Author: ellenmanus

I love a bargain - and free is even better! After years of learning how to get things at a bargain or free I thought it was time to share with others. Enjoy!

Fetch Rediscovered

I have been using the Fetch App for a while now, just taking pictures of receipts and slowing racking up enough points to get a Visa or Amazon gift card. But I recently started exploring a bit more, and have managed to make over 30.00 this month already!

These are the ways you can earn money, and it is worth it to check it out.

  • Snap receipts: Get points for every dollar spent by taking a photo of your grocery, restaurant, or other store receipts.  Most receipts are only worth about .02 but once in awhile you get lots of points for a featured item. Gas station, dining out, groceries…they all count.
  • Connect eReceipts: Link your email and other retail accounts to automatically earn points on online purchases. I have my emails, Target, Wal-mart, Amazon linked.
  • Shop offers: Look for personalized offers in the “Discover” tab to get extra points for buying specific items or shopping at certain stores. I just got 10,000 points for order Winn-Dixie via Amazon delivery, 25,000 points for my first Uber Eats order (which was only $20 so not only did I eat free, I technically was paid to eat), and 10,000 points for shopping online, clicking first through Ibotta, 3 times. (I purchased 3 small 10.00 orders from Ebay of things I needed). I scrolled down to the “biggest” category for these large paybacks. Each person gets different tailored offers so we won’t all have the same deals.
  • Use “Point Boosts”: Earn bonus points for spending money on participating brands both online and in-store. Recently I received 4500 points (roughly 4.50) for buying Method cleaner and 1500 points for buying Dial hand soap.
  • Refer friends: Get points for each friend who signs up using your referral code and submits their first receipt. If you are not already signed up, use my referral link and we each get 2000 points,https://referral.fetch.com/vvv3/referralemail?code=CW5FD
  • Participate in Fetch Play: Play games within the app to earn additional points. I am not normally a game player, but my first downloaded solitaire game got me 10,000 points and every time I play I get between 80 and 150 points, and I do not spend any money on these games. I still don’t play often but it kills the time and makes money when I am bored or waiting for an appointment.

There is the social aspect as well. I can see that out of my friends, I am currently in 3rd place for earning points among my friends. Wes, who used to work for me and moved up north, is always on top and I don’t know how he does it! I have taken home 286.00 total, but now that I have “rediscovered” fetch, that number will grow! So join up and earn money on the items you would normally get, or explore and earn money trying some new activities.

Free or Cheap Entertainment

I just discovered something in my area I was not completely aware of – my local Public Media Station WJCT (TV & Radio) hosts lots of free or inexpensive events!

This week I attended a “Lunch and Laugh” event. For $5 I got a great lunch and then watched the film classic “Bringing Up Baby” with Katherine Hepburn & Cary Grant. It was great lunch, a very funny movie, and a great deal at $5.

I see that Monday night is a free event with a TV travel guy that will be showing 2 of his recent episodes and discussing travel. There will be free appetizers and prizes. Did I mention Free?

How did I go all these years and not know this was available? I highly recommend that if you live near a public media station you look to see if they are providing community events. We are all trying to enjoy life but save money right now…this is one way to do it!

Love movies? Get paid to watch trailers and/or attend movie screenings for free!

I love movies.  I prefer them to television shows.  And while there is something to be said for watching a DVD in the comfort of your own home, it just can’t quite compare to watching a new film on the big screen.

$$ for Watching Trailers

What if I told you that there is a website that will pay you to watch upcoming movie trailers? https://us.mypressplay.com/ lets you watch movie trailers, fill out a short survey and earn points to exchange for a gift card. The only “weird” thing is that they will use your camera on your laptop to watch you watch the movie as they want to gage your reaction.

Free Movies

How about free movies on the big screen before they are publicly released? Or if you prefer to stay home, there are advanced screenings online before the movies are released?

These free screenings are put on by studios in major metropolitan markets to show the film to members of the press (who in turn provide free coverage of the film) and to create positive word of mouth among moviegoers.

 There are a couple of movie screening websites that provide screening information as well as offering contests to win movie passes. Advancescreenings.com does a great job of cataloging screenings by city. Red Carpet Crash also offers screenings and contests. Follow these sites on Twitter and like them on Facebook for the latest info. In my experiences, most of these sites are not overly spammy. The more often you check them, the more likely you are to get passes.

You scored free screening passes…now what?

1) Arrive Early. You should must arrive at least an hour early to avoid sitting in the front row and at least 15 minutes early for online screenings. These screenings are intentionally overbooked, so it is possible to be turned away if you’re not there early enough.

2) Get a seat before you make your way to the bathroom or concession stand. The theater will fill up quickly.

