Why Your Family Should do the 4 Gift Rule this Christmas

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Want to keep Christmas from getting out of control in your family?  How about doing the 4 gift rule in your house? If you haven’t heard about this, here’s how it goes.  Each member in your family gets 4 gifts. These gifts follow a theme:

 

  • Something you want
  • Something you need
  • Something to wear
  • Something to read

 

When you follow this 4 gift rule, your house won’t be overrun with gifts, gadgets and clutter.  Plus, your children won’t become overwhelmed by the sheer number of gifts that they are opening up.  That happens you know. Kids can become overwhelmed. At some point each of the gifts is just that, another gift.  Why not make sure to teach your children the value of appreciation and thankfulness by creating a more simple, yet more fulfilling Christmas?

I am all about going in a more simplistic way this year and for all of the years to come during the holidays.  I kind of started last year, but I am definitely more intentional now. My husband and I set a budget and a gift limit and stuck to it. As an added benefit, not only did I spend less money, but I got all of the Christmas shopping done on Black Friday sitting on my sofa.  We wrote a list of what we were buying and stuck with it. No more wandering throughout stores grabbing stuff just for the kids to open more somethings on Christmas morning. Intentional and simple. Plus, now I get to spend the rest of the month just sitting back and enjoying the holiday season.  This will definitely be something new for me, but I am looking forward to it!

In full disclosure, I did also buy my children stocking stuffers so those will not be included in the 4 gift rule, but none of those are high dollar gifts. I chose stuff like $5 gift cards, bath bombs, etc.

Do you do the 4 Gift Rule in your house?  Do you have any other traditions that you follow to make the holidays more intentional and less hectic?

Make Your Home Smell Like the Holidays with this Easy Stovetop Recipe

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It’s that time of year when I love my home smelling of cinnamon and Christmas trees. There is a super easy way to get your home smelling like that all season long. Check out this recipe and you’re guests and family will truly love it.

Recipe and picture by The Homespun Hydrangea:

Ingredients:

  • 1 small lemon
  • 1 small orange
  • 1 cup of whole cranberries
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks
  •  pinch of dried cloves
  •  pinch of nutmeg
  •  2-3 small pine branches
  • 4 cups of water

Directions:

Fill your pot with 4 cups of water. Slice the oranges, lemons into thin slices. You can use the seeds and ends in this recipe. No just drop the fruit, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg and pine into the water and bring this to low.

Awesome & Frugal Neighbor Gift Ideas To Hand Out This Christmas!

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Neighbor gifts are hard – you don’t want to spend to much but you want it something practical they’ll like. But who needs more cookies? And we all know costs can add up fast! Here’s a list of 15 awesome (at least I think so) neighbor gifts you could give out this year that aren’t going to hurt your pocket book later on!

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  1. DIY Clementine Wreths
  2. “Twizz” The Season to be Jolly
  3. Wrapping Paper and Tape with Cute Card
  4. “Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas From the Ding Dongs Next Door!”
  5. Santa-Tizer Gift
  6. “There Ain’t Muffin Like Good Friends”

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7. Tic Tac Christmas Labels
8. Paper towel Gift with printable (did this last year – they loved it!)
9. Have a “Holly Jolly” Christmas
10. Joy Soap Gift
11. Soda-Lighted You’re My Neighbor
12. Merry Christmas to a “Grate” Neighbor

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13.“Don’t let your dishes pile up this busy holiday season! Let our family “do the dishes” this week
14. Redbox Neighbor gift idea with popcorn
15. Bread and jam
16. Bless You tissue pack (or box)
17. Rolled up coloring pages with a box of crayons

What do you guys do for neighbor gifts? Or do you just scratch them and throw a neighborhood party? Have you through about donating that money to someone in need – maybe even within the neighborhood? I want to hear it all in the comments below!

5 Reasons to Shop Online on Black Friday

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Black Friday.  The shopping day of all shopping days.  I used to LOVE Black Friday shopping, but at some point, I just stopped.  I no longer go shopping out of the house on Black Friday. Guess what? I LOVE IT.

