Some of the most popular places on our site include our list of kids eat free deals, military discounts, and printable grocery coupons.  If you’re wondering what kind of deals to expect on a daily basis, here’s some of our most popular deals in the past week:

• Starbucks’ half-priced “Frappy Hour” starts on Friday
• Save money on fresh produce at Safeway
• Free breakfast for teachers at Chick-fil-A

To be sure you don’t miss a deal, sign up for our daily email update below or become a fan of Springs Bargains on Facebook!

If you saw me at a King Soopers with a camera crew following me around recently, don’t get excited – I’m not going on Extreme Couponing (thankfully!). Reporter Aly Myles from Fox 21 interviewed me a couple of weeks ago for a story about money-saving local websites, and the spot will air tonight at 9 PM! A reader spotted me in the store, and later emailed to ask when it was going to be on, so I thought maybe I should let the rest of you know, too. :)

We’re excited to welcome the Focus on the Family Bookstore as our site sponsor for the month of May!  We are so excited to be partnering with the bookstore this month, and are even more excited about some of the things they have planned this month: a free family event, and a special freebie just for Springs Bargains readers!

We’ll be sharing more about the Focus on the Family Bookstore in the coming month – including how to get that freebie – but for now, be sure to like their Facebook page to be the first to hear about exclusive deals and discounts.  This week, they are offering a special deal on the kids’ video Battle for the Promised Land, from the guy who created Veggie Tales!

The Focus on the Family Bookstore is located at 8685 Explorer Drive in Colorado Springs – inside the same building as the visitor’s center and Whit’s End!

Our sponsor, The Circa Group at RE/MAX Properties, is pleased to present a new townhome for sale in southwest Colorado Springs!

Located just five minutes from Fort Carson and within walking distance to many amenities, this townhome is perfect for a military family looking for affordable housing in southwest Colorado Springs.

The townhome at 917 London Green has been immaculately maintained and is move-in ready.  You’ll love the wood-look flooring, new paint, vaulted ceilings, and wood-burning fireplace.

The main level features your living room, dining area, kitchen, and bathroom; and from the dining area you can step out onto a private patio with a great view of Pikes Peak!  Upstairs, you’ll find three bedrooms and two bathrooms with lots of light from the windows and great vaulted ceilings.

For more information, please visit the website for 917 London Green or call 719.231.9043.

How do I receive forgiveness from God?

The results from the 2011 Best Of from the Gazette are in, and Springs Bargains won Gold in the Blog category for the third year in a row!  Thank you so much for voting for us, and for coming back over and over!

A big congrats to some of our current and past advertisers who also won big: Lillian’s Shoppe won Gold in both New Store and Women’s Fashion; and Ent Federal Credit Union won Gold in the Bank category!

Our goal was to be able to give you more information and more deals, but without adding so much “stuff” that you get lost in the scrolling of finding it all.

I’ll give you a tour on Monday to show you around to the new stuff (we’re still working out the kinks and adding a few things), but feel free to click around and show yourself around… Or maybe even submit a deal via the new form in the sidebar!  (If you’re a blogger, you’re going to love submiting catalina deals – they almost automatically post, and you get a link when you include your URL!

We were almost out of food, and I was this close to asking a friend for help.  But before I could muster the humility and courage to do so, someone else saw my need and met it.

My friend Amy doesn’t even live in this state.  She didn’t even know my address.  But she knew my need, and figured out a way to meet it.  At 4:30 PM, the doorbell rang and there was a huge delivery of food from Jason’s Deli.  Somehow, Amy had coordinated with Jill and Crystal and they’d sent supper.  These people don’t even live in my town!

At 5:30 PM, the doorbell rang and there was Andrea, who had also been recruited by Amy to bring food.  She had a huge box of drinks, homemade soup, crackers, fruit, and so much more.

I cried.  To have friends taking it upon themselves to meet my needs like that was amazing.

I know all of these women primarily through blogging.  I sometimes refer to them as “blogging friends”, but when they do something like this?  Pretty sure I can just call them friends, no adjective required.

