A couple of sites to keep an eye on for freebies / coupons

I thought I'd just quickly share with you a couple of sites that you can use in order to get freebies, win items and even find printable coupons.

So here we go, lets get started.

One of my absolute favorites is SuperSavvyMe

1. https://www.supersavvyme.co.uk/

The website is full of fantastic lifestyle ideas and eliminates the need to buy expensive magazines which tend to cover the same topics. This site also has regular competitions, scroll down the home page and there are usually 2 or 3 to choose from,

All you need to do is sign up and then you can enter competitions and giveaways, along with SuperSavvyCircle which is their product testing panel, so far I have been sent free Flash cleaning fluid, Unstoppables laundry beads, Febreze and also an Ambi Pur wall plug in.

I have also received multiple freebies and prize wins from them,

This website is purely about products from the P&G range such as MaxFactor, Olay, Ariel, Pantene and Flash to name a few. As such they also offer some great money saving printable coupons too. Definitely worth a look.

2. https://www.mymail.co.uk/home

Each month this website offers new printable vouchers, sometimes meaning you can pickup a free product, for instance I printed a £1 Covent garden soup voucher and the soup was £1 in Tesco. Win!

3. Tesco Club card

OK so, this isn't a website but you can sign up online here http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/

With this you will receive tailored coupons based on what you buy and also they are known to send god threshold spend coupons, I have just had a £7 of a £50 spend coupon and also one for £7 off Tesco finest meats (I bought a joint costing £7.48), therefore got 1.87kg of pork shoulder for £0.48p

The great thing about the above sites is that they all offer coupons and deals which require little effort unlike the orchard at tesco ad BzzAgent which are great but require a little more effort. Although SuperSavvyMe is similar to BzzAgent, it also offers free coupons, competitions and giveaways that dont require the extra work that a Word of Mouth marketing campaign requires.

Cookie x

Freebies from 19/07/2015 - 25/07/2015

Here are the freebies that I received last week.

 

 

1. Samples from EVE LOM, I have seen this on a few youtube videos. I just emailed the company asking if they have any samples - contact them here

 

2. Dr Organic samples, again this is on many videos at the moment and this was another company I emailed asking to try - contact them here

 

3. Faith in nature, check out their website. Like Dr Organic they have a huge selection of wonderful sounding scents and flavours. - contact them here

 

4. Sunsense sun cream samples - contact them here. I got this idea from Ambers blog

 

5. Oz Naturals - I was able to try this for free using www.brandbacker.com all I need to do is to give an honest and unbiased review. Watch this space for my review.

 

6. Treat pouch from http://www.thedogtreatcompany.co.uk/ - I was lucky enough to get these free of charge to try on my pooches. for this I sent a message on facebook https://www.facebook.com/thedogtreatcompany

I will be doing a review on this product so again please watch this space.

 

7. Upbeat coupons - I emailed asking to try in exchange for a review, they sent me £2 off in coupons and a further 2 £1.79 coupons which should each cover the cost of a bottle. I went to Tesco on Sunday to purchase these and they were running low, only 4 bottles left and they were all strawberry flavour, I am going to check again this week for another flavour. contact them here customercare@feelingupbeat.com     

 

8. CIF Express floor cleaner - This was £1 in Tesco and I had a £1 coupon from www.mymail.com

 

I did a freebie video for most of these items - here is my VIDEO

 

A couple more items I received that I forgot to photograph but have been included in my subsequent videos are

 

1. X3 bags of Jacobs Cracker crisps (Sweet Chili, Sour Cream & Onion and Salt & Vinegar), not technically my freebie, it was my boyfriends www.bzzagent.co.uk campaign, but he has to share :-)

 

2. A purrfect box from https://purrfect-box.co.uk/concept/try this came with a selection of cat toys and treats and I only had to pay £2.90 postage- details of the contents can be found at the end of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBMUU8W9HVA and the rest of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw1wLM33_zg

 

3. Samples from Sothys, saw this on many blogs and videos - sothys@sothys-uk.co.uk.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Cookie x

This weeks freebies

 

Here are the freebies  I received recently, see below images for descriptions.

 

 

 

1. Free sample of Thealoz Duo for dry eyes, this was off www.freebiefinder.co.uk and is still available using this link

 

2. X 2 small samples from La Roche Posay, these came from Sopost I believe - https://laroche-posay-redermic.sopost.com/ although this is for redermic I seem to have gotten these samples for effaclar also.

