Check your receipts

When eating at fast food restaurants, be sure to check your receipt. Many restaurants offer free food or discounts for completing a survey about your visit. Here are the ones that I know offer something on their receipts:

Burger King: Free whopper for completing survey (every receipt)

Arby's: Free Roast Beef or Beef N Cheddar sandwich for completing survey (every receipt)

Sonic: Free Route 44oz drink (random receipts)

Captain D's: Discount on next purchase (random receipts)

ENJOY AND DON'T THROW AWAY FREE FOOD !!!!

Healthy Living

Many of you may have started the New Year with the resolution to lose weight and get healthy.  I have found several books and websites that will help you.  Before I give you all the GOOD information, I have to give you the BAD information:  If you are not MENTALLY ready to lose weight and get healthy, there is NO book, website, diet, or person that can help you.  None of the items I'm listing are considered "diets".  Diets fail you because they often restrict your favorite foods or add horrible tasting foods.  None of these products/books do that.  It's all about healthy choices.  Start small and enjoy the results.

I have found it easier to focus on one change at a time, so you don't feel overwhelmed.  I started with one all fruit and vegetable day per week.  Now I'm up to 3 fruit and vegetable only days per week.

This book was featured on the Steve Harvey show and several other talk shows:
Lose Weight without dieting or working out by JJ Smith
http://www.amazon.com/Lose-Weight-Without-Dieting-Working/dp/0982301871/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335918198&sr=1-1

There is a website, Facebook page and TV show for Hungry Girl.  If you have used the Weight Watchers system, she converts all of her recipes into the points system:
Hungry Girl

There is also a Facebook page and cookbooks to go along with this website.  The focus is only "clean" eating and provides easy to follow recipes and information on how to get started:
The Gracious Pantry


These are a few to get you started.  I started before the New Year and I've lost ten pounds.  Good luck and check back often to see my progress.

MORE SCHOLARSHIPS

Seniors, don't leave this scholarship money out there. Even if you have applied for and received other scholarships, keep applying.  You can NEVER have too much money for college. If you are planning to attend a community college or a technical college, many of these scholarships can be used there also.  APPLY, APPLY, APPLY.

Regions Bank (no bank account required)
http://promo.regions.com/RidingForward/default.htm?CID=20861&WT.ac=CaseAd_Personal_RidingForwardEssay&V_TID=955595&ProspectID=9722CEFEC41C4D22BBB82D479D88DB6D

Family Savings Credit Union (no account required)
http://ig.libertyonline.net/ImageGallery/Custom/cu0571/PDFs/Meritscholarship12.pdf

Diversity Foundation
http://diversityfoundation.net/apply.html

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
 http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships/

GOOD LUCK!! Remember to seek help from your guidance counselor if you have questions,

Kids, Kisses, and Chaos: Opportunities for Scholarships and Employment

Kids, Kisses, and Chaos: Opportunities for Scholarships and Employment: I was asked to share these opportunities...please do the same. 1. Wake Forest University has an opportunity for minority students to attend...

COUPONS

I am often asked where I get coupons. The easiest and most obvious source is your local newspaper. On Sundays, I generally buy 3 newspapers, one from each of the cities closest to my home. If it is a particularly good coupon day, I will buy multiple newspapers or get newspapers from relatives.

Once you begin to seriously coupon, look into newspaper subscriptions, which may save you time and money if you're able to get them delivered to your home.

There are also several online coupon sites which allow you to print the coupons at home or load them to your shopper card (for select stores). Manufacturers often offer more coupons with higher values on their website or coupon websites than the newspaper coupons.

Below are some online coupon sources. Check your online reward program (mypoints, swagbucks, etc) to see if you can earn points for printing and using coupons printed from their site.

Www.coupons.com

www.smartsource.com
www.redplum.com

Also check the website and Facebook page of your favorite manufacturer. They often have Facebook only deals!

Happy Saving!!!!!!!

MORE SCHOLARSHIPS

Below are more scholarships. Remember to keep a chart of scholarships applied for. Also keep up with who you ask to complete letters of recommendations. Keep scholarship information handy because most of the information is repetitive.

Also remember to fill out our FAFSA asap!!!!! The early bird gets the worm.

http://www.naacpldf.org/herbert-lehman-education-fund-scholarship

http://militaryscholar.org/sfmc/application.html

http://www.blackhairscience.com/scholarship_form.php

http://www.castleink.com/_ink-scholarship-paperless.html

http://www.diplomaframe.com/contests/frame-my-future-scholarship-contest-2012.aspx

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Scholarships ending SOON

Below is a list of scholarships with upcoming deadlines.

http://www.doinggood.com/campaigns/doing-good-scholarship/scholarship-impact-landing.html

(Deadline: Feb 15)

http://www.kfcscholars.org/scholarships/ (DEADLINE FEB 8!!!)

http://www.emmabowenfoundation.com/index.php/application.html (Deadline Feb 15) Thanks to http://ctherd.blogspot.com/ for info

https://bestbuy.scholarshipamerica.org/register.php (Deadline Feb 15)

Scholarship Search

It's scholarship application time!!!!! All high school and current college students should continuously search and apply for scholarships. Here are 2 sites that can help with the scholarship search:

www.fastweb.com

www.blackexcel.org

Both of these sites lists hundreds of scholarships.  Set time aside each day to research and apply for as many scholarships as you can. Basic information needed on most scholarship applications include most recent GPA, financial information of parent/guardian, and ACT/SAT scores. Many scholarships will also require an essay and/or recommendation letters. Check with your high school guidance counselor for recommendation letters, if needed. Also seek information/recommendations for local alumni of the college(s) you are interested in attending. 

I find it helpful to keep a chart of scholarships I qualify for, needed information, and the deadline to apply.  As you apply for the scholarships, write the application date down.  You may also find it helpful to have an email address dedicated solely to scholarship/academic information.

Also, EVERYONE needs to fill out FAFSA information at https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/fafsa?locale=en_US. Not all scholarships are need based and more higher income families are qualifying for some type of financial aid.

GOOD LUCK in your search!

February Shopping Tips

While January was the month to buy appliances, February is the month of the home theater system. Getting ready for new models and the Super Bowl, stores will have good savings on big screen TV's and other home system components (speakers, projectors, etc). So hurry out before the BIG GAME and score BIG SAVINGS!!!

Other products to buy during the month of February include:

1. Cameras (Trade shows occurred in January so new models are in and old models are discounted)
2. Prom Dresses (Spring styles are available, prices are low and there's plenty of time for alterations)
3. Winter Clothes, especially coats (Spring wardrobe is in and stores have no room to storm current styles which will be out of style next year)    When buying winter clothes, buy a size or two larger to accommodate growth during the year.  Or if your New Year's resolution was to lose weight, go ahead and buy a size DOWN or two to celebrate your success!!!

Happy shopping during the month of February!