When you start requesting free stuff mail time gets exciting. It’s no longer forgotten. I often peek out the window, looking for the mailman. Here are some more freebies to have sent your way so that your bills won’t be such a bore.

Free Candy: Have you enjoyed a Reese’s, York, Almond Joy or Hershey’s Special Dark candy bar lately? If so, keep the wrapper and exchange it for free candy! It’s called the Wrapper Exchange Program and when you swap your empty package you’ll get a free bag of Pieces in return. Just follow the rules, fill out the form and send in your wrapper to get your treat.

Free Avery Label Pads: Box Tops for Education is offering up a free sample of Avery Label Pads. They are self-adhesive labels, stacked in a pad and ready to help you get organized. Just fill out an online form to request yours.

Free Potty Training Kit: Working to get a little one out of diapers? This freebie may help. Request your free Potty Training Kit from Pampers and you’ll get a sample of Easy Ups Trainers, coupons, stickers and a progress chart.

Free Kashi Sample: Choose between three Kashi products and you’ll get a free special treat in your mailbox. Their goal is to help you stay on track with your 2010 resolutions.

Free Passport Cover: This deal comes from the Freebie Blogger who discovered that when you sign up to receive emails from BCBGMaxAzaria you’ll get a free passport holder. You’ll have to print out an email and take it to your local store to get your freebie. So you may not want to sign up if you don’t have a store near you.

Free Burger and Fries: Mark your calendar for February 1 for this freebie. The first 500,000 people to sign up for the new Denny’s Rewards program online will receive a FREE burger and fries. You’ll be able to get your freebie March 1st through March 7th, 2010.

To demonstrate ways that we can all show Christ’s love through our daily lives, my church has organized a creative outreach event. On February 7 our congregation will do what most of us already do after church– we’ll go out to eat. But rather than focusing on the food and rushing the meal so we can get on with our days, we’ll be paying attention to our servers. The goal is that this small act of kindness will help others feel God’s love.

Within just a few miles of our church there are 156 restaurants. And most of those restaurants probably staff several waiters and waitresses every Sunday. Whether they want to or not, they won’t be attending a Sunday service. Instead they’ll be filling water glasses and taking orders. Since they won’t be able to go to church, we’re bringing the church to them. After all, church isn’t the building, it’s the people.

Besides just leaving a tip when we leave we’ll be giving our waiters and waitresses a goodie bag. Inside will be several gift cards for movie theaters, gas stations or grocery stores along with treats like candy bars. They’ll also get a letter from one of our pastors and a stamped envelope so they can easily send us any prayer requests. As my pastor pointed out, the Bible makes an incredible statement about Jesus. It says, “Jesus went about doing good.” Often it was his simple acts of compassion that unlocked people’s hearts.

All of the members will hopefully chip in something to create goodie bags that will be a wonderful blessing to our hardworking servers, which means no one person will have to spend a lot of money to make it happen. I remember over a year ago when the person in front of me in the Dunkin Donuts drive thru paid for my coffee. That little step made a huge impact on my life and I only hope that this opportunity to server our servers will do the same.

What seemingly small ways have you blessed others or been blessed by others? Give us your ideas!

I’m always looking for a good book. I’ve been fortunate because my church often hands out books to its members to help them with their Christian journey and that includes financial help. Here are some Christian-based books that might come in handy when you’re taking a look at your personal finances.

“I Was Broke, Now I’m Not” by Joe Sangl: This is a quick read and very helpful. My small group at church read this book together. If you’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck and tired of being broke, check out this book.

“The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness” by Dave Ramsey: Take a look at seven easy-to-follow steps that will lead you out of debt.

“The Sound Mind Investing Handbook – A Step-By-Step Guide To Managing Your Money From a Biblical Perspective” by Austin Pryor: Pick this one up and learn how to put Godly principles of finance in motion.

“Financial Parenting: Showing Your Kids that Money Matters” by Larry Burkett and Rick Osborne: Teach your kids the Biblical principles of handling money.

Here are some books that aren’t Christian-based, but may also help you to focus on your finances.

“Money 911″ by Jean Chatzky: This book can rescue you from more than 100 money emergencies.