Amy, Andrea, Jill, and Crystal: thank you.  Thank you for your generousity, your kindness, your support, your thoughtfulness.  I honestly can’t tell you how much it meant to me.

What’s the nicest thing someone has done for you?

Thought you might like this video that my friend Claire from Saving Money Plan took at a blogging conference we both attended a couple of weeks ago. If Baby and I look perfectly natural in this position, it’s because it is! :)

Go here to vote.  Thanks to all of you who take the time to do it – we sure appreciate it!

It’s measured by the quality of free cookie you scored at the bakery – and in this case, this was an awesome Albertson’s shopping trip!

Just for fun, here’s the history of Springs Bargains in numbers and factoids since its inception in December 2008:

• Number of posts: 4,368
• Average number of posts per day: 5.8
• Number of comments: 21,383
• Facebook fans: 2,410
• Most popular grocery store: King Soopers
• Most popular category: Groceries
• Most popular page: Printable Coupons Resource Center
• Most popular non-deal page: Chipotle Burrito Recipe
• Hottest grocery ad: King Soopers on January 28, 2010
• Carrie’s coolest memory: Mission Foods Factory Tour
• Dumbest thing Carrie’s ever done to get something free: made and wore tortilla earrings
  Ok, so this one might be a close second: dressing like a cow and going to Chick-fil-A and Sunflower Market
  So evidently Chick-fil-A brings out the best in me - I also asked a complete stranger-who-worked-at-CFA to take a picture with me

Well, anyway.  Thanks for reading and making it possible for us to keep having birthdays!

Just for fun, how long have you been reading, and how’d you hear about Springs Bargains?

I’ve seen enough of the previews to know that they really are focusing on extreme couponing – most of the participants have entire rooms dedicated to their stockpiles!

I’m definitely not what you’d call an extreme couponer.  Maybe I used to be, but over the past few years, I’ve stopped making 10 trips to the store every week, dumpster diving for coupons, and storing dozens of bottles of shampoo.

I’ve also changed my perspective a bit from extreme couponing to strategic couponing.  You already know I think most couponers have a closet full of toothpaste they got for free, but are still way overspending on groceries.  I honestly could care less how much you spend on your groceries each week – I just want to help you make sure you are making your dollars go as far as you can!

I’ve also changed my strategy as I realized that some of those amazing shopping trips are just “working the numbers”.  Yes, it is absolutely possible to walk out of the store saving 99% on your groceries.  But, I think I can say that it’s not possible to do that on absolutely everything you need to eat for seven days, week in and week out.

A lot of us share our amazing grocery shopping trips where we saved 90% on our total bill, but never mention that we also made another trip later in the week to get food we could actually eat. ;)

A lot of people don’t count the extra newspapers they buy for the coupons as part of their grocery budget, or use Amazon gift cards they earn through Swagbucks to buy groceries and don’t count that as part of their budget.  The numbers can all be manipulated quite easily if we want them to!

Am I going off on a tangent?  Yes, I guess I am!  Anyway, you can read more about the show here.  It debuts tonight (Wednesday) at 6 PM Mountain Time!

Update: my friend Toni wrote a great synopsis of the Extreme Couponing show – love her “lessons to learn” from the show!

What do you think about Extreme Couponing?  Did you write a blog post about it?  Link up below!

I hope that the all the business of shopping and cooking and parties slows down and you have a fabulous Christmas with your families.  With all the exciting deals, it’s hard to remember to focus on what’s really exciting about the Christmas holiday – that it’s called Christmas, and that it’s something to celebrate because God gave us the greatest gift ever given through salvation through His son, Jesus Christ!

That’s the greatest saving story ever!  Merry Christmas!