 

3. The organic pharmacy small bottles, came with the Elle magazine I think..



 

 

 

4. X1 colour catcher, I applied for this on http://www.colourcatcher.co.uk/claim-free-sample/ a good few months ago, it's still available.

 

5. Comfort Intense sample, this was quick to arrive and is still available on their website https://www.comfortintense.com/

 

6. La Roche Posay redermic - https://laroche-posay-redermic.sopost.com/

 

 

7. Pataks Korma Sauce - I used my £1 voucher that Pataks gave me, the sauce was 87p so a good freebie :-) I'm not usually one for jars of sauce but it was ok for a super quick week night meal.

 

 

8.Uncle bens rice, again I'm not usually one for convenience food but this offer was on one of the cashback apps and after the cashback this cost less than 50p.

 

 

9. Medley bars, these were on offer for £1 and the shopitize cashback app offered £1 cashback on these, therefore free!

 

 

10. 14 Day free trial of Garnier UltraLight, this is still available here http://www.garnier.co.uk/skin-care/beauty/garnier/ultralift-complete-beauty/challenge-sign-up

Thanks for reading all, please follow my blog and check out my facebook and twitter too.

 

Cookie x

 

 

Phileas Fogg Snacks - My thoughts

In May I posted telling you all about the Bzz Campaign that I had been given where I got to try Phileas Foggs crisps.

Below are the different types of snacks that Phileas Fogg have on offer, I have written my thoughts in purple below each of the product descriptions.

American Style Bubble Chips

Twice cooked for a satisfyingly light crunch. Louisiana Sweet & Smokey BBQ and Cheese & New York Deli Relish flavours.

I loved the texture of these crisps, they were relatively thin and had a really satisfying crunch but yet a crumbly texture. Both flavours were great, but if I had to choose one it would be the Louisiana Sweet & Smokey flavour.

Mexican Style Taco Rolls

Inspired by the classic tortilla corn snacks of Mexico. Nacho Cheese & Jalapeno and Cool Sour Cream & Onion flavours.

These are a rolled tortilla chip and as such they have a great crunch to them also. They are great for dipping as you can get the dip in the tube. Again I enjoyed both of these flavours but my personal favourite was the Cool Sour Cream & Onion flavour.

Indonesian Style Crackers

Melt in the mouth Indonesian style crackers are irresistible and perfect for dipping. Aromatic Spices & Sweet Chilli flavour.

I am yet to try these, they will probably feature in my next weekly shop. They sound lovely as I adore anything sweet chili flavoured.

Spanish Style Corn Chips

Inspired by the passionate flavours of Spain, but given a unique Phileas Fogg twist. Smokey Chorizo & Red Pepper flavour.

These were a similar texture to a tortilla chip but perhaps just a little softer and flakier. I really liked the strong smokey flavour with the hint of pepper for sweetness.

Overall I have to say out of the whole range there is one type I haven't tried and all the rest get a thumbs up from me. Perfect for parties, and sharing or for not sharing.. The only suggestion I had to make these a little better was personal, 1 serving sized packets (I believe the large bags contain 5 servings), this would be beneficial for people like myself who sometimes lack self control around delicious savoury snacks.

Cookie x

Recent freebies

Here's what I received this week

 

 

 

1. Not strictly a freebie but not far off. I wrote to purina a few months ago and they gave me a £5 coupon. I used this to purchase this bag of Purina one (I had also received samples of this which the cats seemed to like) the bag was £5.25, meaning I had just 25p to pay.

 

2. Oz Naturals

Freebies from 12 June - 26 June

I know it's been a little while since I put up a freebie post, I've been waiting for them to mount up and here they are.

1. Lacoste perfume sample- came from a link found on www.freestufffinder.co.uk

2. Again, so did the PG tips tea bag, which when you open it also has a 50p coupon

3. The Sunbites crackers came from SOPOST, I applied for these a good few weeks ago now, me and my other half did - but only he received a pack

4. The little bag full of sachets came from Germaine de Capuccini, for this I completed some questions about my skin type and the samples of the corresponding products were sent - this is great as you are getting exactly what you need. I will be giving these a try soon. To complete the questionnaire about your skin and hopefully receive some samples here is the link - http://germaine-de-capuccini.co.uk/skincare-expert/

Chicken burgers using schwartz grill mates & Burger thins

I decided to use 2 of my recent freebies in one meal together and it was something of a success.

