Your children have been running around all summer, and while you love to see them happy, there’s that little voice in your head that worries about their ability to snap back into school mode within the next few weeks. Well, it’s time to put your fears aside. Here are a few tips and tricks that will get them to remain focused and learn while simultaneously having fun!
Rewards, Rewards, Rewards: You love earning rewards on credit card purchases and getting great perks like buying two bottles of water and getting the third one for free. You can use the same tactic with your kids. If they work on their homework assignments right when they get home from school and finish before dinner, then extend playtime for thirty minutes. Pack them two cookies in their lunch instead of one to reward them for a stellar quiz grade. Trust me when I say that they will not only notice, but will do everything in their power to keep the good times rolling!
After School Activities: Let your son explore his spitfire mentality and adoration for the outdoors by allowing him to enroll in Pee Wee football, a little league baseball team or club soccer. Not only will he be happier and learn to burn off some of that hyper activity, but letting him compete will be a lot cheaper than you’d anticipated. If you place an order with Reebok between August 1 and August 31 you’ll receive 25% off, plus free shipping and returns on all kids’ footwear. That will make you not only the coolest mom in the world, but the smartest!
Naz Papen
Naz Papen is a frequent contributor to PromoCodes.com.
The new school year is upon us, and it will bring with it…lots of bills. With the imminent need to pay that monthly tuition bill in addition to paying for new school supplies and new clothes, you’ll definitely need to find new ways to save where you can.
Clothes: If you have small children returning to school, then you’re in luck! OshKosh B’Gosh is offering 20% off all orders on clothing for babies, toddlers, and kids during the Luv2Save sale that’s on now until August 1 (code: LUV2SAVE.) And Little Miss Matched is also offering up to 60% off its collection of clothing for babies, toddlers, and girls.
Pack a Lunch: Avoid the temptation to simply send your kids out the door with five dollars and the hopes that they’ll make a healthy selection at the school cafeteria. If you pack your kids’ lunch most days of the week, you’ll not only ensure that they’ll be eating well every afternoon, but you can also save quite a bit of cash.
After School: There are most likely a number of after-school programs available not only from your children’s school, but from the community at large. After-school programs, like sports activities and music lessons, can not only keep the kids active, but it can keep you from having to dip into your coffers for private lessons.
Dana Robinson
Dana Robinson is a couponing expert and regularly contributes money-saving articles to PromoCodes.com.
Busy moms everywhere feel that the only way to get their homes and their lives under control is to clone themselves. Well, until that technology is available at a doctor’s office near you, the only other reasonable alternative is to get some assistance with running the household. Here’s how you can do it without breaking the bank.
Free Assistance: Having friends or family pitch in is the old-fashioned, yet incredibly effective, way to get the help you need. And while your neighbor across the street might not be willing to help you wash windows or tidy up the living room, she will most likely be able to offer a few free hours of babysitting or to pick the kids up from school every now and again. You can also insist that your husband pitch in a little more with the housework and other chores when he’s at home.
Hire Some Help: Sometimes there’s nothing else left to do but throw some money at the problem. (But luckily, you won’t have to throw that much.) Babysitters and nannies can give you some much-needed relief in the childcare department, so you might want to check out Sitter City. The site makes it easy for you to connect with qualified childcare assistants and allows you to choose from over two million caregivers nationwide. You can have access to detailed profiles, references, and background checks before the first interview, and until August 31 you can get 20% off any monthly subscription (code: SCHOOL).
Dana Robinson
Dana Robinson is a couponing expert and regularly contributes money-saving articles to PromoCodes.com.
With summer drawing to a close, you now have a very narrow, yet distinct window of opportunity to get started on that big home improvement project you’ve been avoiding—the back deck! And while you may very well need to call in a professional if you’re planning to do a large remodeling project, you can save some money by doing a bit of the groundwork yourself.
Your computer can actually help you get a better idea of how to redesign your patio—specifically, Instant Deck & Patio design software from IMSI Design. The software makes it easy for you to bring your vision to life with simple drag and drop technology and material cost estimations. You can even plan your new patio down to the last finishing details by using the design library to select outdoor furniture, plants (you can select from over 2,000 options), lighting, and more.
If you purchase by September 30 you can save even more by getting 66% off of the retail price (code: SUMMERDECK66%). If you get the ball rolling now you could have a new deck just in time to have the family and friends over for an end-of-summer barbecue.
Dana Robinson
Dana Robinson is a couponing expert and regularly contributes money-saving articles to PromoCodes.com.
The standard online shopping scenario goes something like this: you find something you want, proceed to the checkout page, put all of your credit card and delivery information in the appropriate boxes…and then you realize that the cost to ship the item you want will either meet or exceed the cost of the item itself. You then realize you didn’t need that item that badly in the first place and proceed to cancel the order.
Shopping online shouldn’t have to be this way. With the exception of ordering products on December 23 for Christmas Day delivery, you should never have to pay an exorbitant amount to ship an item that you purchased online. Most of your favorite retailers offer deals and discounts that can either significantly reduce shipping expenses or eliminate them altogether. You just have to know where to look.
Until August 31 BestBuy is offering free shipping on back-to-school tech items, such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones, while Pottery Barn is offering free shipping on all pillow covers until July 31. And if you’re in the mood for some fine dining, you can get free standard shipping on gift cards for Restaurant.com. Can’t wait for standard shipping? Then increase your savings and reduce your wait time by ordering a Restaurant.com gift card of $40 or more to receive free expedited shipping! If you stay up to date on the deals and discounts from your favorite retailers on PromoCodes.com, you may never have to pay shipping costs again!
Dana Robinson
Dana Robinson is a couponing expert and regularly contributes money-saving articles to PromoCodes.com.
Now that you’ve graduated from school and have entered the real world (and are smart enough to look for coupon deals so you can afford to pay back all of those school loans) it’s time to get acclimated to office life. Although life beyond the dorms can be expensive, there are more than a few ways to cut corners and live well.
Dress the Part: Baseball T-shirts and tank tops won’t cut it at the office, so it may be time to put together a new wardrobe. Head out to Nordstrom’s and take advantage of their fall sale, or visit any number of retailers to stock up on appropriate shirts, suits and office accessories.
Don’t Rely on a Phone: Although you got used to beginning your day at noon during your final spring quarter, it’s now more important than ever to make a good impression and prove to your boss that she made the right choice. Don’t rely on your cell phone’s built in alarm system, no matter how smart your phone may be. Invest in a reliable alarm clock and set it up far away from your nightstand.
New Computer: Although the laptop that you parents bought you when you were entering college is surprisingly still running, it surely won’t be for long. Don’t risk losing any integral material for work or jeopardizing an office project due to faulty technology. Instead, purchase a Pavilion Desktop from HP Home and Office Store before July 31 and receive 25% off your order (code: DTT14728).
Good luck at your new job and enjoy your new office life!
Naz Papen
Naz Papen is a frequent contributor to PromoCodes.com.
