Saving Money
Ok, once again I’m posting an entry about saving money. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I love a deal and don’t like paying full price.
Here are a few sites that I just found:
Common Sense with Money is a blog with money-saving tips!
Baby Cheapskate has all sorts of coupons, news, and tips for saving money on baby supplies.
Freepeats! It’s like Freecycle, but for kid/baby stuff.
Be Centsable has Money-saving tips.
Freebies 4 Mom tips on free sample sites and resources.
Check the sites out and get back to me about what you think of them! I’d love to know.
Also, if you have any suggestions for entries, let me know. I’ll do the research to the best of my ability (and in whatever available time I have).
International Day of Play
If you need a suggestion for celebrating International Day of Play (September 27 or October 1 – I’m not quite sure), look at the following websites for inspiration:
Stepping Stones Museum has a schedule of activities (and it’s FREE tomorrow).
KaBoom! is a listing of local playgrounds and play spaces. Be sure to log in and add any that aren’t listed yet.
Nick Let’s Just Play World Wide Day of Play
Suzy Said Blog has listings and information in and around the Fairfield area, but does cover all of Fairfield county.
Suzy Said Blog has other listings and information for in and around the Wilton/Weston/Westport area, but, again, covers Fairfield county as well.
Coupons & Free Samples
Well, I think we’re all interested in saving money (if you’re not – uh, WHY NOT!?!).
A friend of mine sent me a link to a coupon site & I felt the need to pass it on to you:
MommySavers.com
Valpak
This got me thinking about other coupon sites & free sample sites.
Coupons.com
eCoupons.com
CouponCabin.com
Shop4Freebies.com
CouponMom.com
Please read the fine print before signing up for anything. I do not endorse these sites and have not used all of them. Feel free to search for coupons or free samples – you’ll probably find what you’re looking for faster than using these sites.
My favorite site for good deals is:
CleverMoms.com
A few really great tips for saving money:
-Google the product you plan on purchasing & the word coupon
-search for free samples of items you are interested in before purchasing
-there are coupons for just about anything you want to buy – just ASK!
-most manufacturers will provide you with coupons by mail or email if you simply call or email their customer service & satisfaction department to ask them (the even occasionally will send free samples)
-many stores have free samples of select products (usually cosmetics, hair care, & hygiene) – just ask a sales associate
-even local companies offer coupons or discounts on their websites
-price shop/comparison shop – most stores will match or beat a competitor’s price if you provide a printout
-it’s ok to haggle these days
-check the penny saver & all those flyers you get in the mail & ONLY clip the coupons for the items you plan on buying (buying something you wouldn’t have bought otherwise, simply because you have a coupon, does NOT save money in the long run)
-ask around about where the best place to buy your favorite products are
-ask friends what their favorite products are & try them out
-check the “cheap gas prices” websites to find the best prices in your area
*Thanks to Samm for the MommySavers.com and Valpak websites.*
If any of you have any suggestions for other websites that help you save money, please send them on to me!
Car Seat Safety Inspection
There is a shocking statistic floating around the internet that about 75% (thanks for the correction Sally) of car seats are installed improperly! I don’t know if this statistic is accurate, but it was enough to get me thinking. There are different car seat safety laws for each state and a whole host of car seats on the market. I can’t tell you what car seat to buy – that’s your decision, but I can tell you that there are car seat inspection stations throughout the country. If you think your car seat might be installed improperly (or if you’re like me and just want to be 100% sure it’s in right), there are a few things you can do.
You can call your local fire department or police station to ask if they know where the nearest car seat inspection station is, you can look on your community’s website to see if it’s listed there, or you can access the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration’s car seat inspection location website.
Local town websites are on this blog entry:
Here.
Also, as an update to an earlier & similar entry (Here), the CT car seat law is now 8 years old & 80 pounds. It used to be 6 years and 60 pounds. New York is still 6 & 60, but CT is now stricter.
ReUseIt
I just noticed that my Freecycle.org Yahoo! group email now says it’s a ReUseIt.org Yahoo! group email list!
I figured I’d check it out and it seems that ReUseIt.org is similar in many ways to Freecycle.org.
Go check it out and see for yourself! Most of the people I know used and loved Freecycle.org , so I have a feeling that ReUseIt.org will soon be a favorite, too!
Please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Interim-ReUseIt-Danbury-CT_USA/ and subscribe to the email list & join ReUseIt!
*Edit
Freecycle has changed and is no longer what it once was. Please join ReUseIt because it is a phenomenal resource!
Car Seats
If you have a child under 60lbs or under 6yrs or both, it will behoove you to read the information on the following websites:
CT Department of Transportation – Child Safety Seats — This website spells out the laws regarding child safety seats. It also has a list of other resources with information about child safety seats.
National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration — This site will enable you to locate a car seat inspection station near you. It’s a free service and will provide you with peace of mind knowing that your child’s car seat is installed properly.
CT Safe Kids — This site has general information about keeping your children safe (bicycle, car, skateboard, rollerblade, etc).
Rails to Trails
If you enjoy walks around town but prefer the scenery of a hike, I’ve been told this is the ideal compromise!
Ridgefield has a trail that used to be an old railway track.
There is a national organization that lists all the trails. It’s called TrailLink. You can enter search criteria and find a suitable trail for you and your family and friends!
The organization that helps create the Rails to Trails program has a website here
Please let me know what you think of the different trails – I’d really like to know which area trails are preferred! I am especially curious to know which trails are “stroller-friendly” and which ones aren’t.
2-1-1!
Probably the best resource of all is 2-1-1! Just dial 211 from any phone in CT and you will gain access to a host of helpful people who can assist you with almost any inquiry you may have (I have called them with questions that range from absurd to complicated to simple and they’ve helped me with everything except finding a babysitter on a Friday afternoon for that night).
Whether you would like to become a volunteer or need an answer to a question or need help, 2-1-1 is there to help. The best part of all is that it is FREE!
They also have a website for those who don’t feel comfortable calling or are more web-inclined.
211CT.org
Free Summer Activities
Weir Farm is a free historical park.
The Aldrich Museum has free admission on Tuesdays and I’ve been told it’s a great place to go with a child in a stroller because it’s both grown-up and child friendly.
The City Center has free concerts this summer on the green.
CHIRP is sponsoring free concerts every Tuesday evening in Ballard Park. Click on “Events” for a list of the scheduled artists.
KidsEvents.com also lists local businesses and activities. They also have an email list.
