Are you excited for summer? Are you worried there won’t be enough to keep your kids busy? Are you worried you may go broke before summer is over?

NEVER FEAR! Just check out this great list of Summer Fun Short Cuts! I have compiled a list of great free and cheap summer activities, educational websites, crafts and more!

I will be adding more too as we head into summer! So save this great list as a resource for when you start hearing “Mom….I’m bored!”

If you know of a great freebie or program I do not have listed feel free to email me so I can add it to the list!

If you purchased a Groupon Voucher Between November 1, 2008 and December 1, 2011 For Redemption in the United States, You May Be Eligible for Benefits From The Settlement.

If the settlement is approved, class members who complete and return a claim form may be eligible to receive a Settlement Voucher entitling them to redeem unused Groupon vouchers purchased between November 1, 2008 and December 1, 2011 for redemption in the United States that are past their stated expiration date.

For more info visit GrouponVoucherSettlement.com

Thanks Who Said Nothing In Life is Free??

We are a family of 5 that lives on a single income.  Very early on in our family I learned that coupons were the key to making our dollars go further.  So many American families are struggling with finances and are doing the same.

Early this year JCPenney’s came out with a new strategy.  No coupons, no $0.99 pricing, just good deals all the time.  Well, there idea of a good deal and mine are 2 different things for the most part.  I used to get a hold of one of those $10 off $25 purchase JCPenney’s coupons and hit the clearance rack.  I could come out with several items for under $20.   I made a trip into Penney’s the other day and ended up with a top for $20. 

Apparently, I am not the only one….

J.C. Penney announced abysmal results for the first three months of this year, with sales plummeting 18.9 percent at stores open at least a year. Net losses for the period were $55 million. Executives blamed the results on the departure of deal-hunting shoppers after the company changed its pricing strategy in early February to abandon coupons.

How is that for a $55 Million eye-opener.  It amazes me that these corporations have millions and millions of dollars to throw around on marketing, social media, and failed promos.  What ever happened to good ole’ common sense? 

JCPenney’s has to know that consumers are struggling right now. Why wouldn’t we want to save money? Word of Mouth is a powerful advertising tool.  Without coupons, deals, or amazing clearance, there is no word of mouth.  No social media.  No one will talk about your company because it is no long enticing. It makes no sense to do away with coupons. In a time when social media is one of the most powerful influencers in the world, JCPenney’s basically stepped back and it cost them $55 Million dollars!

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Just wanted to quickly wish all you mom’s out there a Happy Mothers Day!  It is a job we do with pride, love, and a cup of coffee in hand. We all do our best and work hard at raising wonderful little people.  Some days are tougher than others, but yet we still persist to roll out of bed, and make them breakfast to get them off to school. There are sick days, cranky days, and just plain “Can we start this day over” Days. Yet, through it all one smile, hug, or kiss can melt your heart and stop you in your tracks.  So today, spend the day cherishing those smiles, hugs, kisses, and kind words because life is short and they grow up fast. Today is your gift!

Happy Mother’s Day

I hate to be the barer of bad news but….

Dole Salad Recall

Dole Fresh Vegetables is recalling 756 cases of its DOLE Seven Lettuces salad because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The bags of Seven Lettuces salad are stamped with a use-by date of April 11, 2012, UPC code 71430 01057 and product codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B, the company said.

The product was distributed in 15 states, including Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin, reported Market Watch.

The official information is not available on the Dole site, but more information can be found here.

It is not often that I get heated on a topic, but I think this may be my soapbox for a while.  Excuse me while I climb up.

There has been so much chatter lately over Finely Textured Beef product or Pink Slime, being added to the ground beef without the publics knowledge, and at the OK of the US government.  Many companies have now said that they will no longer sell ground beef that contains finely textured beef, but honestly how do we know.  We didn’t know it was there in the first place. 

I did a post on this last week, and started a conversation in the A Few Short Cuts Community.  I received a comment today in that community that pushed my buttons.

The picture you have posted is not of the Finely Textured GroundBeef that BPI produces. What you have posted is a slimy chickengoo. Please, if you are going to weigh in on this get it right.There are people who are losing jobs because of the misinformationthat is being put out there.