By the way, we’ll be doing some site maintenance over the holiday.  There shouldn’t be any downtime, but due to the way the behind-the-scenes stuff works, some of you may not see new posts for a few days.  But that’s OK, right?!  You’ll be celebrating Christmas with your families.  No more shopping! :)

This week we’re welcoming Jaime to the Springs/Denver Bargains team!  With our growing family and the addition of Denver Bargains, I’ve been barely keeping my head above water for quite awhile. So, rather than just throw my hands in the air and quit (didn’t think that would go over very well), we done some strategizing and are making the sites a team effort rather than “all Carrie, all the time!” :)

Jaime will be doing your daily deal wrapups for both Colorado Springs and Denver, as well as posting some other deals on both sites.  She’s definitely a bargain hunter: this week she showed me some cool dishware she got at Goodwill, and a few weeks ago told me her great jeans were a steal from a consignment store!  (That’s when I thought, Hmm, wonder if she’s interested in blogging…)

Anyway, so – welcome, Jaime!

And, another huge thanks to Lisa, who’s been working behind-the-scenes for awhile now on coupon matchups, and now covers Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Sprouts.

I’m super excited to be covering more stuff, more regularly, and can’t wait to see what the future holds!

When we moved to Colorado several years ago, we figured everyone had a real Christmas tree. Imagine our shock to discover that people living in this beautiful winter wonderland do not have a higher percentage of real trees than any other location! :)

In an effort to help out anyone who wants to have a real tree (we think it’s essential!), here’s some prices I found online and from sales flyers for various Christmas trees.

Make sure you take the Real Tree Vs. Fake Tree Poll at the bottom of this post!

Good Earth Garden Center (1330 N. Walnut St)

• Douglas Fir 2-3′ – $9.99
• Douglas Fir 3-5′ – $13.99
• Douglas Fir 5-7′ – $19.99
• Douglas Fir 7-9′ – $28.99
• Douglas Fir 9-12′ – $39.99 and up

They also have “white, natural firs”, but I have no idea how those differ or what the prices are.

Big R (14155 East Highway 24 in Falcon, or 165 Fontaine Blvd in Security)

• Christmas Trees (unknown sizes and varieties) – $34.99

Prices good through December 7.

Lowe’s (various locations across town)

• Noble Fir 6-7′ – $39.98
• Noble Fir 7-8′ – $59.98

Prices good through December 6.

Merry Christmas Tree Farm (18530 Shannon Road in Black Forest)

• Scotch Pine 8-14′ – $30.00
• Blue Spruce 7-9′ – $50.00

Visit their website for more info and hours.

Pike National Forest

• Lodgepole Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Douglas-fir, and Engelmann Spruce – $10.00

Visit this page for more information on obtaining a permit.

Do you get a real Christmas tree or a fake one?

[polldaddy poll=4186288]

Image Credit: dmolsen

Once your enemy, now seated at your table: Jesus, thank you!

A huge thanks to all of you who for Springs Bargains in the CS Indy’s Best Of 2010 contest!  We won Best Blogger and also got third for best Twitter.  I feel funny saying that “I” won because with all that’s going on here at Springs Bargains it’s become more of a team effort – my husband Jeremy and assistant Lisa work hard behind the scenes, too!

They did a nice write-up for Springs Bargains here if you want to read it.  Jessica isn’t the only person that gives me a hard time about how I say coupon. ;)

Seriously, thank you so much for voting.  I’m pretty convinced I have the best blog readers ever, even before you voted!

Psst – what would you say if I said something really BIG is happening soon.  What would you say if I said two really big things are happening soon?!  Eek, I can’t tell you yet, but I am so excited about what’s coming up in the next couple of months!

This week is “Birthday Week” on Springs Bargains! Every day I’ll be sharing some fun birthday freebies that you can get from local restaurants, stores, and even some online goodies. There’s a ton of things to share, so get ready for a slew of “Happy Birthday” posts!

And in case you’re wondering, it’s not actually anyone’s birthday – I had planned to do this series when I took some time off after Baby was born and she came sooner than I thought so I never got it done! :)

Image credit: jackii

It’s time!  The five semi-finalists have been selected and it’s time for you to crown the champion shopper!  You can vote once every 24 hours until Sunday, October 17 at 11:59 PM.  Whoever has the most votes wins!  Thanks to everyone who entered.

