Cheap eating- Dunkin Donuts/ Baskin Robbins (Orlando, Fl)

Ever get the urge for something sweet? Near us we have a combination Dunkin Donuts/ Baskin Robbins and with it comes 2 kinds of desserts and 2 types of rewards!

Dunkin Donuts has started to serve breakfast pretty much any old time, which is a bonus. But if you do frequent a location near you, you should sign up for their DD Perks. Simply charge a DD gift card and sign up for the program. You can:

• Earn $1 Dunkin’ Dollar for every $20 you spend in a calendar month
• Earn $2 Dunkin’ Dollars for every $20 you spend on your DD Card if your Card Auto-Recharges once within the calendar month.
• Plus, you’ll also get:
  • A free medium beverage just for signing up
  • A free medium beverage on your birthday

Doesn’t this sound like a sweet deal? Facebook and Twitter here.

Baskin Robbins has their own deals. Simply text the word OFFER to 31310 to receive special savings once or twice a month. Plus join their club and get free ice cream on your birthday! Check out their Facebook and Twitter.

Near Disney: DD/BR combo located in Kissimee.

Near Universal: DD/ BR combos are located at International Dr, Sandlake, and Kirkman rd.

Near UCF/ Waterford Lakes: DD/ BR combo located at Alafaya and East Colonial intersection.

Near the Airport: DD/ BR combo located on Semoran.

What is your favorite thing to get at these places? Sound off below! (I love the Boston Kreme Pie Donut.)

Cheap movies- Tweet to get a $5 Instant Amazon Credit

Thanks to Whosaidnothinginlifeisfree and Addicted to saving for the info.

Amazon is offering a $5 credit when you connect your Amazon and Twitter accounts and Tweet their special message. GO HERE and link your accounts and follow the directions.

Once you are done you will get a message saying “Congratulations!  We have successfully applied a $5 credit to your Amazon.com account, good for movies and TV shows at Amazon Instant Video.”

Cheap eating- Pita Pit (Orlando, Fl)

It should come as no surprise to you that there is another post about sandwiches.  My husband requested a trip to our local Pita Pit today, and it did not disappoint. First off, we found coupons in both the Orlando Weekly and Bogo Magazine. You can also access Bogo Magazine online and print coupons directly from there. Once there, sign up for their email club to get special offers.

We had a “buy one pita combo get one  pita free” coupon and each got falafel pitas. You can also choose from your favorite cheese and toppings as well as sauces. Most of the meat selections are turkey or chicken, but they do have other options. The only downside is that the store is a little small and kind of loud, especially when it gets crowded. But the eating is great! And we just found out that they do deliver! Look for more coupons in the bags they put your Pitas in TO GO.  Facebook and Twitter…you guessed it!

Near Disney: No locations available

Near Universal: No locations available

Near UCF/ Waterford Lakes: On the corner of Alafaya and East Colonial or down the street from UCF on University.

Near the Airport: No locations available

Have you visited a Pita Pit recently? What do you order? Post below!

Finding cheap eating, entertainment, and shopping is now organized!

In order to help you find an easier way to save, past (and future) posts have now been organized by area. Looking for a cheap place to eat near Universal? Simply click on Universal/ Sea World Attractions under eating!  Your visit to Orlando (or your after work hang out locator) just got more simple! Stay tuned.

Shoutout- Gamer’s Inc

Yesterday during our many outings, our little group paid a visit to Gamer’s Inc.  It is tucked away in the Waterford Towers, so sometimes it seems it does not get much foot traffic. This is a shame because it is an awesome place to find new and used games and equipment. They have have some consoles for pretty cheap. Plus they refurbish items as well!

It had been a little while since we had been in there, but they have really spruced the place up, with lots of gaming stations and a nice organized layout. If you are in the area, and like games, you should drop by and see if there is anything you need.

Become their friend on Facebook and let them know you heard about them from Laney on the Cheap!

Got my new phone!

So after a year of wrestling with my HTC Eris, I have finally upgraded my phone to a Motorola Droid X2.

(this is not my phone, but obviously I can’t take a picture WITH my phone OF my phone….) I am just starting to put apps on it and will have to get used to it for about a week, but so far I love it. Look for a post to come about productive and fun free apps for android phones.

What apps can you not live without for your phone? Sound off below!

Super crafty- Candy Land Cake

My friend from college recently made this cake and I just had to share it. My favorite part is the ice cream cone mountains. Joy said that it will take her and her family quite a few days to eat through it. Sounds like a blissful sugar high to me!

What do you guys think? What other creative ideas do you have for yummy desserts?

