Free Lego Magazine

Sign up here for a free Lego magazine subscription. They pick which one based on age. 

https://club.lego.com/en-us/join/magazinesubscription/

Arts Cow - 6 free books & 1800 free prints + Magnet/Coaster Deal

Let me know if you are interested in getting a referral code to get 6 free books & 1800 free prints from ArtsCow.  I can e-mail it to you.

I have mentioned them before.  I have seen mixed reviews on them.  I order 100 free prints & had them within 5 days.  I also ordered 3 free books & it was just over a week to get them.  I had to pay shipping.  They are coming from Hong Kong so you never know for sure how long it will take.

I was very pleased with both of my purchases.  The books are not as user friendly as Shutterfly, but I would say the quality was as good.

They are running a special right now.

Buttons, Magnets and Drink Coasters 
3 for $5 
Mix and match your little goodies.
http://www.artscow.com/photo-gifts/magnet-button-coaster 

Kellogg's Rewards

If you haven't join Kellogg's Rewards, now is a great time.   As I have mentioned before I have gotten some great Shutterfly freebies just for being a member.  Here's a link to a bunch of current codes.

Use code HAPPYBDAYAMERICA to get 238 points

Kohl's Cash - UPDATE

Our local Kohl's (Wooster) will no longer accept expired Kohl's cash, effective August 1. Be sure to use it by the exp. date.  I don't know if this is across the board at Kohl's or just our area, so if you tend to use expired Kohl's cash, you might want to verify with your store.

This is a corporate decision so all stores should be effective.  Use your Kohl's cash now.

A Few of My Favorite Northeast Ohio Discount Stores

I'm working on compiling a list of key thrift shopping stores in our area.



Local discount shopping
 
Everything Surplus store & Clothing Warehouse - Wooster near K-Mart. Discounted food, clothes & household items.  The stores are beside each other.

Downunder Liquidator - Near OARDC  Discount household items

Friendtique - 223 W Liberty St Wooster.  Profits go toward the Hospice of Wayne County. They have clothing and furniture, household goods, etc. Often have estate type things for sale. 

Massillon Discount store – 1070 NE 1^st St, Massillon, near Lake & 21.  Discounted food & household items.

Ollie’s – Cleveland Rd N Canton, across from K-mart. Mansfield has a bigger store.  Discounted food & household items

Tuesday Mornings - Canton & Fairlawn - discount household, super clearance

Gabriel Brothers - Canton & Fairlawn - discount clothes & household


MCC Connections– located in Kidron, by Central Christian.  Very clean, like a Goodwill.  Typically nicer things.  I have found some fun Christian movies & books for the kids.  They have a color tag that is $ 0.25 each week.  It changes Friday morning.

Save & Serve - located in Millersburg.  like MCC

Goodwill – Orrville, Wooster, Massillon, Canal Fulton, Jackson (near Jackson HS).   Get a free card to get 10% off $15 purchase, 20% in January.  Massillon, Jackson & Canal Fulton have 1 color tag that is $1.50 each week.  There a new outlet in Canton where Circuit City used to be.  You pay by the pound.  Bring gloves for digging through totes of stuff.

New Destinations - Wooster 5382 Cleveland Rd, Barberton. - Like Goodwill money goes toward Barberton Rescue Mission. I don't recommend the Barberton location. 

Nice as New - clothing consignment Cleveland Rd Wooster.  Near Greenleaf Restaurant.

New Orr Not - clothing consignment High St Orrville

Elephant's Truck - kids consignment Cleveland Rd Wooster.  Near Greenleaf Restaurant.

Once Upon A Child, Plato's Closet, Clothes Mentor - Consignment stores for kids, teens, & adult.  Often located beside each other.  Thursday Plaza Canton


5 Below - Fairlawn & Belden area.  Everything $5 & under

Dollar Store, Dollar Tree - Canton, Wooster - everything $1

Deals - Akron, Canton , Massillon - discount store like 5 Below

Village Discount - Akron, Cuyahoga Falls - like a Goodwill only cheaper.  The Akron store recently added dressing rooms so you can try on clothes now.

Salvation Army store - Fairlawn & Canton - like a Goodwill.  Wednesdays are family day & most everything is 50% off.