 

There is just so much to love about not heading to the mall or the big box store on the hottest shopping day of the year. I have a feeling that I am not the only one who feels this way either.  If you are still contemplating whether or not to go shopping on Black Friday, check out this great list of reasons why you shouldn’t.

5 Reasons to Shop Online on Black Friday

No Crowds

Oh man.  My favorite part.  Honestly, when I was younger, I loved this part.  The rush of grabbing the deal before the other guy.  It was a game and I always conquered.  

Save Money

Look, this girl LOVES to save money. LOVES IT. The problem is that all of the great deals that hit the stores on Black Friday are such good deals that I had to get all of the deals, regardless of whether or not I needed them. That is not conducive to saving money.

The deals are rarely what I am looking for

Okay, this isn’t always the case, but oftentimes the deals that are really good are not the stuff that is on my list of things to buy. 

I can stay in my jammies

Seriously.  I am totally giving myself away here, but I love to just hang out in my jammies sometimes and after a big day of family and food, there is nothing better than to just hang out and relax.

Online shopping is so much easier

Hey, I never said that I didn’t like to shop on Black Friday, I just prefer to do my shopping from the comfort of my home.  Plus, you can almost always find the same Black Friday deals online that are in store. 

Do you do Black Friday shopping?

7 Costco Shopping Tips That Will Help You Save Money

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Costco is a wonderful store full of yummy food and excellent prices. I love the variety of products available throughout the year. During the holidays I love shopping for toys, food, decor and even Christmas trees! With all of the fun and unique items Costco offers, I tent to spend WAY too much every time I go. However, there are some easy ways to save some big money while you shop. Check these out!

  1. Before you head into the store, check online for Costco Warehouse Savings  and Holiday Savings where they have a lot of items with Instant Savings. Be sure to check the dates they are available. They rotate often.
  2. Buy store brand- Kirkland options where available. You’ll notice a good savings on that brand and for most items they are rated well against other brands.
  3. Did you know that Costco offers discounted gift cards? Even better, they offer special items that are for your location. For example, we have an amusement in Utah called Lagoon. You can get discounted passes from Costco for Lagoon. Check your local Costco for which ones they offer. This could be a great Christmas gift or date night!
  4. Travel Services. You can buy travel packages, hotels, cruises and even car rentals. We’ve used Costco many times for car rentals because they beat all of the competitor prices. The next time you travel, do a quick price comparison with Costco, you won’t be disappointed.
  5. Free Samples. Now how can this be a money saver? Quite simple. Go around and get your samples first so you aren’t starving, that way as you’re shopping you won’t buy from a hunger impulse! Plus, these samples are super yummy and fun ideas to try something new.
  6. Costco Return Policy is simply amazing. This is definitely helps with money savings since you can return an item at any time for money back. Some items including electronics have a 90 day return policy. Be sure to keep your receipts.
  7. Costco Price Protection Policy. If any item you bought at Costco goes down in price within 30 days of your purchase you can get the money difference back. Just head to the Customer Service and show your receipt and the new price. On more expensive items, this is definitely worth the time and effort.

Keto Pumpkin Pie For Your Thanksgiving Meal!

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Thanksgiving is only a week away so the meal prep has begun! This year I’ve been working on listening to my body and working on portion control but that doesn’t mean I want to miss out on dessert! So I’m bringing the pie and I’ve found (and tested) this yummy Pumpkin Pie to take to the feast. It’s the perfect way to still stick to my goals and enjoy a taste treat.

Keto Crustless Pumpkin Pie
1 (15oz) can pure pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/2 cup erythritol
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or heavy cream)
1 teaspoon pure liquid stevia (optional)

First start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. The simply whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour into a oiled 8×8 pan (or pie pan if you prefer). Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 35-40 minutes until the pie is set and cooked through. Knife should come out clean at center. Once cooled, slice and serve with whipped cream.

This is a crustless option and one I actually really love but you can always opt for a crusted pie make with almond flour if you’re wanting the full effect! Happy Thanksgiving!