3) Leave your cell phone in the car. Since the films have not yet been released, many screenings prohibit cell phones in the theater.  Yes, they will ask you to leave if you get out your phone.

So now you know the secret!  Maybe I will see you at the movies!

Hack for plugging tires for free (or almost free)

Nothing is more annoying than that tire pressure light that keeps coming on, or the frequent stops at WaWa for their free air.

I somehow managed to get nails in both back tires this month. Want to know how I plugged them for almost free – and got to watch some cool TV shows as an added bonus?

If you are a Walmart + member, then tire repair is free, even if you did not purchase your tires at Walmart. If you are not a member and have never been, sign up for a 30 day free trial, take you car into a Walmart auto center, and have them do the repair for free. Then cancel at the end of the 30 days – unless you decide you like the service and decide to continue. If you have had Walmart + in past you will not qualify for a free trial, but its only 12.95 for the month. That is still less than a tire repair, not to mention two repairs!

An added bonus of Walmart+ is a free Paramount Plus streaming subscription. So I am binge watching all my favorite shows for free this month before I cancel.

Note – place a reminder in your calendar to cancel before the 30 days is up as it is easy to forget!

Now fix those tires, and enjoy the show!

FREE PRODUCT TRIALS WITH RIPPLE STREET

If you love free products and sharing then Ripple Street is right up your alley.

Ripple Street formerly called House Party is a fun way to entertain friends and family and promote products. Ripple Street is a consumer product discovery platform that lets you try new products in exchange for sharing and writing a review.

Download the Ripple Street app and/or head over to the Ripple Street. It is free to sign up. https://www.ripplestreet.com/

Once you sign up on the website you have the option to apply four different types of activities. House Parties are experiences for you and a group of friends to try a new product. Chatterbox are products sent directly to you for you to try at home. Chatterbuy are products that you will purchase for free with a coupon or gift card sent to you. ReFUNd is a refund for a product you purchase yourself. All of these require a photo, a review and and Instagram post after you receive the product.

You can select the programs you are interested in and then wait to see if you are selected. There are extra steps you can take beforehand to increase your chances, but I rarely do them and still get picked quite often.

I have had numerous House Parties and they are a blast! Today Delilah and I received a Chatterbox of Zignature Kangaroo Formula Dog Treats. She was so happy (and so was I as these were free). I also was approved for a Chatterbuy and will receive a coupon for yellow rice.

Sign up and start enjoying free products today. https://www.ripplestreet.com/

Free Movies?

Free Movies

Free Movie Screening: Once Upon a Twilight – Tuesday in Jacksonville! Limited passes so act fast! My blog regarding free movies follows the link so click, grab your movie passes and then read up on how you can see free movies!

https://advancescreenings.com/screening/you_re_cordially_invited/us/fl/jacksonville#Ni86x2Ou

I love movies.  I prefer them to television shows.  And while there is something to be said for watching a DVD in the comfort of your own home, it just can’t quite compare to watching a new film on the big screen.

What if I told you that not only could you watch movies at various movie theaters for free, but that you can watch them before they are publicly released? Or if you prefer to stay home, there are advanced screenings online before the movies are released? And better yet, that you could possibly be paid to watch an advanced screening of a movie?

These free screenings are put on by studios in major metropolitan markets to show the film to members of the press (who in turn provide free coverage of the film) and to create positive word of mouth among moviegoers.

There are several websites that can help you find these passes.  Gofobo.com is my favorite. Once you sign up they will email you with any advance screenings in your area, any online advance screenings, and sometimes with studies in which if you qualify you watch an advanced screening and they pay your to watch your reaction and fill out a survey at the end. ( I am being paid $30 next week to watch a movie). Gofobo also has contests for DVDs and other movie swag.

The studios often have advance screening options: Sony, Lionsgate, Searchlight Pictures, STX Films, United Artists and Warner all offer some advance screenings and will alert you if there is a screening in your area if you sign up on their websites. SeeItFirst is where you can find free movie tickets for Disney movie screenings. You’ll need to register so they can notify you of future movie premieres near you.

 There are a couple of movie screening websites that provide screening information as well as offering contests to win movie passes. Advancescreenings.com does a great job of cataloging screenings by city. Red Carpet Crash also offers screenings and contests. Follow these sites on Twitter and like them on Facebook for the latest info. In my experiences, most of these sites are not overly spammy. The more often you check them, the more likely you are to get passes.

 So now that you know how to receive the screenings, what do you need to know about attending these events?

1) Arrive Early. You should must arrive at least an hour early to avoid sitting in the front row and at least 15 minutes early for online screenings. These screenings are intentionally overbooked, so it is possible to be turned away if you’re not there early enough.