Eh hem….stands a little taller on my soap box.  The picture that I posted is pink slime. (seen above)  Processed meat that is being manufactured and fed to us without our consent or knowledge.  After so more research after this comment.  The commenter is right.  The picture is of chicken goo that is fed to our kids in the form of chicken nuggets, chicken patties, and more.  The stuff that we have no problem popping in the oven or running through a drive through to feed our kids on a busy night.  Again, I think if American’s were told that this is really what we are eating and feeding our children’ we would see a huge shift in the way we eat.

To be fair this is the image of Finely Textured Beef that is being added to our ground beef. While it may not look as offending as the chicken goo pink slime, it is bits of beef that no one would normally eat processed with Ammonia.  Doesn’t that sound delish?

Now, I feel I have corrected my information.  If people are loosing their jobs because I made a blog post with mis-information about the food my government has allowed me to pump into my body and my children’s unknowingly I am sorry.  But my concern is for the health of my family and the damage these products have already done to our systems.  I am angry that these foods were even allowed to be sold for my family to ingest.  I am angry that no one is going after the USDA for allowing this.  I am angry that the food manufacturers are blaming  people like me for raising the red flag and causing other to loose their jobs, when the blame should be on them for misinforming the public about their products.

I have already been leaning away from manufactured food products of the past couple years.  This food crisis has pushed me toward buying all organic products for my family.  It is a horrible shame that it is so expensive to eat healthy in the United States, but I am investing in my families health. 

Please take the time to weigh in on this conversation.

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This is absolutely appalling and disgusting.  As a mom who cares deeply about what she is feeding her children and how this effect them it is sickening!

Apparently the USDA has made it ok for grocery stores and food providers to mix this loveliness into the ground beef we buy.  What is pink slime? A lovely mix of beef parts treated with ammonia.  Doesn’t that sound yummy?

There is a great article with all  the details at The Daily that pretty much covers the details.

Is it at your store?

Kroger announced today that they would now longer be purchasing any meat mixed with “Pink Slime”. Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery retailer, serves customers in 2,435 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s.

How do you feel about pink slime?

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A lot of you may already know the clocks Spring Forward this tonight. So at 2AM it Become 3 AM.

If you are like me you are dreading the nightmare of changing kids schedules.  Here is a tip. Just start by putting the kids to bed 15 -20 minutes earlier every night.  It should only take a couple days to have them fully adjusted.

Have you entered our Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza yet? Today is the LAST DAY TO ENTER!

I am giving away $300 Cash from Ebates

Today’s Bonus Entry is…..

Leave as many positive comments on the A Few Short Cuts/Ebates giveaway post as you want.  Each one counts as an entry!

Other Giveaways

Click on each blogger’s name below to go enter their giveaway.

Remember you can also keep track of which ones you’ve entered by printing off this Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza Check List.

• Stockpiling Moms $250 Target Gift Card from Ebates
• Dealicious Finds $300 Amazon Gift Card
• A Thrifty Mom $200 in Visa Gift Cards
• Frugal Living & Having Fun $200 Amazon Gift Card
• Addicted To Saving $200 Visa Gift Card
• Smart Couponing $250 Amazon Gift Card
• Wicked Cool Deals $200 in TJ Maxx Gift Cards
• Saving with Amy $200 Gift Card to DealYard.com
• Christian Clippers $250 Cash from Ebates

Have you entered our Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza yet?

I am giving away $300 Cash from Ebates

Today’s Bonus Entry is…..

Leave a comment on the giveaway post telling me how many of the other giveaways you have entered!

Other Giveaways

Click on each blogger’s name below to go enter their giveaway.

Remember you can also keep track of which ones you’ve entered by printing off this Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza Check List.

• Stockpiling Moms $250 Target Gift Card from Ebates
• Dealicious Finds $300 Amazon Gift Card
• A Thrifty Mom $200 in Visa Gift Cards
• Frugal Living & Having Fun $200 Amazon Gift Card
• Addicted To Saving $200 Visa Gift Card
• Smart Couponing $250 Amazon Gift Card
• Wicked Cool Deals $200 in TJ Maxx Gift Cards
• Saving with Amy $200 Gift Card to DealYard.com
• Christian Clippers $250 Cash from Ebates

Have you entered our Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza yet?

I am giving away $300 Cash from Ebates

Today’s Bonus Entry is…..

Leave a comment on the giveaway post telling me what is something that makes you “leap” for joy!

Other Giveaways

Click on each blogger’s name below to go enter their giveaway.

Remember you can also keep track of which ones you’ve entered by printing off this Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza Check List.