Crafty Projects for You and Your Kids This Christmas

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Do you like to do arts and crafts with your kids?  Even if it’s not your typical thing to do, do you enjoy doing crafty projects with your kids during the holidays?  I’m not super creative so arts and crafts have never really been my thing, but I have always made time to do some crafty projects with my kids for Christmas.  The time spent together is just so much fun.

I especially like it when there are easy to follow, step by step instructions to go along with the craft projects we are doing that’s why I decided to look up some fun crafty projects for you and your kids this Christmas so that we can all spend good, quality time together this holiday season.

Crafty Projects for You and Your Kids This Christmas

Snowman Christmas Countdown Craft

This Snowman Christmas Countdown Craft is super fun to make and helps to keep the kids on top of how many days are left until Christmas so they aren’t always asking you.  

Easy Ribbon DIY Star Ornament

Have fun crafting with your kids and let them add some decoration to your Christmas tree with this Easy Ribbon DIY Star Ornament.  

Easy Christmas Craft Idea for Kids Santa’s Binoculars

These Easy Christmas Craft Idea for Kids Santa’s Binoculars looks like so much fun!  Plus, if your kids love pretending things are binoculars as much as my 3 year old does, they are going to absolutely love this craft project. 

Pine Cone Christmas Trees

When doing arts and crafts, what better way than to use things that you already have.  Like Pine Cones! These Pine Cone Christmas trees are super cute, easy to make and they already come from pine trees so it’s perfect!  You can also buy pine cones from a craft store if your yard isn’t covered in them like mine seems to be year round. 

Do you do holiday arts and crafts with your kids?  Do you have a favorite craft project that you do every year?

Delicious Thanksgiving Pies and Desserts

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Do you know what you are making this Thanksgiving? When it comes to desserts do you do pies or something different.  Truth be told, I am not a big pie fan, but Thanksgiving is just not Thanksgiving without some homemade pie on the table!  Am I right?

If you are looking for some tasty new recipes to cover your Thanksgiving dessert table, check out these delicious recipes.

Delicious Thanksgiving Pies and Desserts

 

Mile High Strawberry Jello Pie 

 

This is not your typical Thanksgiving pie, but I think it looks delicious!  I personally love strawberries, so I would be all for giving this one a shot.  What do you think?

 

Cranberry Orange Pie

 

I have never had a cranberry orange pie, have you?  I don’t love cranberries, but I am thinking that this pie might change my mind.  Plus, I like the idea of having this pie on my table because it looks amazing!

 

Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

 

I love the crumb topping on this one.  The thing I don’t really like about pie is the crust so I really like the idea of crumbs. 

 

Dutch Apple Pie

 

If you love an apple crisp.  This Dutch Apple Pie is a mixture of both and oh so good!  Make sure you have some yummy vanilla ice cream to go along with it though! 

 

Easy classic pecan pie recipe

 

Many of us had a tasty, classic pecan pie at our Thanksgiving celebrations of our youth and this one is a great way to invoke those old pecan pie memories. 

 

I know, I know there is no pumpkin here.  But I am trying to mix things up a bit. What do you think of these?  Want to make any of these next week?

 

Happy Baking!

Surprisingly Awesome Places to Shop for Stocking Stuffers & Christmas gifts

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Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?  I have gotten all of my nieces and nephews shopped for, which is a nice relief, but I do still need to shop for my kids and my hubby.  We all know that I am a bit of a cheapskate, and this doesn’t change during the holidays. That’s why I thought I would chat a little bit about some surprisingly awesome places to shop for stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts.  No one likes to be stuck in line at the mall, right?

Surprisingly Awesome Places to Shop for Stocking Stuffers & Christmas gifts

 

Rite Aid – Rite Aid is awesome for buying makeup, nail polish and other beauty and bath items. Those of this stuff is awesome for stockings. Plus, Rite Aid has some seriously awesome clearance deals so keep an eye out for those bright yellow tags that show 25%-75% off.  

Walgreens – Walgreens is just about my favorite place to coupon for makeup, razors, beauty products, etc.  Check this site often for sweet coupon deals and you can score them too. These are always good to put into stockings. 