Yoder Bargain Barn - 7802 Salt Creek Rd, Fredericksburg - discount store

Building 9 - 132 Walnut, Massillon; 546 Medina Road, Medina (Fairlawn)- construction, home improvement discount store

Habit for Humanity Restore - at the old drive-in 6096 E Lincoln Way Wooster  Building supplies

P Graham Dunn - clearance sales usually in May, Aug, & Nov.  Always have outlet section at the back of the store.

Lehman's Outlet - Kidron.  Outlet store behind the main store

Zinck's Fabric Outlet - Rt. 62 outside of Berlin. cheap fabric, notions, clothing and misc. items



For Food:

Aldi - can't beat at other grocery stores their prices on fruits & veggies

Dutch Country – Market St across from FurnitureAnnex.  Buy bags of “ends” of theirrolls.  You don’t know which flavorsthey’ll have but you can get 2 bags of probably 20 ends for $5.  You can also get their apple & peachcrisp & apple dumplings greatly reduced.

Shearer’s – Discounted pretzels & chips at their factory in Brewster

Dairy Dock – Smith Dairy dock near the main fire station.  You can get ½ gallons & other various novelty items significantly less.  They might be slightly damaged.  I think they are open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri now

Nickels Bakery Thrift Stores – 21 South of 30 & 807 Spruce Wooster. Nickels Thrift stores are a great place to get incredible deals on breads, buns, & dinner rolls.  You don’t always know what you will find, but often you can get a loaf of bread for $1.  In the Entertainment book there is a coupon for up to $5 off, so if you buy $10 worth of food, it will cost you $5.  They also have reward cards that you can get stamped & earn a free item.


Scratch & Dent stores – Kidron road between 250 & 241; Apple Creek – D&S 8828 Dover Rd, Grocery Discount Store , also on Rt 3 north of Hartzler's Dairy, Bent and Dent Rt. 62 about 2 miles south of The Amish Door complex outside of Wilmot.

Bulk Food – East Union (old 30), Shady View Pantry (Zuercher Rd Kidron), Country Hilltop Market 585 & Benner Rd– drastically reduced prices on deli meat & cheese, nuts, snacks, etc. 

Fruit &  Veggie Stands - Octad on Carr Rd, just north of 30, Raber's on Kidron Rd south of 250.  good prices for fruits & veggies.  Raber's has pick your own flowers reasonable.


Let me know your favorites.

Keeping Up With My Fabulous Deals

Want to keep up with my deals on blog

Add my blog to your favorites

Facebook - "Like" My Fabulous Deals on Facebook to add my posts to your newsfeed.

E-mail - enter your e-mail on my home page under "follow by e-mail"

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Favorite Websites for Deals & Online Shopping

As you look on my blog, you see a lot of links to different websites.  I use my blog as a way to get to my favorite sites easily.

Online Shopping Codes - I always check Coupon Cabin, Retail Me Not, and/or Brad's Deals before I shop online of current deals.  Another alternative is to search for the store name + “coupon” or “deals” i.e. kohls coupon

Facebook - sometimes if you "like" companies on facebook, you can get extra coupons.

Cashback Sites - I usually use ShopAtHome to shop on line to earn cashback.  I will check Ebates, but often Shop At Home is better.

Shopping - I obviously use Amazon & sometimes Ebay for shopping.  I also like 1 Sale A Day Flash sales.  I have gotten some beautiful jewelry with free shipping for great prices.

Restaurant/Travel Deals - We rarely go out to eat without a coupon.  I always Google the restaurant name, join their clubs, and/or check Facebook.  Groupon & Living Social are good places to find deals.  My favorite now is I Shop Stark (or Summit).  They have great 1/2 certificates & coupons for the area.  Sometimes they run better than 1/2 price deals.  I check it almost every day.

Daily Deals  - Include saleaday.com, gaggleofchicks.com, jasmere.com, etc.  These offer a different deal every day, mostly merchandise or gift certificates.  You can sometimes find some really good deals.

Disney Movie Program  -Even if you don’t buy Disney Movies, you can still join the club to earn free merchandise.  You can often find free codes to use.  I got a Cars watch without ever buying a single Disney movie.