• Stockpiling Moms $250 Target Gift Card from Ebates
• Dealicious Finds $300 Amazon Gift Card
• A Thrifty Mom $200 in Visa Gift Cards
• Frugal Living & Having Fun $200 Amazon Gift Card
• Addicted To Saving $200 Visa Gift Card
• Smart Couponing $250 Amazon Gift Card
• Wicked Cool Deals $200 in TJ Maxx Gift Cards
• Saving with Amy $200 Gift Card to DealYard.com
• Christian Clippers $250 Cash from Ebates

I love to teach classes, and I have taken a little teaching break to regroup and really perfect my classes to offer bigger and better things for you guys!

A Few Short Cuts has extended our partnership with one Savings.com, to be part of a nation-wide program to promote Savings on a huge scale.  One big Savings Nation!

Savings.com along with bloggers from all over the US will be offering classes in all areas, allowing you the readers, to have a chance to learn how to save from the best of the best. The first classes are kicking off THIS MONTH in Atlanta, Georgia and San Antonio, TX. Then in April there will be two more classes in Cincinnati, Ohio and Orlando, Florida! Then in May there will be couponing/budgeting/money-saving classes taught all across the country by the Savings.com DealPros! If you live in any of those cities, be sure to sign up for the class!

You can go now to read more about the Savings Nation classes coming to your area and sign up for more info!!

And while you’re here, check out this awesome video! Small change added up isn’t quite so small anymore!

Have you entered our Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza yet?

I am giving away $300 Cash from Ebates

Today’s Bonus Entry is…..

Leave a comment on the giveaway post telling me what your favorite thing about March is!

Other Giveaways

Click on each blogger’s name below to go enter their giveaway.

Remember you can also keep track of which ones you’ve entered by printing off this Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza Check List.

• Stockpiling Moms $250 Target Gift Card from Ebates
• Dealicious Finds $300 Amazon Gift Card
• A Thrifty Mom $200 in Visa Gift Cards
• Frugal Living & Having Fun $200 Amazon Gift Card
• Addicted To Saving $200 Visa Gift Card
• Smart Couponing $250 Amazon Gift Card
• Wicked Cool Deals $200 in TJ Maxx Gift Cards
• Saving with Amy $200 Gift Card to DealYard.com
• Christian Clippers $250 Cash from Ebates

Have you entered our Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza yet?

I am giving away $300 Cash from Ebates

Today’s Bonus Entry is…..

Leave a comment on the giveaway post telling me if you win what would you do with your prize!

Other Giveaways

Click on each blogger’s name below to go enter their giveaway.

Remember you can also keep track of which ones you’ve entered by printing off this Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza Check List.

• Stockpiling Moms $250 Target Gift Card from Ebates
• Dealicious Finds $300 Amazon Gift Card
• A Thrifty Mom $200 in Visa Gift Cards
• Frugal Living & Having Fun $200 Amazon Gift Card
• Addicted To Saving $200 Visa Gift Card
• Smart Couponing $250 Amazon Gift Card
• Wicked Cool Deals $200 in TJ Maxx Gift Cards
• Saving with Amy $200 Gift Card to DealYard.com
• Christian Clippers $250 Cash from Ebates

Have you entered our Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza yet?

I am giving away $300 Cash from Ebates

Today’s Bonus Entry is…..

Leave a comment on the giveaway post telling me what you are going to do with your extra day this year!

Other Giveaways

Click on each blogger’s name below to go enter their giveaway.

Remember you can also keep track of which ones you’ve entered by printing off this Leap Day Giveaway Extravaganza Check List.

• Stockpiling Moms $250 Target Gift Card from Ebates
• Dealicious Finds $300 Amazon Gift Card
• A Thrifty Mom $200 in Visa Gift Cards
• Frugal Living & Having Fun $200 Amazon Gift Card
• Addicted To Saving $200 Visa Gift Card
• Smart Couponing $250 Amazon Gift Card
• Wicked Cool Deals $200 in TJ Maxx Gift Cards
• Saving with Amy $200 Gift Card to DealYard.com
• Christian Clippers $250 Cash from Ebates

Just a quick reminder that there is a Coupon Database on A Few ShortCuts!  If you find a deal, or you are looking for a coupon, it is quick and easy!

Just click the button pictured above in the sidebar.

Type the name of the brand you are looking for in the box. For example Purex.