Here’s the candidates – read through them and then vote for your favorite at the bottom.

Ginger M wrote: I bought all these things at the ARC thrift store and used the $10 coupons they had to score a great deal!  These Wearever AirBake cookie sheets were $2.99 and retail for $20!  The stainless steel stockpot mispriced, I think, at $1.99! Then the gravy boats, a ginormous stainless steel bowl priced at $3.99 – you can’t get this new for much less than $16. I found one of those stainless steel inserts that restaurants use to either keep things hot or cold… They sell ‘em at Sam’s and they still aren’t cheap.

Lastly, I got a Pampered Chef deep stoneware baker (which they no longer sell) for $4.99.  For all this stuff, I paid around $5 using my coupons. Even without a discount, all this stainless steel and stoneware piece totalled $22.52. Everything is completely utilitarian and will hold up forever!

______________________________________

Kara P wrote: I went garage sale-ing  this last weekend for toys, etc for my daughter’s birthday. We are short on money and I am trying to make the most bang for my buck. I drove 30 minutes to a certain garage sale I saw on Craigslist and boy did it pay off!!

I got a pink Leapster plus 7 games, a Disney Hannah Montana costume complete with shoe covers, microphone and new sunglasses, three board games, two minnie mouse head bands….all for $20!! I was soooo excited!

______________________________________

Laura C wrote: We’ve been scouring the newspapers, Petfinder.com, Cragslist.org, and Freecycle.org for a small dog to join our family. On Thursday, I happened to call the local animal shelter, and the clerk told me about a small, young adult female Pomeranian who had just become available for adoption. I fell in love when I met the small dog. So did the kiddos!

We adopted her with the bargain price of $80.00 (including first shots, getting spayed, and a $10 refundable Rabies fee). Better yet, she came with a couple of coupons to the local pet shop, so my husband and I picked out a small food dish, a purple leash, a fancy pet comb, and 2 dog bows for $10.16 and got the tag for free. The tag alone would have been $8. Funny thing is that the pet store had Pomeranian puppies for $799!  We named her Sally and she has been a wonderful dog so far!

______________________________________

Felicia J wrote: Monday we took my daughter to town for her 12th birthday. We started at the ARC thrift store where we used our 50% military discount and the $10 coupon to get a handful of books, a wooden train piece, and a glass jar for $5 and some change!  Then we ate at the Airplane Restaurant and, using a Restaurant.com gift certificate, treated the kids to an appetizer, meal and dessert for the same price I normally would have paid at Subway!

Our final stop was the The Picture Show at Citadel Crossing, where watching a “big movie” only cost me $6 for all of us! We had a great day and a happy birthday for my oldest.

______________________________________

Cathy V wrote: I’m brand new to this couponing thing, but I was pretty excited when I scored these deals at Whole Foods: 28 oz cans of Muir Glen Tomatoes for $0.25 each and ThinkThin Bars for $0.25.

My total for 5 things from Whole Foods that day was $1.25! I never thought I could walk out of that store spending so little.

______________________________________

[polldaddy poll=3928437]

For more information on the contest rules, read here.  May the best bargain finder win!

*For the record, I’m not voting in this one since it’s a contest. :)

You’ve got until Tuesday to shop, and until Wednesday to enter the Super Shopper contest this week!  Rock that Barilla deal at Safeway, the Register Rewards deals at Walgreens, and the Kick Off To Savings Event at King Soopers and submit your best deals for a chance to win.

It’s not just limited to groceries, either – you can submit entries on any type of “shopping” you got great deals on!

Go here to find out more info and enter to win!

Thank you, Sun Chips.  The noisy bag is leaving (mostly), and we can once again sneak chips during naptime.

Anyway, so make sure you scroll down (and click on the next posts link at the bottom, too) to make sure you didn’t miss anything in the past couple of days – there’s been tons of deals!  And get your bargain shopping skills started for the Super Shopper Contest this week!

Also, I just added a form so you can quickly submit deals you found!   Just go to the tabbed widget (or click here) where you can see the most recent comments and the Swidget and click on “Submit A Deal”.