Grocery stores – So many awesome candy bar deals can be found at the grocery store.  Also, be sure to check the clearance rack here too because there is often super cheap makeup, lotions, etc.  I often even find toys at my local Safeway clearance.

Goodwill – Crazy, right?  I know everyone doesn’t like to buy second hand gift for Christmas.  My family and I don’t mind at all, but that’s not why I mentioned it.  I mentioned it because at many Goodwill stores, they sell Target overstock items.  That means brand spanking stuff at a fraction of the price. I cannot tell you how many times I have scored rock bottom prices shopping this way. 

Amazon – Keep your eye on Amazon because they are always dropping prices crazy low and pretty much anything you might be shopping for.

Couple Date Nights You’ve Got to Try During the Holidays

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It’s the holiday season, which means date night could be put on the back burner while you are busy hosting  parties and buying gifts. However, the holiday season is one of the most magical times of the year to go on dates and take advantage of those holiday events that only take place during this time of year. Here are a few ideas that you definitely will want to try this holiday season.

Active Date Night: My husband and I love to be active so having a date night where I can run around or throw an axe is right up our alley. For an active date try out Axe Throwing, Top Golf, Ice Skating, City Scavenger Hunts, paint ball, swimming or a new dance class.

Intellectual Date Night: Use your brains! Some times as a stay at home mom I feel my brain is not being in use, so going to an Escape room is super fun. This is a fun date to invite some friends on. The more the merrier…and hopefully will help you escape. Other fun intellectual date nights could include: night at the Opera, or check out your local symphony. These are so fun during the holidays.

Creative Date Night: Use your creativity and go to a paint night where you actually get to paint a scene. We recently did this and I was totally out of my comfort zone, but it ended up being a date night favorite. Other creative date nights could be: local musical plays, glass studios, ceramics, or take a cooking class at local restaurant.

For the Foodies. I love trying new places to eat. My husband and I get excited when we hear new restaurants opening near us. During the holidays, many expensive restaurants have deals or coupons that you can use. If you enjoy trying to new places then this is the time to do it. Also, check your local restaurants websites on Black Friday and see what offers they have. Many will give you extra money for your gift card purchase.

Holiday Specials. If you love holiday music then be sure to check your local event venues and see who is on their schedule for November and December. Most of them will have local as well as popular artists that are singing or playing Christmas music. You could also check for local Christmas sing a longs near you.

For all of the date ideas above, be sure to check out Groupon and Living Social in the city near you. These sites have a tab called “Things to Do” or “Activities.” You might just find a few new date nights listed with great prices. Go on a date this holiday season, it might be the best one yet.

The Best Recipes to Make with Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

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I do not know about you, but I just really love Thanksgiving. I appreciate that Thanksgiving is simply about being together and not about gifts or anything else.  Just food and family. It’s such a nice way to spend the day. We often spend the entire day with family first cooking and prepping food together, then eating and visiting and then just relaxing together.  It’s so much fun.

And the food, oh my goodness the food!  It’s not just Thanksgiving though, the leftovers from Thanksgiving are often just as good if not better than on T day itself!  Some really amazing recipes can be made from those recipes. 

The Best Recipes to Make with Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

Smoked Turkey Chili Recipe

Chili is such a great meal for Fall that it makes sense to use up that extra turkey for a delicious pot of chili.

Smoked Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe

Delicious turkey noodle soup is a must-have after Thanksgiving.  I mean, doesn’t everyone create a soup after Thanksgiving.

Easy Leftover Turkey and Pear Pizza Recipe

If you want to create something a little bit different with your Thanksgiving leftovers, why not make this tasty looking Easy Leftover Turkey and Pear Pizza Recipe?

Slow Cooker Cajun 15 Bean Soup with Turkey

Another great warming fall recipe.  This is a great way to use up the extra turkey in your fridge.

Turkey & Dressing Enchiladas

Delicious enchiladas created with your leftover dressing using sliced turkey. YUM!