 

Found a new blog!

This past week I was reading in Orlando magazine and just happened across an article about Amy Selleck. She lives in Orlando and has a blog where she helps people shop for close to free. Her site also sports a coupon database and savings that you can search by store.  I have loved what I have read so far and am definitely adding her to my Google Reader. Look for her here: Who Said Nothing In Life Is Free? 

Have you found any blogs recently? Post below.

Cheap shopping: Coupons (part 2)- The great search

In honor of it being Sunday (coupon day!), I decided it would be the perfect time to explore where coupons come from. See there’s a momma coupon and a daddy coupon…..

Any serious coupon maven will tell you that the world is your oyster when it comes to coupons. There is no shortage of websites that have links, coupon databases, and email newsletters full of coupon goodness. But where to start? Searching for coupons can be as overwhelming as it is rewarding. My plan is one that is ever evolving, but it works for me. Never be afraid to modify the tips and tricks to make it work for you.

Coupons and where to find them:

1. Sunday Paper– My family does not read the paper normally, so we purchase just the Sunday edition. I literally open it up, remove all the ads and coupons and recycle the rest. At work there are quite a few people who clip coupons as well, so we will swap the ones we don’t want and get more of the ones we do.
2. Online Coupon Sites– Once a week I will browse the coupons and print the ones I want. I save the links to these sites to my browser so I get to them faster. Some of these sites include the same coupons, but some don’t. These include Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, Redplum.com, Coupon Network, Saving Star, and Allyou.com.
3. Points Rewards Sites– Many sites let you print coupons (many of the same from the above sites) but once you use them, you accumulate reward points that can be redeemed for prizes and gift cards. The 2 I use the most are Mypoints.com and Swagbucks.com (more on these 2 sites at another time).
4. On the individual store’s website– for my area, I can go to whatever store I want to and see what coupons are available. These include Target.com, Winn-Dixie.com, Publix.com, and WholeFoods.com. Publix will actually take store coupons from competitor’s websites as well as price match.
5. From a Store’s Mailer– for me this usually is only for BJ’s but I know of many other stores that do have mailers with store coupons.
6. From Facebook and Brand websites– I subscribe to many blogs in order to get the skinny on what brands are offering coupons directly through them. You can read my earlier post HERE to see some of my favorites. Keep on the lookout for sample offers because more than likely coupons will be included as well.
7. Email Newsletters– when there is a brand I use often or a store I shop at frequently, I go to their website to see if there is some kind of newsletter I can subscribe to. Most of the time this will include some kind of coupon or deal.
8. Contact the brand directly– Do you like a specific brand and use it a lot? Consider writing them an email and letting them know. Sometimes if you request it, they will send you coupons in the mail.

 Where do you find coupons? Do you think it is easy to find them or confusing? Post comments below.

Cheap eating- Firehouse Subs (Orlando, Fl)

If you have never been to a Firehouse Subs, now is the perfect time. I am a sucker for sandwiches and this one specializes in good ones. Also, they have a very unique point of view! With an overwhelming array of hot sauces for you to try, ask an employee for the hottest they have, if you dare. One of my friends loves hot sauce, and the employee actually had to put on gloves and get it special out of the fridge. It was black coming out of the bottle and made his head explode. Good times.

You can also mix your own Strawberry Limeade or purchase a large orange pickle that benefits local firemen. The employees at the location we most frequent (Kirkman and Conroy) are always extra friendly and remember us when we come in. I also have a friend who works at the Sand Lake location, so if you go there, be sure to ask for Zachariah (tell him Laney sent you!).

So why is this a perfect time to visit Firehouse? Well, if you sign up for their “Copy That” newsletter right now, you may get sent a coupon for a free medium sub when you buy a sub, chips, and a drink on Labor Day. Even if you can’t take advantage of that particular offer, they are always sending coupons for a free drink with purchase.

My favorite thing to order there is the Engineer (you will come to find out, dear readers, that turkey is my go-to lunch meat!) Another fun way to order is how my brother and roommate do. They tell the employee to order it as if they were making it for themselves. Sometimes this is only for the adventurous, but fun nonetheless.

Keep updated with Facebook and Twitter!

Near Disney: Firehouse Subs is located is Hunter’s Creak, about 6 miles away.

Near Universal: Firehouse Subs is located on Sand Lake or at Kirkman and Conroy.

Near UCF/ Waterford Lakes: Firehouse Subs is located just down the street from UCF on University Way.

Near the Airport: No location nearby.

So how many of you love Firehouse? What is your favorite thing to order? Comment below!