Happy New Year, dear readers, and I hope you like the new word I am using. Frugalicious is the term for living the lifestyle of the rich and famous on an ordinary person’s budget, and we’re going for it big time in 2009. But first, a confession: I am so embarrassed — in the frenzy of the holidays I went to the supermarket and paid full price for everything! I felt like I was cheating you guys by not living the lifestyle I am teaching you, but I guess the lesson there is that sometimes, time and sanity win out over bargains and thriftiness. (Not always, not often, but sometimes!) Anyway, sorry for being off track, and watch in the next few days for my special report on starting the new year with some great new money-saving habits. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, prosperous 2009. See you soon.

So, for today and to keep you busy over the weekend, here are a few:

This great info sent in by Mindy in New York, a die-hard coupon clipper and price comparison shopper: New Trade in Program announced by Best Buy.  Click here for info. Thanks, Mindy!

Have dry eyes?  Here’s a FREE bottle of Optive lubricant drops! This is stuff that is just not available at a low price, so Click here to register  your info for a personal rebate coupon.

Now, let’s start talking about Christmas — already???  Yes!  Hot gift items are available NOW at discount prices — we’re doing our best to find them for you.  Shop now, get what you want, and be done, and paid, by December.  Here’s some of the biggies:

Amazon announced last week that they were lowering the price of a new KINDLE Wireless Reading Device (6 e-reader to under $260 with free shipping, the lowest price ever. You can also pre-order the next generation Kindle, launching on October 19, or, if you’re shopping for yourself, there are a limited number of refurbished models for $219.

DIGITALLY REMASTERED BEATLES BOXED SET — We think this is THE gift for baby boomers on your list, and Amazon has the lowest price, free shipping and reliability. They’ll be shipping on 10/31.

Click here to go to Amazon.com, and you could probably get your holiday shopping done by Halloween!

And a few discounts, for gifts or for yourself — Shop THIS WEEKEND for these deals:

Get low $2.99 shipping on purchases at OneHanesPlace.com. Enter promo code 611690 at checkout. This offer is valid through October 25th.

Extra $50 off unlocked BlackBerry Storm. MSRP: $899. Kusho.com price: $499.99. Now, just $449.99! Use code BB_STORM_449 through 11/16

Or, Get an unlocked black Blackberry Pearl Flip (8220) for just $239.99. Use coupon BB8210EARL20OFF thru 11.16.

A great freebie from a great resource for beauty products: FREE 27 Piece Mini Makeup Kit With Any Purchase from ELF COSMETICS! Use code LOYAL thru 11/13

Happy Weekend, Happy Shopping, and let us know what we can find for you!

Next week, we’ll talk about ways to make extra $$$ for the holiday season. Meanwhile, for more on Holiday shopping, click here!

So far, the only expense has been a travel scale so we can also keep track of our waistlines.  Trip so far: $30

Now, for the freebies:

1) Free BOGO Sundaes on Mondays all through August at Ben & Jerry’s

2) Free Honey Nut Cheerios Sample

3) Free Lindt Chocolate Truffles

4) Free download NERO disc-burning software

5) Free Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal sample

6) Two Free Tacos at Jack-in-the-Box (August 11 only)

And, if you have the patience, or are craving freebies on our off days, here are some sites that we use to find our best freebies:

Freeflys

Just Free Stuff

The Frugal Freelancer

Happy Hunting, Happy Weekend, and we’ll meet you further on the road.

I recently started reading a blog which often includes a weekly “Coupon Match”; that is, she cross references manufacturer coupons with store specials to help you get things for almost (and sometimes completely) free.  She does a lot of work and you may want to visit. The address is http://www.shoppingfrugal.net/ .

Meanwhile, a few tips for competitive couponing:

• Keep your coupons in an expandable file, by category.
• Keep the file in your car  or with your shopping list.
• Remember to take both the file and the list into the store.

If you’re really ambitious, you can cross-reference your coupons with your store circulars and really clean up.  For this process, check out The Couponizer. It’s one person’s way of being on top of all of it.

And here are some super websites for finding coupons on line:

http://www.retailmenot.com/

http://www.couponwinner.com

http://www.couponcraze.com/

http://www.couponcabin.com/

http://www.fatwallet.com/

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

For more ideas on discount shopping, click here.