Turkey Noodle Casserole

I love a good casserole, there is just no better comfort food.  I love creating a good casserole out of Thanksgiving leftovers.

Of course there is a classic turkey sandwich, my husband really likes to have his leftover Thanksgiving Turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce in it.  What is your favorite recipe to make with your Thanksgiving leftovers?

Homemade Gift Baskets Make the Best Holiday Gifts

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Are you looking for the best ideas for Christmas gifts?  I used to struggle with this all the time. That said, the older I get, the less I actually like the gift giving process.  I mean, I LOVE giving gifts, but what I really love is giving meaningful gifts. I don’t want to buy stuff just for the purpose of buying stuff.  I want the gifts to show the person that I am thinking about them and that I put great love into choosing the perfect gift for them.

I think that this is one of the reasons why homemade gift baskets make the best holiday gifts. They are all made specifically for the recipient!

If you are at a loss on where to start, here are some really great holiday homemade gift basket ideas:

DIY BEAUTY SPA KIT

If you have a friend or loved one that loves a good spa day, this is the perfect gift basket!

DINNER AND A MOVIE GIFT BASKET

So many of us love dinner and movies, but it can really break the bank sometimes.  Why not help others have a fun night out with this awesome Dinner and a Movie Gift Basket.

DIY FOOD GIFT BASKET

The food lover in your life NEEDS a DIY Food Gift Basket!  Seriously, I don’t know about you, but I love food gifts. This one looks pretty easy to put together too. 

GIFTS FOR WINE LOVERS

Okay, if you are shopping for the wine lover in your life, look no further to find the perfect ingredients for a wine themed gift basket!  This list is full of really great wine themed gifts that any wine lover would love to receive in a gift basket!  

We can’t forget about the puppies!!!

PAW PRINTS DOG CARE PACKAGE

Our canine kids deserve gifts too, right?  This cute pup themed gift basket will be perfect for all of the pups in your life!

 

Even more tips on becoming more productive

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I just can’t get off of this topic!  Are you excited about this productivity thing we have going here?  Are the tips helping you so far? If you are really ready to become more productive, I am here with you!  Let’s make these changes together! I am ready for my life to be more productive, more meaningful and more relaxed!  

My goal is to be productive enough in my days that when my family is home, I get to spend all of our time together. I no longer want to be spending family time working on stuff that I should have gotten done before. 

Even more tips on becoming more productive

 

  1. Take care of yourself.  I know, I know, you don’t have time to take care of yourself.  Here’s the thing though. If you don’t take time to take care of yourself (both your physical and mental health), you will become more rundown and less productive.  Tell me again how you don’t have time?
  2. Do one thing at a time.  Remember that to-do list that we talked about a couple of days ago?  Start doing the tasks on this list one at a time. Do not jump from task to task.  It will slow you down.
  3. Start easy.  When creating your to-do list, start with the easiest tasks first.  Obviously this will change if you have something incredibly time sensitive on your list, however, you will be much more productive and accomplish more things on your list, if you tackle the easy stuff first. 
  4. Download the right apps.  A to-do list app didn’t help me, but that doesn’t mean it won’t help you.  I do use a family calendar app and a productivity timer app that have both helped me greatly.  Our phones are full of amazing tools that can make our days more successful. Take advantage of the ones that work for you. 
  5. Think positively.  We talked a little yesterday about how negative feelings can hinder our productivity. The same is true for the opposite.  The more optimistically you think, the more you will accomplish during your days. 

Let me know if I am missing any great productivity tips or tell us which of these tips have worked the best for you!

5 More Tips for Learning How to Be More Productive

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The other day I wrote a post on my top 5 tips for learning how to be more productive. I discovered while writing it that I actually have quite a few tips that I follow on a daily basis that help me to accomplish more throughout my day. 

I don’t know about you but between running the kids back and forth from school and activities, to housework, to the work that needs done in my business, my goodness I get overloaded!  I used to fall into a trap that made it far too easy to go pretty lax on my list of to-dos which really affected my days. No more! In addition to the list I posted the other day, I also follow these tips on a day to day basis to keep myself in gear and to help myself become more productive.

