With only ten days until Black Friday 2010, stores are finally starting to roll out their upcoming deals, and let me tell you, it’s been worth the wait!  Of course, some of the best deals are only available at ungodly hours of the day (or night), but sometimes we’ve just got to sacrifice in order to save big.  I’ve scoured dozens of Black Friday deals for this year, and I’m listing some of my absolute favorites here (chosen based on price, of course!).  I hope to update you as more great sales are announced – and I’d love if you want to share with me where you’ll be shopping this Black Friday.

BJ’s (members only) – All deals valid while supplies last, November 26^th-28^th only.

Uniden DECT 1480 3 handset cordless phone – $29.99 after $20 instant rebate.  Mikasa 32 piece gourmet dinner set – $29.99.

Quaker oatmeal (plain) – B1G1 free.

Target – Friday, November 26^th only.

**From 4am-10am at Target, get a free $10 gift card when you spend $100.

Assorted DVDs – oldies priced at $1.99 and up. Newer films priced at $5.99 and up.

Assorted board games and Leapster games- $15 each.  Includes some of my favorite board games including Blokus, Apples to Apples, Sequence and more.

Folding scooters – $17.

20 piece T-Fal cook set – $49.

Walmart – November 26^th only.

eMachines 15.6” laptop – $198 (5am -11am only).

Assorted video games – $7 (all day).

Assorted DVDs – $1.96 and up (all day).

Children’s character sleepwear – $4 (all day).

Rubbermaid 40 piece storage set – $9.

Toys R Us – November 25^th (after 10pm)-27^th only.

Leapfrog learning laptop – $14.99.

Dippin Dots maker – $14.99.

Gaming t-shirts – B1G1 free.

Imaginarium 150 piece block set – $14.99.

Assorted Pavilion basic games – $1.99 (5am-1pm only).

The holiday season is around the corner, and if you haven’t started saving money for holiday expenses, there’s never been a better time.  Fortunately, there are many great sales and high value coupons that have come out recently, and I’m so excited to share them with you.  Know of any that I’ve missed?  Please share them below!

Save $2 on Hungry Man dinners. You don’t need to ‘like’ the Hungry Man page in order to access the coupon.  You should, however, make sure to ‘like’ my Facebook page so that you can continue to hear about other great deals!

Save $2 on Quaker oatmeal.  Stock up now before the winter hits – and while you can use this high value coupon.

Save 30% on clothing at Toys R Us.  This printable coupon is good until October 24^th, so make sure to head on over if you want to save 30% on your entire clothing purchase.

2 free cans of Spot’s Stew pet food.  Okay, this isn’t a coupon, but if you sign up for the Halo newsletter here (top right of the page), you’ll get two free packages, which are valued at about $4 each.

Free photo book from Picaboo.  If this isn’t a great free holiday gift, I don’t know what is.  The offer is good until October 25^th for new customers only.  Use coupon code FALLBK at checkout to score your free photo book.

Buy one get one free Healthy Choice Entrée.  When you ‘like’ the Healthy Choice Facebook page you can reserve a coupon for yourself.  They claim the coupon rises in value each time someone likes the page.  The promotion ends when supplies run out or on October 25^th, so don’t wait long.

Get $10 off a $20 purchase at Sears.  This promotion includes is good on all apparel, including sale and clearance, and is good until October 23^rd.  There’s no denying the benefit of this coupon!

Buy one get one free sandwich from Arby’s. Good today (October 18^th) only, this coupon entitles you to one free beef ‘n cheddar sandwich when you buy one.  If you’re hungry today, this could be a great option.

High value coupons on Coupons.com.  If you haven’t checked out Coupons.com, now’s the time.  Here’s a sampling of some of the high value coupons that you can find there this month: $2.50 off Scott toilet paper, $1.50 off Glade jar candles, $3 off a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake, buy one get one free Nestle Pure Life water (5 gallon bottle)…and so much more!

Happy saving,

Billy

Labor Day weekend is only a few hours away, but you needn’t despair if you haven’t solidified your plans yet.  With great sales going on both in stores and online, there’s plenty of deal-chasing that can be done this weekend.  Here are some Labor Day sales worth checking out:

BareNecessities.com is offering 50% off all clearance items through September 7^th (now that sounds like a deal), and a buy 2 bras, get 1 free Labor Day sale (no expiration dateisgiven, though it probably expires after the weekend).

CVS.com has an online special offering $10 off a non-prescription purchase of $50 or more, plus free shipping with coupon code LABORDAY50.

Gap.com has free shipping through September 11^th on all purchases over $50.  Use coupon code GAPSHIP50 at checkout.

Gymboree.com is running its Fill-A-Bag sale with 30% off storewide until September 5^th.  $5 shipping is also available for a limited time.

