Free Makeup Tools

For their "Look Gorgeous, Love Green Campaign," EcoTools is collecting used cosmetic brushes and bath + body care products and swapping them for an EcoTools alternative.

For each item turned in, participants will receive a coupon for a free EcoTools alternative! [Up to $7.99 value, limit 2 coupons per person]. To continue to show respect to the earth, items collected will be recycled. Click here for more information.

I Love Groupon!

From the Groupon FAQ:

What is Groupon?

Each day, Groupon features an unbeatable deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in your city. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, we get discounts you won't find anywhere else. We call it "collective buying power!"

The discounts are amazing - they range from 50% to 85% and they are for things people would normally buy. If enough people buy a given Groupon "the deal is on" and everyone who signed up gets the discount. Groupon is available in about 40-45 cites - including my city, St. Louis, MO. I have purchased Groupons for:

Straubs - grocery store that has the best meat in STL - and is normally out of my price range

Verve - my favorite hair salon in the world

Women's Closet Exchange - designer resale

Body Options Massage - gift for my husband

I'm not affiliated with or paid by Groupon or any of these merchants - I'm just a fan!

Click here to see if Groupon is available in your city and if it is, sign up.

A Good Start for the New Year

I have a Bank of America World Points Visa -- and I just got a check from them for $250.00 because I had accumulated enough points!

Free Seafood

You can get a coupon for a free frozen seafood entree from Sea Cuisine. The offer officially begins at 3 p.m. Eastern and is good only for today, January 10. The entrees are tilapia, cod, salmon and shrimp with various seasonings.

While you are there, enter their Dinner's on Us sweepstakes to win free seafood coupons and a grocery store gift card.

Yearly wrap up

I've tried to keep track of what I've earned and saved through rebates, frugality, etc. After all, you can't improve things if you don't measure them!

I've been very good about keeping track of earnings but much less diligent about keeping track of savings through sales prices and coupons. Anyhow, here are the totals for 2009:

Earnings (from rebates, surveys, focus groups, sales on Amazon and Craig's List): $2,004.54

Savings (sale prices and coupons): $143.58

Earnings (non-cash GCs, free products): $164.68

DHs net Amazon sales: $3,079.53 (His Amazon store is here.)