Monkey Joes & Pump It Up Deals

It's the 1st official day of summer round these here parts and kid's entertainment deals are popping up left and right. Today, at Living Social, you can score deals from Monkey Joes and Pump It Up.

MONKEY JOES - Get yours here.

• Choose from 2 locations (Brentwood, Rivergate)
• $5 gets you 1 admission + a popsicle.
• You can buy up to 5.
• Expires 10/03/11.

PUMP IT UP - Get yours here.

• Choose from 2 locations (Brentwood, Mt. Juliet)
• $14 gets you 4 admissions. May be used on mulitple visits.
• Limit 1 per person.
• Expires 10/09/11

If you are new to Living Social, you will get a $5 credit when you sign up here. The best thing I like about LS is that if 3 friends also purchase the same deal, you get yours FREE!

Vacation for a Fraction of the Cost

We are just 3 short weeks away from a little trip I like to call "School's Out For Summer." We will be spending a weekend in Chattanooga and I'm already scoring deals left and right.

Here's how you can have a fun vacation on the cheap too.

• Plan. My husband has a very laid back approach to vacationing but, in the back of his mind, he has a list of things he would like to do. I'm the exact opposite. I would be perfectly fine with a scheduled itinerary for every day of the trip. However, in order to save some money we have to meet in the middle because, typically, deals don't just fall in your lap after you show up. You gotta find them before you go.
• Hotel. Reservations are necessary to ensure you have lodging. I used Hotels.com to score a great price on a hotel that also serves complimentary breakfast. Be sure to look for those extra perks when you choose your accommodations. Also, Hotels.com has a reward program that earns you 1 FREE night for every 5 nights you stay (does not have to be consecutive).
• Dining. Hotel will have breakfast taken care of but we know that we will need at least 5 meals (2 dinners + 3 lunches) while we are at our destination. I've been following daily deal sites like Groupon & Living Social (new subscribers get $5) in my destination city, as well as Restaurant.com to find gift certificates for half price or less.
• Attractions. For this trip, we decided on 2 big things (1 each day) that we definitely wanted to see or do. I've been scouring Ebay & Craigslist for deals on those attraction tickets. So far, I've been able to save at least 50%, which is huge because these attractions are pretty pricey.
• Snacks. We are all big snackers. To save us from having to purchase these on the road, I will be packing a small cooler with food and drinks. I also plan to prepare small baggies of snacks to take with us while we are out and about each day.
• Gas. There isn't a whole lot you can do here and it always seems that gas prices rise in the summer. :( I like to take advantage of the Publix gas card coupons that will save you $10 off a $50 gift card to BP or Shell. They run these promotions about once every 4-6 weeks. I also use the Gas Buddy app on my phone to locate the cheapest gas in whatever area we are traveling. Sometimes it's worth it to go just one more exit.
• Cash Back. If I'm doing any sort of online purchase, I always go through Ebates. All of the retail links above can be shopped through Ebates where you earn a percentage back on your purchase. For example, right now, they are offering 15% cash back at Restaurant.com when you shop through their site.

A little planning really does go a long way as far as saving money on vacation. At this point, we know what attractions we are going to see and where we are going to eat but I'm leaving the WHEN up to hubby. See, I can compromise. :)

Do you feel like any of the above tips will help you save money on your summer vacation?

$20 Amazon Gift Card for $10 - TODAY ONLY!

I shop Amazon A LOT so I was thrilled to see that today's Living Social deal is for a discount gift card. It's actually half price. Today only, you can get a $20 Amazon Gift card for just $10! The card has no expiration date.

• If you are new to Living Social, sign up here. My referrals get $5 towards a future purchase.
• Then, click here to get today's deal (all cities).

The thing I love about Living Social is that you can buy the deal and, if 3 friend's also buy the same deal (using your link), you get it for FREE!

Be sure to use my link to purchase yours today!

Earn Swagbucks when you buy Groupons or Living Social Deals

Guess what! You can now earn Swagbucks when you buy Groupons. It's a double win!

Here's how. First things first:

If you are new to Groupon, you will need to sign up.

If you are new to Living Social, you will need to sign up.

If you are new to Swagbucks, you will need to sign up. (Learn more here)

Now, when you are looking at the Swagbucks homepage toolbar (at the top), go to Earn>Daily Deals. Scroll down and click the tab for Local Deals. Click on any deal you want to buy and follow the steps to complete your purchase.

I am a BIG fan of Groupon and Living Social and Swagbucks. I was thrilled when I learned that I could work both programs for more savings!

Living Social Bucks - 50% off

Living Social is a 1-deal-a-day site similar to Groupon. Today, they are offering $20 Deal Bucks for only $10. Purchase today and they will be active in your account tomorrow. You have plenty of time to use them since they don't expire until 2015!

Go here to get this deal.

If you are new to Living Social, sign up here and then search for the Dayton area. Best of all, new members get $5 deal bucks to start with. That means you should be able to get this deal for only $5 out of pocket. Sweet!!!

I love all the entertainment deals they have. This is how I have been funding our date nights on the cheap. I just wish they had one for babysitting! :)

I also love how you can get their deals for FREE when 3 friends also purchase the same deal.

Thanks I Heart Publix!

Movie Tickets for $5!

Here's another great deal and this one is valid nationwide. Get 4 movie tickets for only $20 through Living Social. These tickets can also be redeemed for IMAX movies!!

1. If you are new to Living Social, sign up here. You'll get a $5 credit for becoming a new member.
2. Current members can go here to purchase this deal. Search for Nashville.
3. Tickets need to be claimed at WeeklyCinema.com within 90 days.
4. Redeem your tickets at Fandango.com within at more than 15,000 theaters nationwide.

*This deal is valid nationwide so you do not need to be a Nashville resident to purchase. The fine print also specifies that you do NOT have to purchase a monthly membership to Weekly Cinema.*

Thanks Stephanie!