JCPenney.com has free shipping on orders over $49 with coupon code 49WORKS through September 11^th.  Not valid on furniture.  And don’t forget that all shoes at JCPenney.com ship free.

JosABank.com is reducing their clearance products by another 50% through Labor Day weekend.  There are some great deals here if you’re looking for men’s dress clothing.

Kohls.com is offering 15% off all purchases and free shipping on orders over $75 with coupon code SAVEON75, which expires today, September 2^nd.

Macys.com has free shipping on all orders over $99 until September 6^th as well as some great Labor Day sales that are online only until today, September 2^nd.  You can also get free shipping through September 7^th if you purchase a minimum amount from specific companies.  For a full list of these deals, click here.

OldNavy.com is offering 20% off a purchase of $100 or 25% off a purchase of $150 for all online purchases through September 6^th with coupon code ONSAVEBIG.


And while you’re online, why not sign up for some great freebies that may not be available when the Labor Day sales are done?

• Get a free sample of Garnier wrinkle test strips.
• Snag a free Fisher Price TRIO race car with free shipping.
• Like MurphyUSA on Facebook to get a free Dr. Pepper drink.  And while you’re there, why not like Billy.com too?

If you’re like most mothers I know, you probably have no time for a bathroom break, let alone time to surf the net.  But there are some remarkable mommies out there who have taken time out of their busy lives to provide a service to busy moms like you, by writing mom blogs that can simplify your trips to the grocery store while saving you money.  The authors below are not only surviving motherhood, but they’re thriving – and inviting you along on the journey so that you can also succeed on a new level.  Below is a list of five mom blogs that Ihighly recommend, the reasons why I love them, and a shout out to the fantastic women who take the time to write them.

Consumer Queen

I love this mom blog because…Over the years I’ve encountered a few money saving blogs that offer a coupon database, but few work as well as the one found on Consumer Queen.  If you have a few spare moments when you’re done finding great coupons you can also check out author Melissa’s hysterical videos which offer interesting ideas and a chuckle at the end of a long day.

Coupon Geek

I love this mom blog because…There are dozens (hundreds?) of coupon blogs out there but none offer comprehensive store roundups like Coupon Geek mom blogger Jaycie does.  Coupon Geek and her partners explain weekly deals available in most large chain stores and offer ideas for how to pair deals with coupons (she even tells you where to find the coupons!) for maximum savings.  When possible, Coupon Geek also tells you the final price that you can expect to pay so that there are no surprises at the register

Freebies4Mom

I love this mom blog because…Not only does Freebies4Mom have coupons and deals, which are common both in mom blogs and regular coupon blogs, but it has an entire section dedicated to sweepstakes that give away lots of prizes.  While you may be too busy to enter a sweepstakes that is giving away a single grand prize, it’s always worthwhile to enter a sweepstakes that is giving away dozens of prizes daily – and mommy blogger Heather Hernandez has a knack for identifying these ‘winnable’ sweepstakes.  I haven’t won any yet, but I have gotten dozens of coupons as a courtesy for playing, which, in itself, is a notable benefit.

Bargain Briana

I love this mom blog because…Bargain Briana offers cheap and easy recipes in addition to standard savings suggestions.  I may not be feeding a large family, but I find it hard to find easy, healthy and affordable recipes just for myself.  Briana takes the thinking out of making dinner by offering recipes that are entirely achievable and extremely affordable.  With a full-time job, four young children and a popular mommy blog, Briana has no room for dinner disasters – and sure enough, I’ve found her recipes to be completely dependable.

Mashup Mom

I love this mom blog because…Many mommy blogs that focus on savings are helpful for the grownup part of mommy life, but few really address the needs of the child like Mashup Mom does.  Mommy blogger Rachel offers savings, steals and coupons for kid-friendly products including food, clothing and toys.  Other mom blogs may offer kid-centric products mixed in with their regular deals, but for Mashup Mom, the most prominently featured deals are almost always about things that are good for kids (or moms).  I’m sure I don’t need to explain why this is a great thing.

Do you recommend any other money saving mommy blogs that you don’t see on this list?

Facebook freebies and coupons seem to be extremely popular these days, and many of them don’t even require you to ‘like’ the page.  You can, of course, if you want…but at least it’s your choice instead of a prerequisite!