 

 

Here are the burger thins, they are exactly the same as the sandwich thinks except they are round as opposed to square. I got this freebie using the cashback app Shopitize.

 

A simple weekday meal of chicken burgers. It was really quick and effective and so so easy!

 

I haven't got an exact recipe but I will share with you how I made these.

 

Ingredients

Elizabeths Daughter - Review

This is one of the 1st samples that I asked for last year when I started this product trial project.
 

    

Liz very kindly sent me some beautifully wrapped samples to try and I have recently had chance to try the products and I am sorry I didn't try them sooner.

The products that I was given sachets of to try were 'The Daily Moisturiser' and 'The Purifying Mask'

 

   The Daily Moisturiser (For face and body) £17.50 for 100ml

The sachets are 7ml, and for the moisturiser (I got X3) I was able to make this last for 9 days (using day and night), and I feel this is sufficient time to get a feel for the product.

This moisturiser contains SPF 15 and at this time of year that is most important to combat premature ageing. In some cases this can be a negative as I have in the past had skin allergies when using face creams containing sun factor.

Another great thing about this cream is the assurance that it contains natural ingredients such as Rice Bran and Sesame Seed Oils (For vitamin E), and pumpkin and Shea butter.

I have had absolutely no issues with this moisturiser. It's a thick and luxurious cream, yet it doesn't leave a heavy film on my skin nor has it caused any breakouts or blemishes. It has a very subtle, natural and pleasant smell and it has made my face skin feel super hydrated, soft and protected. At £17.50 for 100ml this is cheaper that what I currently use, so when I run out of my current moisturiser I will definitely consider changing over to this

 

The purifying Mask £19.50 for 100ml
 

This has been described as a deep cleansing mask to help purify skin and eliminate toxins. It contains Lime Seed Oil (Omegas 3, 6 and 9) which helps to support tissue regeneration, condition the skin and is particularly effective on skin which is inflamed. The product also contains Amazonian White Clay which is said to be very rich in mineral salts that help to eliminate toxins; plant extracts from Great Burdock and Erysimum which have sebo-regulating and antiseptic properties to help rebalance skin. - info taken from their website. 

I tried this today,  the 7ml sachet was plenty to cover my face. It is quick and easy to use and didnt cause any irritation. When I washed the mask off I noticed that my felt very soft and nourished. 

 

 

These products are great, and importantly none of them contain parabens, sulphates or petrochemicals. They are made up of 95% (minimum) natural ingredients

 

 In addition they do not test on animals which is also great to hear! for full details on the Elizabeth's Daughters promise see here

Cookie x

This weeks freebies

Today through the post I got 2 packets of forthglade cat food. I just wrote to them asking if I could try them, They look like pate, hopefully the cats will give them a try! (sorry the photo quality isn't great.)

 

 

X2 90g packets

 

 

Orchard at Tesco, Summer Berries and Cherries campaign.

 

So for this campaign you get £3 to spend on cherries and berries and 3 X 50p off coupons to give out to your friends. Its a very simple campaign. Taste the berries, rate them, review them,

Thrive Cat Food - Review

I have tried the girls on the Thrive food and treats, here's how it went

 

Overall score 7/10

 

This would have been higher but one cat loves this stuff and the other won't touch the treats and unfortunately wouldn't touch the wet food either - sure you can guess, as usual Millie is a little dustbin and Mollie is not keen. I don't know if Mollie is perhaps just confused by it because it's all fairly natural unlike Felix and cheaper brands that consist of brightly coloured biscuits and unidentifiable 'Meat'.

 

The treats look to be

While you were out..

Another while you were out card arrived today, so I will make a special effort to go an get those parcels tonight.

The only other item I received was

Post is here!

I love coming home, especially when there's post waiting for me, and even more so when its freebies, samples and trials!

Above is what I received (I also got

Diets and free trials!

So about 3 weeks ago I decided to go on a detox and ultimately to engage in a healthier eating plan.

The first week went well, and as you can imagine what happened next is fairly typical.

