confirmation page confirming your submission, and that you’ll receive your free sample in six to eight weeks.

FREE Sample of Vplenish Vitamin Packet: Vplenish is the world’s first taste-free vitamin that dissolves clear in any hot or cold beverage. To get your free sample, Fill out the information in the orange box labeled ‘Request Info’, on the top right hand corner of their website. You are prompted to make a donation, but that is optional, and won’t affect whether you get your free sample.

FREE Bagel with Cream Cheese from Bruegger’s Bagels Sign up for their Bruegger’s News emails and get a FREE Bagel with Cream Cheese. Yummy! Visit their Facebook page to sign up! They’ll email you the coupon within 24-48 hours.

FREE Sample of NECTRESSE™ Sweetener: Get a free sample of NECTRESSE™ 100% Natural No Calorie Sweetener by filling out the form on their website, NECTRESSE™ Sweetener tastes like sugar and is naturally zero calories per serving. It’s 100% natural with
nothing artificial. You’re going to love the way it tastes, so get your free sample now!

Household

Free Purex Laundry Detergent: If you missed this offer previously, then here’s your second chance to sign up for this free sample offer from Purex for a Purex liquid detergent or UltraPacks detergent sample offer. Just click on the link, and fill out the form to receive your free sample in the mail. You can check out the links to see which one you prefer. Both the liquid detergent and UltraPacks work on all washing machines.

Skin Care

FREE Sibu Beauty Product Sample: By entering the contest on their Facebook page, while supplies last, you’ll receive a free sample in the mail of one of their beauty products. Once you fill out the form you’ll also receive a VIP coupon code to save on their site.

Fragrance

FREE True Reflection Fragrance by Kim Kardashian: If you’re interested in trying out Kim Kardashian’s sultry new fragrance, True Reflection then you’ve found the right post. Click on the link to fill out the very short form and wait to receive your free sample by mail.

FREE Jimmy Choo Fragrance at Nordstrom: Stop by your local Nordstrom store Saturday, July 28th for a free sample of Jimmy Choo fragrance. One sample per customer, please. Available in store only and while supplies last.

Hair Care

FREE Sample of Matrix Exquisite Oil: Like them on Facebook and share your exquisite life moment to get your free sample. Fill out the form on the ‘Consumers’ tab with your name, address, and ‘exquisite life story’. Click ‘Enter Contest’, and you’ll receive your free sample and be entered to win their New Matrix Biolage Exquisite Oil Collection or the Grand Prize of a $500 Amex Gift Card.

FREE Sample of Garnier Fructis Fall Fight Shampoo & Conditioner: If you missed it, here’s another chance to get a free sample of Garner Fructis Fall Fight Shampoo and Conditioner. Go to this link and fill out the easy form to get your free sample in the mail.

Makeup

FREE Week’s Supply of Select Foundations at Sephora: Find a participating Sephora location near you and stop in for your free complexion consultation and take home a week’s supply of the right foundation for you.

Personal Care

FREE Breathe Right Nasal Strips: If you or a loved one have a serious snoring problem, then sign up to get two free Breathe Right Nasal Strips. All you have to do is fill out their registration form, and you’ll receive your free sample by mail.

FREE HerbaCleanse Sample: If you’re looking to cleanse and detoxify your colon, then HerbaCleanse is for you. Get your free 10-capsule pack today by filling out the form on their site. You’ll receive the 10-capsule pack by mail, and can only be shipped to addresses in the US.

Fitness

FREE 7-Day Membership to Gold’s Gym: If you’re looking to start a new gym and get your fitness on track, then sign up for a 7-Day FREE VIP Membership at Gold’s Gym.

FREE Jelly Kids Multi-Vitamin Sample: This offer is still running, so here’s another chance to grab this free sample for your kids! It’ll make taking their vitamins fun, especially when they’re jelly beans! Fill out the very short form, and you’ll receive your free sample via mail.

Pets

FREE Purina Cat Chow Sample: Your cat is special to you, so make sure to give them the best. To try a free sample of Purina Cat Chow – Healthy Weight, like the Purina Cat Chow page on Facebook and fill out the form. to receive your sample by mail.

Sports

FREE Sample of Universal X Spiders Sports Tape: If you’re feeling active inspired by the upcoming Olympics, then definitely sign up to get a free sample of Universal C Sports Tape. Just fill out the simple form on their site, and receive your free sample in 4-6 weeks. SpiderTech products are designed to be worn during strenuous exercise and even in the swimming pool. So go ahead, give your life-long dream of being on the Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team a shot.

It doesn’t take very long, and it’s awesome checking your mail and seeing your free samples arrive. So what are you waiting for?

Get your freebies now!