• Free sample of Dentyne Pure gum – I’m not extremely excited about the idea of mint melon gum, but I’ll pretty much try anything if it’s free…and who knows, maybe it’ll be the greatest thing since the invention of sushi (who would have thought that seaweed with raw fish would be good together?).
• Free sample of Propel – The sample request form for this free Propel powder with calcium requires that you list a new activity that you plan to try this summer.  It doesn’t specify what type of activity, but it seems to hint that it should be something physical.  Does trying out a new computer game count as a physical activity?  I’ll let you know if I get my free sample!
• $10 off a purchase of $10 or more at Famous Footwear – The upside of this coupon is that with dozens of pairs of shoes that cost under $20, you can use this coupon to get shoes for an unbeatable price.  If your local store lets you use this coupon on socks (the coupon does not specify what restrictions apply), chances are good that you can get something for $1 or less!  The downside is that it expires today, so you’d better hurry over to Famous Footwear now.

In addition to Facebook deals I’ve also located some other cool freebies that are worth mentioning:

• Get a full rebate on a purchase of Neutrogena Clinical (SPF 30, Night or Eye) – Purchase the product by July 18^th and complete the mail in rebate form for a full rebate up to $40.  You should receive your money back in 6-8 weeks.
• Free sample of Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets.  I’ve already received (and used) my free sample of these Purex sheets, but now they’re available again, and I should really mention that they’re fantastic.  If you missed the first offering of this freebie, sign up now before the samples run out!
• Free Blockbuster Express movie rentals.  Use codes GT16A, G417A or GT17A to get 3 free rentals during the month of July.

Like these deals?  Check out my Facebook page to get more up to the minute freebies and coupons on great products!

I admit that I don’t only purchase brand name clothing, but there’s something surprisingly thrilling about getting cheap brand name clothes.  If you haven’t ever experienced this thrill, there’s never been a better time.  And if you have…well…there’s always a good reason to stock up while the savings are hot.  Here are five places to get cheap brand name clothes for $5 – act now before the stocks are gone or the sales are over!

1. Old Navy – I’ve never been dissatisfied with an item from Old Navy.  Their shirts wear well, their pants fit beautifully and their styles are always trendy.  Right now Old Navy has t-shirts, tanks and flip-flops on sale for $5 or less.  I suggest that even if you don’t need any of these items right now, you check out what’s available so that you can stock up for next year.
2. Aeropostale – With their $5 t-shirts n’ tanks sale, Aeropostale makes it possible to look casual without looking cheap.  The downside with Aeropostale is that their selection is markedly more limited than that at Old Navy for similarly styled and priced clothing.
3. Payless Shoe Source – Their BOGO free flip sale sounds like a great opportunity, since the company’s flip flops start at only about $6/pair, which means that if you get two, each one will be about $3.  This offer is only available in-store only until today (July 5^th) and is good for women’s flip flops only, but I’m still hoping that next year they’ll offer men’s styles as well.  After all, women aren’t the only people who enjoy changing their shoes frequently in the summer!
4. Children’s Place – If you’re a bargain shopper I’d be surprised if you haven’t yet stumbled upon the great deals at the Children’s Place.  Not only is this store a great place to find affordable children’s clothing, but they have frequent sales on their already discounted styles.  The best part is that Children’s Place products last for years so you don’t have to worry that if you buy these cheap styles you’ll be getting cheap quality.  Right now the Children’s Place has shirts, hats, shoes, shorts and underwear for under $5.  Stock up on gifts or spoil your own children…for that price, you definitely can!
5. Target – The price range on clothing at Target varies, and I’ve found that the store often has better deals on women’s clothing (as compared with men’s clothing).  Still, I’ve recently found some great Champion products on sale for $5 as well as some Mossimo styles.

And, since I get all excited about great deals, here are a few more ways to save:

• Shop in the store to avoid paying for shipping (or, look for free shipping).
• Use Ebates.  If you’re not familiar with Ebates, I implore you to check it out.  Ebates is a great way to get cash back with every purchase.  The downside is that they only pay you four times a year, the upsides is that means you’ll get a bigger check.  It’s almost like a cash-back credit card, without the annual fee!
• Buy now, return later.  I can’t even believe I’m writing this, since I really hate returning things…but if you’re not 100% sure about a specific item and the sale will soon be over, make sure that you leave your options open by making the purchase now and returning the item later if you don’t like it.  One of the worst shopping offenses is to pay full price on an item that was recently on sale.  Of course, you should check the store’s return policy before implementing this system.

Happy Saving,

Jos. A. Bank – 40% off 2 shirts, ties, sportswear and dress pants, OR 50% off 3 items, OR 60% off 6 items.  If you need classy menswear (as I often do), this Memorial Day sale should not be missed (good today, May 31 only).

Gap – Save 25% off a purchase or $75 or more.  And since the Gap’s prices are so reasonable, you can probably get most of your summer wardrobe for $75…good on May 31 only.

Dick’s Sporting Goods – Take 20% off clearance items and 15% off all regularly priced items.  Extra savings on already reduced prices?  That’s a great idea for a Memorial Day sale!  Good on May 31 only.