From 17 Magazine.com (compliments of Pam in California) and Baskin Robbins, a nice payback for teens and  young adults who are giving up some of their time this summer to volunteer:

Ice cream giant Baskin-Robbins is teaming up with DoSomething.org to say an extra thanks for all those community hours and the great stuff that these young adults (13-25) today are doing to make a difference!  On July 13th, Do Something will be sending out coupons for a FREE soft serve cone* that can be used at participating US Baskin-Robbins anytime from July 13th – July 17th.

Check out DoSomething.org/Serve for other fun Thank You’s from Do Something and Baskin-Robbins.

Deal Details: *You must present the coupon received via email. Offer available while supplies last at participating Baskin-Robbins in the US only. Offer valid for teens and young adults ages 13-25. Limit one 6 oz regular size Soft Serve cone per person. If Soft Serve is not available, offer may be substituted for 4 oz hard scoop ice cream cone or cup.

PLEASE pass this along asap to anyone in that age group, as it’s only for the next few days.  Just another way to pay back those that give back.

For more about volunteering, click here. Enjoy!

Hope you’re all taking advantage of our money-saving tips and posted Freebies; today is the opportunity to get

FREE HOMEMADE Soap at http://is.gd/1oT0F

More good ideas for living large on a budget at http://www.ILoveAGoodBargain.com

50 Easy Ways to Save Money Now in FREE report — Download your report if you haven’t already, at http://www.ILoveAGoodBargain.com/welcome

although, truth be told, any astute bargain hunter will always BOLO for a BOGO.  BOGOs go where coupons fear to tread (or are forgotten).

I personally clip coupons, but rarely remember to bring them along when I shop.  (NOTE: I tried a new organizer tool called the Couponizer, and I really liked it.  You may also.  Check out http://www.couponizer.com/ )

However, faced with couponless time in the supermarket aisles, I go for the BOGO.  Shopping in a sort-of-expensive market, I was particularly impressed with the availabilities of these offers, from organic chicken to diet ice cream!  Long story short, I saved $20 on a $40 bill!

Today we received a comment from a reader in Asia with a few tricks of her own:  Bella says:

“Really great list for trade in websites. However if you go for few bargain and coupon sites you can also save money same as trade in items. Personally I use http://www.retailmenot.com/ (for coupons) and http://www.cheapdeals101.com/ (for deal hunting) & many more…hope this helps you…”

Thanks, Bella.  It will definitely help our readers, and here are some more sites that can get you all kinds of coupons, offers, freebies and more.  (Only a few, but guaranteed to keep you busy for a while!)

http://www.couponmom.com/

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

http://www.eversave.com/ (this one is a little work but GREAT values)

http://www.fatwallet.com/

And finally, a site where you get cash back on your purchases:

http://www.bigcrumbs.com/

For more info on saving on hundreds of items, click here.

Thanks, Julia, you’re one of my favorites fellow                                frugalistas!

Just when I was thinking that nothing could outdo my joy at the day’s events, I was happily surprised to find an email with More Great News.  Due to some kind of class action settlement with the cosmetics industry, starting today you can go to most any major department store and receive a FREE sample of some really good stuff!

You can get the detail at this very cute blog called Make Me Brighter, which talks about make-up and sometimes finds neat giveaways, as you can see.  Free samples are limited to one per person only as long as supplies last, so jump on this one right away.

And then there’s my friend Ralph.  If I’m the Discount Princess, and Cindy is Queen of the Rebates, he’s the Freebie King!  Before I got married, Ralph and I used to travel the country together on real estate buying trips, and we’d play a game — let’s see how much we can get for free.  Just for asking, we got tons of upgrades: a convertible for the price of an economy car, a suite for a cheap single room rate in some really nice hotels, and multiple meals in restaurants plain and fancy.  

Ralph just got not one but two new Sprint phones for no charge.  Hopefully he’ll talk soon and let us in on his secrets. 

Looks like we know who our next president will be.  Hopefully the change will bring abundance back to our county.  It’s going to be an interesting 4 years.

So at least until the economy improves, keep checking back for more great better-living-for-less ideas.