“Shoo, Jimmy Choo!” by Catey Hill: This one is a guide to spending less money and written by someone who used to splurge.

“Save Big” by Elisabeth Leamy: Find out how to save thousands on your biggest expenses.

“Making The Most of Your Money Now” by Jane Bryant Quinn: With more than 1,000 pages, this book talks about so many topics from auto insurance to zer0-coupon bonds.

“Shoptimism: Why the American Consumer Will Keep on Buying No Matter What” by Lee Eisenberg: Read up on what drives people to keep spending money.

“Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties” by Beth Kobliner: Give this one as a graduation or wedding gift and help those just getting started to learn more about finances.

“Spend ’til The End” by Laurence Kotlikoff: Are you thinking about retiring? Pick this one up to learn about stretching your retirement savings.

Today’s Twitter Tuesday Profile is single and a bit mysterious. She goes by (and Tweets by) SS4BC which stands for Small Steps For Big Change. That also happens to be the name of her blog. She lives in the Midwest with her dog Jack and two kitties, Chai and Tofu. By day she works as a Chemist and in her spare time she tweets and blogs about moving towards financial freedom.

OODC: How did you get started blogging and tweeting?
@SS4BC: As far as blogging, it started just as a money diary. I needed some place to keep me accountable and a blog seemed like a good way to go. It was probably a year into writing the blog before I actually had anything decent to say (and I suppose even that is debatable!). I started tweeting because of My Pretty Pennies. She bugged me enough until I finally caved and got an account. Thanks MPP!

OODC:You wrote that your wake up call came in August of 2008– what prompted it?
@SS4BC: I was at my then boyfriend’s house in August and we went out to eat. My credit card was declined (over the limit) and I knew I had no money in my checking account (already had a couple overdraft fees that month). It was the middle of the month and I had $16,000 worth of credit card debt (maxed), no money in my checking account, and two weeks to go. He paid for my meal and I ate nothing but popcorn and cheerios the rest of the month while I waited for a check from money I had pulled out of my mutual funds. I ended up closing my savings account that month because there was nothing in it and they kept charging me $3/month to keep it open. It was a very sad time.

I started really wondering what I was going to do about where I had gotten myself. So much debt. So little to show for it. And I decided that I needed to change. I started by getting a part time job and then set up the blog to keep me accountable. Since then, I’ve been able to save a small emergency fund and get rid of nearly $8,000 worth of debt. In the last 9 months I’ve also raised my net worth over $10,000. The community that I found in the blogging world kept me going and it has meant all the difference in the world to my finances.

OODC:Tell us about the year-long challenge of not eating out. What do you hope to accomplish and how is it going so far?
@SS4BC: Well, as any reader of my blog will tell you, I LOVE to eat out. I JUST LOVE IT. Eating out is to me what shoes are to Carrie Bradshaw. However, eating out is EXPENSIVE. I realized that the majority of my non-bill money was going to FOOD. And when I looked back at my credit card statements pre-August 2008 I realized that so much of that food was on my DEBT. So I decided to give up what I love the most: Eating Out.

I’m going to try to go 345 days in 2010 without eating out (I get 20 freebies). So far it was been 3 weeks and I’m going strong! I thought it would be a lot harder than it is, but really, the food that I make tastes so much better! I am really pumped to see how the journey goes for the next 11 months. I hope I don’t fail, but it helps knowing I have a community of bloggers pushing me onward. I think of them whenever I pass a Panera and get tempted to stop. And if any of you would like to join me for a month or two (or more!) please let me know – I could use the company!

OODC:What do you hope people get out of your Tweets and blog posts?
@SS4BC: Wow, great question. You know, I never really think of my blogging as something for anyone else but me. If people like reading it, that makes me happy, but I don’t sit and think “What do the masses want to hear?!” I just write about what is on my mind and the issues that I care about. At the very least, I hope people get some inspiration to make some changes (no matter how small or big) to make their life better.