Home Shopping Network – Take 60% off all clearance items.  If you’ve been mulling over a specific item, now is the time to get it.  The site does not mention when this Memorial Day deal expires, so don’t wait long.

HP – Save now on items from the Hewlett-Packard home and office store.  This Memorial Day sale is on until Tuesday, June 1.

Charlotte Russe - Buy 1 item, get the second 50% off.  This sale is available until June 2.

Finally, there are some chain stores that offer store-wide Memorial Day deals, without promoting a specific special offer.  If you’re in the market for new housewares, electronics, jewelry or clothing, you can check out some of these favorites – JC Penney, Kmart, Office Depot, Kohl’s and Children’s Place.

Find any Memorial Day deals that are worth sharing?  Leave a comment here to spread the savings!

Beauty Freebies:

- Walmart is offering a free sample of Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Body Lotion.

- You can also get another great free beauty sample, Root Awakening by John Freida, courtesy of Walmart.

- Dove is offering a free sample of their Men+Care soap – I’ve already gotten mine, but it seems that it’s still available, and it is great!

- Aveda is celebrating the company’s birthday, by pampering us!  Get a free lotion sample as well as some great free mini-treatments at participating salons – until June 3oth.

- Perhaps the most interesting of all the beauty freebies I’ve found is this one…get a free Bumpits (a unique way to add the look of volume to your hair) when you like their page on facebook (and hey, while you’re there why not like Billy.com as well, to receive great deals directly to your facebook page?)

Beauty Coupons:

- Get a $20 mail in rebate when you purchase $50 of Olay Professional skincare products.  This is a beauty coupon not to be missed, if you’re an Olay user (or if you want to try it out).  Products must be purchased by May 14th.

- Get $10 off a purchase of $30 at Bath & Body Works.  This coupon is good until May 9th.

- Take $2 off a Tresemme Fresh Start hair care product…then enjoy a B1G1 free, so you can get 2 products for an insanely low price!

- Take $1 off Tone body wash with this printable coupon.

- Only on Earth Day at Origins, trade a bottle (used or empty) of your current skincare product for a free bottle of Origins’ Perfect World Face Wash or Frothy Cleanser…valued up to $20.

- Get a free hat made from recyclable materials when you bring six recyclable soda bottles to any Disney Store on Earth Day 2010.  Toss the bottles into the bin to win a free hat.

- Get a free sample of o.b. applicator-free tampons which (understandably) create less waste than tampons with applicators.

- Toys R Us is offering a free reusable tote (I just can’t get enough of those!) on Earth Day, and you can also get a discount on everything you can fit in the bag.

- Get some great discounts on Earth Day stuff (ie, environmentally friendly products) at Walgreens, which is offering a 22% discount on eco-friendly products from April 18-30.  Even better (or equally cool) is that 30% of sales from Walgreens’ Earth Day store to the World Wildlife Foundation.

- Purchase a reusable bag tag for 99 cents from CVS, and they’ll give 5 cents of each tag sale to the World Wildlife Foundation.  You’ll also benefit by getting $1 back every 4th visit in which you scan your tag.

If you’ve come across some other great Earth Day stuff, please feel free to share.  And by the way, you don’t need to wait for Earth Day just to protect the earth and purchase eco-friendly products – why not make protecting our world a regular part of your life?

1. 2 free cupcake bites at Cinnabon.  Just the smell of that place can send me to heaven…I will definitely be standing on line for these!
2. Free brewed coffee at Starbucks when you bring your own travel mug.  Sounds like this will go really well with the free cupcake bites.
3. Once your stomach empties out a bit, refill it with a free sample of ice cream-pizza at MaggieMoo’s, from 3-7pm.
4. A free hydromassage (never had one, but it sure sounds fantastic!).
5. Get a free taco from Taco Del Mar.
6. B1G1 free meals at Boston Market.  This deal is good until  April 18th, so it might be worth going another day, since you’ll be full from all your other tax day freebies.
7. Get a free appetizer at Smoky Bones on tax day.
8. McCormick and Schmicks is offering a $10.40 dinner and drinks special on tax day, as well as providing $10.40 coupons for your next meal there.
9. Get tax-free hotel accommodations and dining from Kimpton hotels, which are good until April 30th.  You can also enjoy free late checkout and free “sweet tax relief” goody basket as part of the promotion.
10. Copy your tax returns for free at Office Depot.  Offer includes up to 25 single-sided pages.
11. Finally, I’ve heard that T.G.I.Friday’s is giving away a $5 gift card with every purchase of $15-$25, and a $10 gift card for purchases over $25.  I have yet to find the source for this information, but I’ve seen it advertised by several reputable sources, so it may be worth calling in advance (or just swinging by) if you’re interested.