It was great to be a guest on Nina Frye's Living the Dream Mom Radio.  If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast for free.  Also, here is a link to the $100 Amazon gift card contest we mentioned. Yesterday we talked about:

Couponing basics & essential tips to save money when grocery couponing and holiday shopping

Being organized is important.

• Have a plan.
• Create a list.

You should be prepared.

• Always look at the ads before you shop.
• Always look for a coupon before you buy.

Buy extra only if there’s a good sale and you know you’ll use what you are buying.

If you are buying online:

• Always look for a promo code for a discount or free shipping.
• Earn Cash Back for free.
• You can often combine a discount and earn Cash Back. Look for the money bag icon on BeFrugal to indicate when you can "double up."

How to save time and make it easy for yourself.

Good resources and having a plan or a routine can help. It becomes a science when you develop these habits.

Use a comprehensive website like BeFrugal.com to save time. A good savings site will have:

• weekly ads
• printable coupons
• online deals
• Cash Back

Commit to good savings habits and saving money will become natural. Make it easy for yourself.

• Maybe that means bookmarking one or two websites or scheduling 30 minutes in your calendar each weekend.
• Perhaps a weekend ritual on a Saturday or Sunday when you get the newspaper is a good time for this.

How to get peace of mind when you're trying to save big bucks.

• Just like it’s easy to spend too much time in order to save, it can be easy to drive yourself crazy.
• You want to know that you are saving all that you can.
• Cover all your bases, being as concise as possible.
• Look at a weekly ad and search a coupon database when you create your list.

Why you should shop online whenever you can!

Shopping online means more savings.

This is worth repeating: As mentioned earlier, when you are buying online you should:

• Always look for a promo code for a discount or free shipping.
• Earn Cash Back for free.
• You can often combine a discount and earn Cash Back.Look for the money bag icon on BeFrugal to indicate when you cab "double up."

Many grocery items can be bought online:

• Cash Back can be earned
• You can get free shipping offers
• Plus take advantage of other deals

If your grocery store doesn't allow online ordering, try Walmart.
What is Cash Back and how does it work?

Cash Back means you are earning a percentage of your transaction in a free account. It’s a program that rewards shoppers with Cash Back for eligible online purchases.

It’s especially important now, given today’s tough economy. Many of us need to stretch each dollar.

With cash back, you can “double-up” on savings by combining cash back with coupons to get extra savings on each purchase.

There are 1,600+ online stores are participating in BeFrugal.com’s Cash Back program with an average of 5% cash back on purchases.

Here's how earning Cash Back works:

1.      After logging into your BeFrugal account, click to the store you want to shop at and complete your purchase on their site.

2.      You can click on a BeFrugal.com coupon or deal first to save even more money (combine an offer with Cash Back - look for the money bag icon to indicate when you can "double up").

3.      The Cash Back you earn will appear in your account in 1-2 weeks after you complete your transaction. Your Click History will show up almost immediately.

Cash Back earned is paid out via check or PayPal once the cash back balance reaches $20. Shoppers can sign-up in seconds with just an email and password.

Sign-up by December 31, 2011 to receive a $10 credit to their cash back account balance.

You can earn even more with a free Cash Back account:

There is a $5 referral bonus for each friend when you Refer-A-Friend. 10 friends = $50!

• They’ll be saving money when they shop and we’ll give you each a $5 bonus to start them off.
• Just sign in and use the Refer-A-Friendinvites on BeFrugal.com.

In order for you to earn the bonus your friend must sign up for the Cash Back program and make $25 in Cash Back eligible purchases. The Refer-A-Friend Bonus typically will be eligible for payment within 90 days after your purchase. Payments can be requested when your available cash back balance reaches the $20 minimum for withdrawal. Note that bonuses do not count toward this minimum.

There are 5 easy ways to Refer-A-Friend.

1.      Email a friend

2.      Post your unique URL on your blog or website

3.      Add a button on your blog or website

4.      Add your unique link in your email signature

5.      Social post to Facebook and/or Twitter

24 Hour Flash Cash is another way to save even more. This means there is extra Cash Back at a new store reach day.

Don’t just stop at coupons and Cash Back. Save whenever you can!

Take advantage of Free Money Saving Tools on BeFrugal.com:

1. Fly or Drive Calculator
2. How Much to Spend on a Car
3. Is it Worth it to Buy an Electric Car?

Ready to save? You can sign up now to get your $10 Cash Back bonus, begin earning when you shop online and Refer-A-Friend for $5 per eligible referral.

Image thanks to karmadude.