OODC:Who are some of your favorite money tweeters?
@SS4BC: Wow, there are so many, I’m a big fan of @CarrieCheap, @punchdebt, @myprettypennies, @WellHeeledBlog, @RainyDaySaver, @MoneyFunk, @eemusings, @lifeasapurse @payingmyself @serendipity85 @RevancheGS – they really make me excited to get on Twitter because they’re so full of encouragement and great ideas!

Thanks again to @SS4BC for being a part of this week’s Twitter Tuesday Profile. Would you like to be considered for an upcoming profile? Just Tweet me!

Ten days ago I set out on a challenge to not spend any money for two weeks. I was doing great up until this morning. A cold I was fighting off turned nasty and I sent my husband to the drug store for some meds. I thought we could do it without spending money since I had $10.50 in CVS Extra Care Bucks, but when my husband got to CVS it was closed. He had to get to work and couldn’t wait for it to open just so he could use the ECB’s. So instead he went to Walgreens and spent $10.12 on a box of nasal decongestant.

If it hadn’t been for my pesky illness I think we could have made it all the way. And of course we’ll continue to try to not spend anything until our challenge ends at midnight on Friday. We even managed to have a great “frate” on Friday. It’s a term I made up that combines “free” and “date.” We made the rounds with coupons in hand and scored lots of free stuff.

First we hit up Bi-Lo with two coupons for free soda that I got from completing a survey on my last Bi-Lo experience. I told you about this deal in last week’s edition of Free Stuff Friday. Then we checked out the Redbox up the street. I used coupon code “BREAKROOM” to rent My Sister’s Keeper for free. But since we really weren’t in the mood for a sad movie we drove to the nearby Blockbuster Express and used coupon code “GV9TA4″ to get Duplicity with Julia Roberts for free. Finally we paid Taco Bell a visit and got two free Fresco tacos thanks to these printable coupons. It was fun to see what all we could get without paying a penny and even though being sick forced us to spend money, I think buying medicine is a good reason.

Are you blogger with a love for books? Christian publishing house Thomas Nelson has a new way to get free books. Just head to BookSneeze.com and sign up to be a book reviewer. You must have a blog in order to be eligible so that you can post your review.

All you have to do to become a review blogger and get free Christian books is request a title on their list of available books. Once you receive your book you must post the review on your bog along with a couple of links to the book’s Thomas Nelson product page and a link to a page that will let your readers preview the book.

Also, to comply with new rules from the Federal Trade Commission you have to be open about receiving a complimentary copy of the book. All you need to do is let your readers know that you got a free book for writing your review.

According to the website, top reviewers have received about 30 new titles absolutely free. So if you’re looking for a way to beef up your library and get your hands on some free books you may want to check this out.

Whether you’re looking to save money or you just like to see what you can score for free, this is your day. There are a bunch of great items on this week’s Free Stuff Friday list! If you take advantage of the freebies listed here than you probably get lots of great stuff showing up in your mailbox. Here’s a look at some of the free stuff I received in the mail this week:

Let me know what you received free in the mail and here are some more items you can score.

Free Valentine’s Card: Have you heard of the Five Love Languages? It’s a bestselling book by author Dr. Gary Chapman. If you know your spouse’s love language, send them a Valentine’s card that will really speak to them. Just head to FiveLoveCards.com to pick your freebie.

Free Photo Desk Calendar: Head to Walgreens.com to design your free photo desk calendar. According to Hip2Save, just put in coupon code “FREE4U” at checkout to take $9.99 off your total. You may still have to pay for shipping as it doesn’t look like you’ll have the option of just picking it up in the store.

Free Energy Drink Sample: Need a pick-me-up? Just fill out this online form and you’ll receive a sample of Spark energy drink.

Free 2-Liter of Soda: Have you shopped at Bi-Lo lately? Pull out your receipt and head to this site for a short survey. When you complete the survey you’ll be able to print out a coupon good for one free 2-liter of Southern Home soda.

Free Oreos: On Sunday January 24, the Donalds and the Mannings will face off in an Oreo challenge. Whoever can twist, lick and dunk a Golden Double Stuf Oreo the fastest wins. And if the Mannings win Oreo will give out 150,000 free packages of Oreos. But you have to become a fan of Oreo on Facebook to get this freebie. They’ll hand them out starting on Monday January 25 at 3pmEST so get ready!