You guys are awesome shoppers – even if you don’t do the “grocery coupon thing”, I know some of you know how to get a mean deal while dining out, shopping online, or browsing a thrift store.

So, this week, we’re having a super shopper contest… Get the best deal or deals you can find and campaign for votes to win the following prize package:

• A Springs Bargains reusuable grocery bag
  
• $20 King Soopers gift card
• Copy of Grocery University

Any kind of deals, whether grocery or clothing or family fun (or all three together!), will be accepted as long as the purchases took place anytime between this coming Wednesday and the following Tuesday (October 6-12).

You’ll need to upload a picture and tell me about your finds, and I’ll choose the top five semi-finalists.  Then, I’ll post the semi-finalists pictures and deals and you will vote for the winner!  Whoever gets the most votes wins, so you’ll want to encourage your family and friends to vote for you.

There’s Always Rules…

Simple enough?  Here’s the “fine print” that’s always necessary on contests:

• Winner will receive one Springs Bargains grocery bag, a $20 King Soopers gift card, and a copy of Grocery University, all provided by Springs Bargains.
• Shopping trip(s) must have taken place between Wednesday, October 6 and Tuesday, October 12.
• Five semi-finalists will be chosen by Springs Bargains; final winners will be selected through a voting process on SpringsBargains.com.
• Semi-finalists will be chosen according to overall deal value, uniqueness of items, and number of items included in the deal.
• Entries will be accepted through 3 PM Mountain Time on Wednesday, October 13.
• Entries must include one picture, preferably with all deals in the picture.  Your entry on the site will only showcase one image, so make it a good one with all your deals together!
• One entry per household.
• Voting begins on Thursday and ends on Sunday at 11:59 PM Mountain Time.
• One vote per person per day.
• Entrants are encouraged to ask friends and family to vote for their entry and may use email, personal blogs, Facebook, etc. to encourage voting.  Entrants may not promote their entry on blogs that receive more than 100 daily visits.
• Any method of voting manipulation is strictly prohibited and may cause disqualification.
• By entering you agree to these general terms and conditions.

If you’ve got a question, leave a comment and I’ll answer it there so others see the response as well.  You’ll be able to enter starting on Wednesday, but remember that your purchases must take place between October 6-12.

Ready to show off your skills and win?  Get started planning your shopping trips and hit the stores starting on Wednesday!

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE Entries are now closed – vote here!

Image from Leo Reynolds on Flickr

This week I got an email announcing that the annual McDonald’s Monopoly game is back – collect all the necessary game pieces and you could win a car, luxury vacation, $5000 Walmart gift card, a free Redbox rental, and more.

All I’ve ever won with those games is a free drink or sandwich – what about you?

A Vegas Story

Seven years ago Jeremy and I went to Las Vegas for a convention. We don’t gamble, but one evening we went to Circus Circus with Jeremy’s boss. His boss put a $10 bill into a 25¢ slot machine, pressed “maximum bet”…

…and won a BMW Z4 convertible.

How often do you hear about that happening, much less have it happen to someone you’re standing right next to?! Pretty cool, though still absolutely no reason to throw money away using the slot machine as a trash can! ;)

Within 15 minutes of winning, he had a 1099 in hand (before they even gave him the car or the keys!), so of course the “free” car wasn’t really free since you have to pay taxes on prize earnings.  Taxes on a $45,000+ car are not cheap!

I’m not sure there’s a less-frugal way to spend money than gambling, but it’s cool to have seen someone else win. ;)

Lottery Tickets versus Catalina Coupons

I wanted to cry the one time I saw an abandoned catalina for $2 on your next order lying on top of the Powerball stand at King Soopers.  Someone evidently bought a lottery ticket and left what amounts to $2 cash sitting there.  Ack, buy a ticket for a one-in-a-million chance to win and lose $2 worth of groceries in the process!

What’s Your Amazing Winning Story?

Enough of my rambling.  Who’s won something really awesome in a giveaway, drawing, or sweepstakes?