Pampers Rewards - Here’s another reward program where you don’t have to buy Pampers items to earn free things, including Shutterfly gift certificates & magazines.  There are free codes at least 1-2 times a month.

Kellogg's - If you aren't currently signed up for Kellogg's Rewards, I'd encourage you to do it now.  I think I've gotten at least 2 free Shutterfly Books, 2 - $20 certificates to Shutterfly, & numerous free magnets.  I rarely buy Kellogg's products, but there are often free codes on blogs or Kellogg's Rewards Facebook page.

Coke Rewards - We don't think much pop at our house but you can find free codes on line.  You can also ask people to save their lids for you.  Occasionally they run promotions to get free things without any codes.

Inbox Dollars - earn money for filling out surveys

Bzz Agent - fill out surveys & get free products sent to you to try out.

Photos -

• Snapfish – get 4x6 or 4x5.3 (doesn’t cut any of the picture off); only 1 coupon at a time; I like the quality of picture the best
• Shutterfly – can do multiple coupons; gives an index sheet that can be used for other crafts, prints your title on the back, shipping is higher; lots of free 8x8 book codes – 20 pages, 7.99 shipping; often has free shipping with $30.

       Cyber Monday – I was totally amazed by all of the great deals available on-line the Monday after Thanksgiving.  I did the majority of my shopping that day.  I don’t like to battle the crowds on Black Friday.

Favorite Buy & Sell Websites

Facebook has groups that I have done really well with selling on.

• Wooster Buy & Sell  - Buy & Sell everything imaginable 
• Bargain Hunters United - a similar site
• Orrville Buy, Sell, or Free - a smaller group of people, your posts don't get lost with the 1000s of other posts

Search – search for items you have listed or something you are looking for

PM – Private Message

Other Folder – When you message “non friends”

If “non friends” e-mail you, it will probably go to your “other” folder

You can also sell & buy things on Craigslist Akron.

By creating an account, you can renew your postings & delete once you sell.

Finally Ebay.  For bigger things you can also do local pick-up.  This is the only that you have to pay a commission on what you sell.

Just be smart with meeting people.  I tried to do it in public places.

To find garage sales - I check out the Daily Record on line  or Craigslist Akron has a garage sale listing.  People also list them on the Facebook groups.

Paypal – a way to send & receive payment

1. Include a Good Image

You need to have a clear image of the item you are selling. Potential buyers should be able to tell what it looks like, and see what condition it’s in. Blurry images, or no image at all, won’t be as effective. Since you are dealing with people who might not be able to see the item before they pay for it, accurate and clear representation is vital. If it’s allowed, multiple pictures, from different angles, should be used.

2. Be Specific

Clearly describe the item. Be specific about the dimensions. If you’re selling jewelry, you should be able to describe different features, such as the karat weight of the gold, or the clarity of the gemstone. When selling other items, you should be able to describe it as new, unopened, light wear, like new, or with some other designation. Pay attention to the specifics so that potential buyers can figure out if it really does fit their needs. Look at the descriptions of successful postings to get some ideas.

3. Price it Right

Before you post an item, make sure that you do some research. Find out what similar items in a similar condition are going for.  I check Craigslist & eBay before listing. Pay attention to pricing. Consider pairing related items together, and offering a discount. In some cases, you will be more successful selling a set, rather than splitting it up. You can also specify that you are willing to break up a set, if you want to remain more flexible. Consider being open to negotiation if you are really concerned about getting the item off your hands.

4. Repost After a Few Days

On many sites, the older listings get pushed to the bottom. After a few days, your listing will no longer be easy to access. Instead of waiting 14 days, or 30, for the listing to end, go ahead and post again after a few days. On an auction site, you can keep the length of the auction between four and seven days. Reposting can help you generate fresh interest in the item. Additionally, before you repost, think about why your item didn’t sell. Tweak your posting to see if you can sell your stuff with different wording, or better images — or a better price.

5. Respond Quickly

When you’re selling on eBay, potential buyers might ask questions — and you will need to respond quickly if you want a good rating, and to get a few more bids. When selling on local Classifieds sites, or selling on Craigslist, a fast response is vital as well, especially if you are “competing” against other sellers. Often, the first one to respond is the one who gets to sell the item. If you are slow, the buyer may purchase a similar item from someone else.