As we all have Haiti and making donations on our minds, I came across some websites that help you give back to a variety of charities. And all you have to do is log onto the Internet or use your iPhone.

Good Search

First, enter a charity or school that you wish to help out. Then start surfing the web. The search engine is powered by Yahoo! so you get great search results. Fifty percent of the revenue generated from advertisers is shared with the charity or school of your choice. There is also a Good Search shopping mall. When you click on one of their partner merchants and make a purchase,  the charity you chose earns money. It’s that simple. The shop includes stores such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target and Staples.

Free Rice

This is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program. Its goals are to provide education for free and help end world hunger. Now all you have to do is play a vocabulary game. Answer some questions and for each correct answer, ten grains of rice is donated. Since it began in October 2007, the organization has donated more than 73 billion grains of rice.

Free Kibble and Free Kibble Kat

This one is similar to Free Rice, but for those with a heart for animals. This site gives food to dogs and cats in shelters when you correctly answer trivia questions. For each right answer, ten pieces of Kibble are donated. Free Kibble has 14 shelters across the country. Since it began in April 2008, more than 215 million pieces have been donated.

If you have an iPhone, there is a cool application that also helps you donate to charities.  As you go around town, you “check in” with the shops or restaurants and earn Karma points. It’s called Cause World. When you click the donate button, you can choose from a variety of causes to help out. You can even donate your Karma points to help those in Haiti.

So do some Web surfing, use your iPhone and play some games to help others!

Back in the day the man was always the primary bread winner. Well now more women than ever are bringing how more bread then their spouses, according to an article in CNN Money based on a study released this week by the Pew Research Center. The study discovered that 22% of men– almost one in four– made lower incomes than their wives in 2007. Compare that to life in 1970 and the difference is startling. Nearly four decades ago just 4% of husbands earned less than their wives.

The study surveyed Americans between the ages of 30 and 44 and found that the answer to this shift lies largely with the change in how Americans are educated. In 1970 28% of husbands were better educated than their wives, but now that number has dropped to 19%. Nearly 40 years ago men didn’t need an education to earn a good wage, but women did. That helped motivate this shift in earnings.

While this study was completed before the recession, experts believe the poor economy will only heighten these trends. And what about those adults that aren’t hitched? In most cases, men’s incomes declined when compared with 1970 earnings. However, unmarried women made more money in 2007 compared with the women of 1970.

Despite what you see on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, residents in Georgia’s capital have coupons on their mind. A study done by Coupons.com found that Atlanta residents are nine times more likely to print coupons off the popular internet savings site compared to the average American city dweller. The site analyzed it’s 19.5 million unique monthly visitors to determine the savings index of the top 20 cities in the US. The cities measured all have a population of over 300,000. Coupons.com discovered that users in Atlanta saved over $531 by using coupons on the site in 2009. Tampa, Florida was in the second position.

Overall, cities in the Midwest and in the South are far more likely to use coupons they print off the internet. In fact just one western city made the list. Denver, Colorado ranked number 17 for coupon use at Coupons.com. Ohio claimed the title of the country’s most frugal state because it was represented on the list three times. Cincinnati came in at number three, Cleveland holds the number eight spot and Columbus rounds out the list at number 20. Other midwestern cities making the list were St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Indianapolis and Wichita.

The South made up more than one-third of the top 20 list and included Nashville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Oklahoma City, Miami and Dallas. Here is the list of the top 20 couponing cities in America according to Coupons.com.

Rank City State Savings Index
1. Atlanta GA 918
2. Tampa FL 522
3. Cincinnati OH 511
4. Saint Louis MO 468
5. Minneapolis MN 351
6. Nashville TN 308
7. Charlotte NC 306
8. Cleveland OH 272
9. Pittsburgh PA 254
10. Kansas City MO 254
11. Raleigh NC 243
12. Boston MA 229
13. Oklahoma City OK 207
14. Miami FL 205
15. Washington DC 191
16. Indianapolis IN 186
17. Denver CO 186
18. Dallas TX 186
19. Wichita KS 159
20. Columbus OH 152