This is what you will see.  It will list all of the coupons, when they expire, and where to find them.  This comes in handy when you are looking for that one coupon!

Many of you keep up with A Few Short Cuts via facebook.  I don’t blame you.  We are all busy and at one point or another during  the day we find ourselves on facebook.  That used to be a great way to keep up with all of your favorite deals, coupons, and recipes.  I am sorry to say that I don’t think that is the case anymore.

Facebook has made some drastic changes, and while I am looking for a work around it seems like you are only seeing my status updates and not all of my posts (Deals etc) for the most part.

So how do we fix this? I am not really sure.  I do know that the more you like posts and comment the more content you will see.  So interaction is the key. 

You can also sort your facebook news feed by most recent, this seems to help too! This feature seems to reset so you may have to check daily to make sure it is set this way.

Other Options There are many other ways to follow A Few Short Cuts so you don’t miss out on any great deals or content.  I really do this to help you (the readers) save in everyway possible.  So if you aren’t getting the deals, I get sad.

Daily Email – Sign up here and get a daily email with that days current posts

Subscribe via reader- Subscribe to A Few Short Cuts via feed reader and be updated on new posts almost immediately!

Twitter- Follow A Few Short Cuts on Twitter and be alerted immediately to new posts

Google+ – Follow A Few Short Cuts on Google+.  This is a new format for me, so while I have been really bad about keeping it updated, I am going to try harder to keep it up to date for you guys!

AFewShortCuts.com- When all else fails just stop by.  I don’t bite, I promise.  All the deals are here and being updated frequently during the day.  So frequently you may want to click the more deals button at the bottom of the page to see them all.

Please remember that I need to know what you guys like and want to see more of.  Please take the time to click the like button at the top of posts and comment so I know what you love to see!

I get asked all the time, “What is the best browser to use?” I personally use Firefox all of the time.  I have Internet Explorer on my computer, so I can see the blog the way many of you do…that is the only reason.

I seriously can’t stand to use Internet Explorer.  Firefox makes browsing the internet so much easier.  It allows you to view your favorite sites the way they were designed.  It always amazes me to see the difference in graphics and site layouts between the two.

So, if you are on the computer a lot, or just want to try a new (better) internet experience you should download Firefox and check it out. 

If you happened to see my post for a $5 Kingsford Charcoal coupon yesterday and printed it you weren’t alone.  I snagged that puppy up pretty quick. 

Then last night I was on facebook and got kinda angry when I saw this.

We apologize about the confusion for the earlier coupons. They were unsolicited and not covered by us.

Um Seriously? Are you kidding? The coupon was on coupons.com.  It was not a PDF, it did not come from a third party.   Coupons.com is one of the most reputable coupon companies to print coupons from.  I never think twice about promoting a coupon from them. Many other feel the same way and left comments on Kingsfords Facebook wall. After hours of angry customer comments… they released this statement:

Hello Kingsford fans! We’d like to clear up any confusion regarding coupons. So sorry it took us a while to get to the bottom of this mystery! Yesterday, a number of coupon offers were posted by third parties to our Facebook Wall. While we can’t verify the legitimacy of them all, we can confirm that the $5 Kingsford coupon from Coupons.com was legitimate and will be honored. Unfortunately, the link has now been taken down because all available coupons were downloaded.

I find this type of behavior very fishy.  I have feel like the clorox company has been a little shady lately.  Just last week they released a Brita Pitcher Rebate only to recall it two days later, telling everyone they were out of money for that campaign and wouldn’t be honoring the rebates.

In my opinion it seems like they are releasing high value deals to drum up business and when they realize it means free products to consumers they back track.  I will be very cautious before I post any more deals from the Clorox Company.

How do you feel about this fiasco?  I would love to hear your opinions!

Well, I guess it was about time. For those of you who send a lot of letters or postcards, it’s time to stock up on stamps again. Effective this Sunday, January 22nd, the price of Stamps will increase from 44¢ to 45¢ per stamp.

Additionally, according to the U.S.P.S. website, the following changes will take place:

• 1¢ increase on postage for letters to 45¢
• 3¢ increase on postcards to 32¢
• 5¢ increase on letters to Canada or Mexico to 85¢
• 7¢ increase on letters to other international destinations to $1.05

Time to stock up on the cheaper postage.  Remember that forever stamps are good even when the price jumps! You can read the full press release here.