6. Safety

Be smart when you are meeting people you don’t know.  I always meet in a public place if my husband isn’t home.

7. Donate

Donate what you don’t need to want.  Our church collects clothing for harvest ministry/clothing giveaway.  Non-profits MCC Connections in Kidron or Goodwill can give you a tax form.

8. Garage Sale

Have a garage to sell your unwanted items.  I feel you can give more from selling online if you have time to meet people.  I try to sell my bigger tickets on line before my garage sale.

Favorite Phone Apps

 I know there are a lot of fun game apps, but I'd like to know some of your favorite apps that save you money, save you time, or make your life easier or better.

Some of mine are:

• GasBuddy - save money on gas by finding the cheapest gas in the area
• Kindle - read free books from Amazon
• Holy Bible - lots of good reading plans and a ton of different versions of the Bible.  You can also select to listen to the Bible (You Version & Bible App for Kids
• Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Joann's - coupons 
• Yelp - good for finding restaurants or stores in the area
• MapQuest - GPS
• iTV - TV guide
• iHeartRadio - I like to listen to the Dave Ramsey channel
• Focus on the Family Daily - the daily broadcast.  Great to listen to while I exercise
• Pandora - free radio
• SleepMachine Lite - noise machine to help me block out noise & sleep
• Netflix - watch my Netflix shows
• Cardstore - stores my loyalty card numbers so I don't have to carry them around.
• Shop Savvy - can scan barcodes to compare prices
• Amazon Instant Video - watch Amazon shows with Prime
• Echo - set up texts for prayer request reminders

Let me know your favorite apps.

Fun/Cheap Activities for Kids in northeast Ohio & Membership Info-UPDATED

I'm trying to come up with a list of free or cheaper activities to do with our boys this summer.  We made our "to do" list last night.  Last summer we tried to do 1 thing on our list each week, so in August we weren't trying to get everything done.  This isn't our whole list but some ideas we used.

Please comment on things you have found.  We love to check out new places

Everything Rubbermaid store (Wooster) - 3rd floor has Step 2 play structures, kitchens, etc to play with for free

Kidron Auction (Thurs) - watch them sell animals.  Auction starts at 11 but can walk around the look at the animals before.

Massillon Rec center -  Daily Visit pass - Ages 4 & up - $6, Under 3 is free.The aquatics area features four bodies of water; a two-lane lap pool; a lazy river; a multipurpose splash down pool; a dry sauna, and a kiddie play pool.  The 19' high water slides just add more to the fun.  

Massillon McDonalds on 172 towards Target - I've heard good things about their playground.

First Christian Church (Canton) - FREE The playland has 4 levels with tubes, stairs, and slides for your kids to explore and enjoy. There is even a designated area for toddlers ages 2 and under to play safely. Spring hours: Monday – Friday 1:30 – 5pm and Sundays 1-3pm. Hours will be extended during summer months.

Wooster Sprayground & Kiddie Pool - Knights Park is very appealing to families with young children because of the newly developed Kiddy City and spray ground. Kiddy City is a 12,036 square foot area for children to ride there bikes or big wheels. Along with Kiddy City there is a 19,500 square foot spray ground with 6 different spraying features to keep the children entertained. If that is not enough for the kids there is a 4,929 square foot playground for them to run around in.  Someone thought it was $3 a kid.  You can get your hand stamped as you leave & then go swim for free at Freelander Park.

Kroc Center Spraypark (Ashland) - open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, weather permitting.  Free.   The spray ground consists of three areas -- a toddler area, a teen area with water cannons and a common area. Several pieces of the park are new products Rain Drop has developed, including the water cannons, an alligator in the toddler area that shoots water out its nose and cool tails -- water spouts resembling cattails

Amazone Family Center - Medina  Toddler playground for children under 3 – $4 for same day unlimited play.  Large playground for children 3 and above – $8 for same day unlimited play.  Watch for deals on Groupon or Living Social. Mon-Thurs 10-9, Fri & Sat- 10-midnight, Sun - noon-9pm.  Tues they have an animal show, Wed story time, Thurs craft.   All at 11 am.  You can't bring your own food.