2) Get a seat before you make your way to the bathroom or concession stand. The theater will fill up quickly.

3) Leave your cell phone in the car. Since the films have not yet been released, many screenings prohibit cell phones in the theater.  Yes, they will ask you to leave if you get out your phone.

So now you know the secret!  Maybe I will see you at the movies!

What is your “Treasure” Worth?

If you have that family heirloom or thrift store “find” and have always wondered what it is really worth, then maybe the Antique Road Show is just the place to find out!

If you have ever seen the show on PBS (I grew up watching it with m parents) then you know that this traveling show featured a cast of antique experts that will look at your item and estimate the value, maybe even share a little history about it.

Tickets are free but only available through a lottery. The 2025 schedule has been announced and ticket lottery is open. I won tickets to the Baltimore show last year and it was fantastic!

  • TUESDAY, APRIL 29 — Savannah, GA
  • TUESDAY, MAY 13 — St. Louis, MO
  • TUESDAY, JUNE 3 — Salt Lake City, UT
  • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 — Boothbay, ME
  • TUESDAY, JULY 1 — Charlevoix, MI

Enter to win here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tickets/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_12233947&utm_Newsletter=Antiques_Roadshow

Good Luck!

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tickets/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_12233947&utm_Newsletter=Antiques_Roadshow

Broadway Musicals Lottery

Broadway shows are amazing, but can be expensive. But with Broadway lotteries you can enjoy the show at a fraction of the cost!

There are several sites that host these lotteries, such as Lucky Seat, Telecharge TodayTix app and more. You enter these lotteries a few days or weeks before the show. Usually the day before or the morning of the show they email the winners and you have a set amount of time to purchase. For New York shows Playbill lists the shows and links for most of these lotteries.https://playbill.com/article/broadway-rush-lottery-and-standing-room-only-policies-com-116003

I recently discovered that Lucky Seat also has lotteries for shows here in Jacksonville. As I write this I am sitting 6 rows from the stage for the Broadway show Shrek the Musical, and my ticket was only 35.00! Now that I know the lottery exists outside of the major theatre cities I will be entering as often as I can!

Style for Almost Free!

During the CVS Black Friday sale, score great deals on Conair hair appliances. Shop online with CVS pickup, and use promo code HOLIDAY20 to get the best possible price.

I purchased a blow-dryer for $2.60 and a dryer brush for $5.19. These make great gifts, or use them yourself for great style at almost no cost!

How to get these prices?

  1. Go online to Rakuten and then search for CVS. (If you don’t have a Rakuten account you can sign up using this link www.rakuten.com/r/ELLENM61?eeid=28187 and we both get $40 back on your first $40 purchase).  Rakuten is currently giving you 5% back on CVS online purchases.  
  2. Log into your CVS account (or create one if needed) so you can receive your Extra Bucks Rewards. Find the Conair product you want.  They are $9.99 on sale and $19.99 on sale and will show a $5 Extra Bucks or $10 Extra Bucks back.  Make sure you check store pickup to make sure the item is in stock at your store.  Add to cart and then add the promo code HOLIDAY20.  It will take 20% off the item.  After you pick it up, the $5 or $10 rewards will show up in your account.  

I purchased the $9.99 blow-dryer, waited for the $5 to hit my account, then purchased the $19.99 brush using the $5 rewards to help pay.  Now I have $10 more rewards dollars to spend – Colgate toothpaste $3.99 each, $3 off 2 coupon, and $4 Extra Rewards back – I will be getting my $.50 toothpaste with the rewards, and some fun Halloween decor for next year at 90% off.  If you work the system correctly, CVS can provide you with the things you need for almost no $$$.

Allure Beaty Box – Free or Almost Free?

The Allure Beauty Box for July just dropped. Grab your first box for free and get a free Sunday Riley serum too.

Here’s how I got this deal: Go to Rakuten and then at Rakuten type Allure Beauty Box in the search. It will show you $5 rebate back and allow you to click through to shop. (If you are new to Rakuten you also get a bonus rebate). Once at Allure add the monthly subscription of $25 to your cart. Use coupon code SALE to take an additional $10 off at checkout. Plus, you’ll get a $10 shop credit with your purchase and a free Sunday Riley serum, which means you’ll essentially get your first box for free! ($15 less the $10 shop credit and $5 Rakuten rebate) (regularly $25).

Make sure you cancel our subscription at Allure once your first box ships or your will continue to get a $25 box every month.

These are full size beauty products, not samples, and are high quality products. So pay $15, get $5 cash back and $10 credit in the Allure store.