5 More Tips for Learning How to Be More Productive

 

  1. Take social media off of your phone – Social media is the worst time suck ever.  I fell into a trap because I often use social media for work, so I kept making the excuse that I needed to have it on my phone.  NOPE. Nada, that was a lie. Once I finally took Facebook off of my phone and started just checking it on my computer I started getting so much more stuff done.  I found that whenever I was feeling overwhelmed by my workload it was easy to just grab my phone and scroll (which didn’t help me feel less overwhelmed btw).
  2. Set a schedule for checking email.  You email can wait a couple of hours.  Yes, it can. Seriously. Many of us (myself included) check our emails WAY TOO OFTEN.  I have committed to checking my emails just 3 times per day. Early morning (6 a.m.), noon and again at 4 so that I can respond to any time sensitive emails before the work day is over. That’s it.  My emails do not get opened otherwise.
  3. Wake up earlier in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I am ridiculously productive in the mornings.  I seriously can get so much done. I don’t know if that’s just how my mind works, or if it is because it is actually quiet in my house, but I find it highly beneficial to wake up at least an hour before my family so I can actually get stuff done. 
  4. Go on an unsubscribe binge. Okay, I know I just told you to rein in your time on your email, but schedule this into your week.  Go into your email and unsubscribe from every non-important email that you can. If you are anything like me you have many, many of these emails coming in daily.  Not only do they clutter up your inbox, but they also distract you with constant notifications. 
  5. Watch less TV.  How much TV do you watch in an average week?  Imagine all of the stuff that you can get done in the time you spent watching TV this week.  

Black Friday 2019: Use These 7 Tips to Help You Save the Most Money

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This year Black Friday ads and deals are already popping up, are you ready? It may be a little overwhelming on where to shop and how to get the best deals when there are SO many out there. Here is a list of tips on how to save the most during your Black Friday shopping.

  1. Make a list. You can’t start your shopping unless you know what you are shopping for. Have your whole family write down their lists as well. Be sure to include gifts you need to buy for in-laws and neighbors. Once your list is written down, you are ready to shop!
  2. Compare Stores for Best Deals. This is the overwhelming part, but have no fear. Freebies2Deals will be posting their Best of the Best Black Friday deals soon where you have all those hots items compared with the BEST price listed. This way you won’t have to take the time comparing each store! So check back next week.
  3. Start Shopping NOW!  Today and tomorrow, November 8th and 9th, 2019, Target and Best Buy are offering a lot of their Black Friday deals early. This is the time to grab these items. Some might be selling out, so move fast when you find an item that is at Black Friday price or BETTER than Black Friday price.
  4. Watch for Amazon Lightning Deals.  These are HOT and so fun! Amazon has deals that are set to go live at pre-determined times, which means you can look ahead to see when they will go live and then add specific deals to your “Watched Deals” category. You can bookmark this page for ALL Lightning deals.  Plus, if you are an Amazon Prime Member you can get early access to most Lightening Deals. This gives you 30 extra minutes to shop the deal before the general public can shop it. If you aren’t an Amazon Prime Member, you can get a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime here.
  5. Use Coupon Codes to Save More. Be sure to check the main page of each store when you are shopping for extra ways to save money. There might be coupon codes that will give you extra percentages off. One HOT deal that you need to take advantage of is the Target Toy coupon where you text the word TOY to 827438 on your phone to get a coupon code for 25% off.  This coupon code works through November 23rd, 2019. It  can work on Black Friday prices too, so be sure to check that out.
  6. Take Advantage of FREE Shipping. During Black Friday you shouldn’t have to pay for shipping. So watch for coupon codes on stores main pages or purchase minimums. Most stores will be offering FREE shipping anyway, but just be careful you aren’t paying any extra for that. Every cent counts!
  7. Be Quick! You’ve probably experienced Black Friday where you have all of the items in your cart, just to find out that when you check out half of your items are already out of stock. That can be frustrating! There are limited number of items for just about every Black Friday deal. So, when you are online and ready to purchase your items, be quick and check out fast.

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