Tuscora Park (New Philly) - includes three pools, year-round picnic pavilion and outdoor shelters, vintage kiddy amusement rides, miniature golf, and much more, surrounded by our beautiful green hillsides and shade trees.
Any time between Memorial Day and Labor Day, plan to visit Tuscora Park and see what families from all over Ohio have been enjoying for decades!  Mon-Thurs 4:30-8:00, Fri-Sun noon-8:00
Prices: All Rides - $0.75 each, Book of 10 tickets - $6.00, Miniature Golf - $1.00 per person, Batting Cages - $1.00 for 20 balls

Harry London Chocolates (by Akron-Canton airport) -
Tour Times:      Mon-Fri 10-4  Free.  45 min tour.  Free piece of chocolate at the end of tour

Toyrifix (Smithville) -  toys & trains to play with in the store.

Orrville Library - summer reading program, story time, special events, trains & puzzles

Parks - Orrville - Orr Park & Gailey Park.  Wooster - Christmas Run & Freelander; Kidron, Dalton - 2 parks.  Jackson - a nice fenced in park across from the high school. Massillon - a nice one on 241 north of 30

Johnson's Woods - Fox Lake Rd - North of Orrville, nice place to walk on a raised path.

Towpath - starts in Dalton.  nice place to walk or ride bikes towards Massillon

Secrest Arboretum - (Wooster) - a HUGE slide

The Barn Restaurant (Smithville) - feed the ducks bread crusts

Nature Realm Metro Park on Smith Rd near Summit Mall Akron.  - you can feed chick a dees

Stark Wilderness Center (Wilmot ) - various programs & events 

Mohican State Park - hiking

Putt N Stuff (Orrville) - Look for discounts on I Shop Stark, Town Money Saver, the Orrville school card

Cinemark (Wooster)  $5 on Tues & $1 Wed summer moviews

Cinemark (Canton) $1 movies on Wed, but very cheap other days as well

Cinemark - Summer $1 Movies

Drive in Theaters - Barberton, Wadsworth, & Strasburg 

Akron Art Museum -  Free to children 12 & under with an adult.  Free on Thurs

Cleveland Art Museum - Free.  Within walking distance of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History & Cleveland Botanical Gardens.

McKinley Museum & Monument - Canton. Dinosaurs, live animals, hands on science experiments, history, huge model train display.  Museum Adults $8, Kids 3-18 $6.  Monument Free.  Mon-Sat 9-4, Sun Noon-4.   Planetarium-- Saturday at 1:00 PM and Sunday at 2:00 PM. During the summer months public shows are held at 1:00 PM Monday-Friday. Planetarium shows are included in your admission price. Please note that children must be 5 years of age or older to attend a planetarium show.  See the note below about a membership  

MAPS Museum - off of 241 near the Akron Canton Airport.  39 planes in various stages of restoration.  A good hands on, up close look at the planes.  Adults $8, Kids 6-12 $5.  Check I Shop Stark for discount tickets. Tues-Sat 9:00-4:30, Sun 11:30-4

Akron Fossils & Science Center - Copley.  Focuses on creationism & not evolution.  Includes a zip line & mini golf.  Starting May 28 open Tues-Sat 9-5.  Adults $9, kids 3-15 $7.  You can do the zip line, mini golf, & outdoor play area for $3.  We did this & really liked it.  The museum part isn't big but love the focus on God.

The Little Buckeye Children's Museum (Mansfield) Admission $7  Wed-Sun

Rolling Ridge (Mt Hope) - much cheaper if you can get a group of 15 or more - 9.95/person for the wagon ride

The Farm (Walnut Creek) Admission - 7.75/person with groups of 15 or more, Admission & Wagon Ride 10.25/person for groups of 15 or more.  We like it better than Rolling Ridge. Beautifully landscaped. Giraffes.  Found discount tickets on the Fish website.