I got invited to a BzzAgent campaign for Go Ahead biscuits, I had tried some flavours previously and I really like them, however my diet involved me cutting out wheat, dairy and the majority of processed foods. I decided they would be ok as an occasional snack and my other half really likes them also so I have packed him off to work with a few also!

                                        

A few days went by and BzzAgent kindly offered me another campaign, this time it was for Ristorante pizza, I got 2 pizzas free and lots of vouchers to hand out, again not diet food but I did enjoy these with the other half for my weekly 'cheat' meal.

                                                            

So, I'm on a diet and I got all of these delicious campaigns, but this is not the end of it, I then got invited onto the Lindt HELLO chocolate campaign from BzzAgent again (thanks guys!) I received a nice surprise when I arrived home from work the other day, X 5 full size bars of chocolate in a variety of flavours and X 2 half size snack bars. A very good campaign I must say!

                                    

My latest campaign is from Orchard at Tesco and is for Tesco ice cream, I received £3 off ice cream which meant I could have had some free ice cream however there must have been a rush on ice cream at our local Tesco as there wasn't much left other than the finest range. I chose west country fudge ice cream, I didn't manage to get a pic of the product in the tub as it didn't last very long, we finished the pot in the evening on some pie and it was divine.

                                                         

So back to the diet now I think, however if something else comes along I will definitely keep an open mind!

     

For anyone that's thinking of joining BzzAgent or Orchard at Tesco, I would definitely recommend it provided that you have the time to trial the product and complete the product activities, share your experiences with friends and give your honest views and opinions.

Thanks for reading

Cookie x

 

 

 

 

 

Free trials and samples

Over the past couple of weeks I have been wracking my brains thinking of any ideas to save some pennies, whether its on my electric bill or everyday items.

I noticed that growing numbers of websites are listing free product samples - I found these by typing freebies UK into google. I started applying for a few random bits and pieces last week to see if I would receive anything, and to my surprise the first item arrived today. Okay, so its only a small sachet of Sylk natural lubricant. This offer still stands and a sample can be requested on their website http://www.sylk.co.uk/request-free-sample/ you just need to complete a few details. I have heard that some things will charge postage and will ask for card details, to be honest I don't think any of the freebies would really be worth parting with such details and personally that's not something that I will be doing.

In addition to the standard freebies I have noticed a lot of videos on YouTube where people are writing to all sorts of companies asking for things. I agree try before you buy is a great thing, however I will probably be writing to companies who offer products that I actually want to try, for instance I don't have a baby so I wont be emailing or applying for free baby products etc.

I would like to keep things as fair as possible for companies, so I will be giving product reviews on here on the occasion that a company is kind enough to provide me with a sample of their product. If I can pull this off I think it will b a great tool as I am something of a product junkie, I like new things, I like things in shiny new boxes etc. For instance I am always buying different fruit teas, a lot of the time based on the packaging or the flavour and more often that not I'll have 1 or 2 and decide its not for me, then I have 2 thirds of a pack of tea sitting in my cupboard until it expires and that's money down the drain.

So, again I have had my first response to this back today. as of yesterday I had emailed 15 companies with queries and out of those I have had 4 positive responses and 4 apologies. Its a case of don't ask don't get.

The first samples I got were facial skincare products from Elizabeth's Daughter, I am looking forward to trying them, watch this space for a product review.

I am also looking forward to the post over the next week as I should hopefully have a few goodies to try.

Thanks for reading guys

Again as I'm new to saving and scrimping if anyone has any advice, comments or general feedback I'd love to hear from you.

Cookie x

Heres to change

Hi Guys

I have always been interested in saving money where possible but I have never had quite as much motivation. So currently I am paying a Mortgage and have various other reasons for saving. I would ideally like to save £5,000 this year but I suppose I need to be realistic and any saving would be good to be honest.

So here are some cuts I have made this year so far.

£75 per month on hair colouring  - £900.00 saving per year
£34.99 per month on Gym            -£419.88 saving per year
£25 every 6 weeks on waxing       -£216.60 saving per year
£35 per month on mobile contract-£420      saving per year

Total                                               £1,956.48

So the above sounds good to me, obviously I will go to the hairdresser at some point for a cut but I have been colouring my hair myself and am considering just going back to my natural colour.. its been a while!

Ok, as i'm new to this if anyone has any advice or tips or wishes to share any info with my please feel free to comment.

Thanks for reading

Cookie x