Hershberger Farm & Bakery - Rt 557 Berlin on the way to Charm, right off of 62.   They have a free petting zoo with pigs, horses, rabbits, chickens, sheep, tons of goats (including ones of the roof of the barn), cows, dogs.  You can buy food for the animals $1 a cone or 6 for $5.  You can ride a pony or horse for $3.  You can also take a buggy or wagon ride for $5 a person.  They also have a very good bakery and produce section.  In the fall you can ride the wagon out & pick your own pumpkin.

P  Graham Dunn- 2014 - July 25 - August 2 - Customer Appreciation Sale. Saturday, Sept 20 - Kid's Fall Fishing Derby. Friday and Saturday, October 3 & 4  - Fall Fun

Lodi Outlet Mall - Ride the train for $3.50, discount for AAA, coupons available on line

Orrville Railroad - ride train or track cars $2 for adults & $1 for kids Aug 9, 2014

Kids Bowl Free allows your family to bowl 2 Games FREE everyday all summer. Plus, there is a family pass option where parents, grandparents, older children that don't qualify for the Kids Bowl Free passes and babysitters can join in the fun and get the same great 2 FREE Game offer every day.  Locally this is available at Triway Lanes.

Kids Skate Free - Check out locations, nothing locally for me.

Hall of Fame Balloon Launch - July 18-20, 2014

Skymax - discount tickets on I Shop Stark

Orrville YMCA family swim - 3 free on the Orrville PTO card.



Baylor Beach - 3 and under free. 4 and up (Mon-Thurs) $6. Fri-Sun $7

June, July, and August Mon.-Thurs - 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Fri., Sat., Sun. & Holidays - 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Caskey's - 11:00am-7:00pm (closed Monday). 15 & up $4, 14 & under $2, 2 and under free 

Aug/Sept

Bauman Orchard - pick your own apples, wagon ride, straw maze

Wayne County Fair - week after Labor Day

Missions at the Airport - Preferred Airport

Rodeo - Leway's Frontier Arena near Caskey's.  Usually the first Sat of Aug

Christmas
Oak Grove Mennonite - Search for the Christ child - usually first Sun of Dec

Journey to Bethlehem - Walnut Creek

Polar Express - library

Please confirm before attending these events as dated,  times & pricing may have changed.

If you travel a lot or live near a zoo or science center you might want to consider a science center and/or zoo membership.  These are all good for a year & you can usually activate them over the phone or online.  You don't have to live near the one you buy, but these are some of the best prices I have found.  Typically a family is up to 6 people.

I tried to use my Toledo membership at Great Lakes & they wouldn't let me.  They said because I lived less than 90 miles from Cleveland I couldn't use a membership besides Great Lakes for free or McKinley for 1/2 price.  They ended up letting me pay half price because they had given me incorrect information when I called.  I just say this as a warning about the 90 mile rule.  I think this applies at all of them.

Science Center Memberships:

McKinley Museum in Canton - $56 for a family.
  Pros - 350+ science centers for free, including COSI & Clev Natural History
  Cons - Great Lakes Science Center 1/2 price (Great Lakes General Admission - Adult $14, Kids (2-12) $12), doesn't reciprocate to Pittsburgh Children's Museum

Boonshoft Discovery in Dayton - $100 for a family (up to 6 kids)
  Pros - 350+ science centers for free, 150+ zoos - most for half price
  Cons - Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati Museum of Natural History 50% off,  COSI is 50% off (COSI Classic Exhibits - Adults $17.95, Kids (2-12) $12.95).  This wouldn't work at Great Lakes if you live less than 90 miles from Cleveland.

Akron Zoo - $75 for a family
  Pros - 150+ zoos - most for half price,  Akron Zoo & Parking free (Summer Adult $10, Kids 2-14  $7)
  Cons - Cleveland zoo is 1/2 price (Cleveland Zoo (Summer Adults $12.25, Children 2-11 $8.25)

Cleveland Zoo - $85 for a family.  Buy on line with code A100 & save 15%
Pros - 150+ zoos - most for half price,  free parking
  Cons - Akron zoo is 1/2 price (& you have to pay $3 to park there)

Here's a link to Staycations around the country.  It's also a good resource if you are visiting one of these areas.

Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit and debit cardholders get free admission into 150 zoos, science centers, & children's museums around the country the first full week-end of each month.  Check out the list here.