Congratulations!

Congratulations to my frugal friend (and guest poster about long distance relationships on PBD) Emily and her man Richey! Richey asked Emily a very important question this weekend in Texas and she said, "YES!" Hooray!

Congratulations on your engagement, my special friends! {Maybe we can convince them to post the proposal story in the comment section of this post?!} It was a sweet proposal and included a Scrabble board! ;-) Perfect for Richey and Emily!

Free Donut @ Dunkin' Donuts!

Enjoy a sugary treat for free with your sweetie on Friday, June 4! Dunkin' Donuts is celebrating National Donut Day by offering a free donut with a beverage purchase. The offer is valid all day on June 4.

Locate the nearest Dunkin' Donuts here.

Read more about National Free Donut Day on the Facebook event page.

Sadly, I live in Krispy Kreme land and don't have a DD near me...so y'all enjoy a free donut for me!

burlap + blue winner and an unwanted gift

Thank you for entering the burlap + blue giveaway! Aren't Linda's Etsy items just the cutest?! And guess what? She just added some new darling dessert plate pedestals at her Etsy shop! I just love those! They would be perfect at a bridal shower or girlie party!

The $10 burlap + blue shop credit winner is Alli! Congrats, Alli!

Well, the birthday celebration continues...but with an unwanted gift: a medium-sized kidney stone that forced me to go to the ER yesterday evening! Ugh! Those little boogers are no fun! I call it the gift that keeps giving since it's still in there and doesn't seem to want to budge. :-(

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Hopefully, I'll be feeling a little better the next time I post a blog! :-) Happy Dating!

Free Museum Admission for Active Military

To honor our military, Blue Star Museums and the National Endowment for the Arts are offering free admission to any of the more than 600 Blue Star museums throughout the U.S. for all active military personnel and their family! The offer for free admission will be available from Memorial Day (May 31) through Labor Day (September 6). Make it a date or take the whole family!

You can locate a Blue Star Museum here.

For more information about the the offer (like presenting your id for free admission), visit here.

Thanks, Saving Cents with Sense!

Free Chik-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich!

Is it time for dinner out with your significant other? Why don't you make "reservations" for the two of you for dinner or lunch at .... CHIK-FIL-A.

Yes, I mentioned that fast food chicken place! Chik-fil-a is offering an exclusive premiere tasting of the new spicy chicken sandwich for free to people who "make reservations" at their local store between now and June 5th. This is only open to a limited number of guests, so hurry and make your reservations now! The spicy chicken sandwich will be available for purchase on June 7.

You can make your reservations by visiting the Get Spicy Chicken website. It's easy and fast. (You may have to get your sweetie to fill out his own reservations.) This offer is for dine in only.

Enjoy your date! Thanks, MOJO Savings!

80% off sale again at Restaurant.com!

It's that time again! Time to score big at restaurant.com! Use the promo code: FLAG to save 80% off on gift certificates to your favorite local eateries! These gift certificates can really help cut costs when eating out on dates!

Burlap + Blue Giveaway!

To continue the birthday madness celebration, you have a chance to win another giveaway this week!

I love this b+b strawberries n cream dessert pedestal!

Linda at burlap + blue sells vintage-inspired handcrafted goods at her Etsy shop that made the Etsy website FRONT PAGE last week! She also has a fun, inspiring blog with craft ideas for people looking to decorate on a dime!

These bird coasters would be perfect on my coffee table!

One lucky Piggy Bank Dating reader will win a $10 shop credit to Linda's burlap + blue Etsy shop! Just continue reading to find out how to enter!

Ooh, I like these coasters, too!

To Enter:
-first entry: Visit Linda's burlap + blue Etsy shop and comment here about your favorite item.
-additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each one)

• Follow Linda's blog, burlap + blue for inspirational ideas
• Follow Piggy Bank Dating's blog

The giveaway will end Thursday, May 27 at 11:59pm EST.

These b+b gift tags would be the perfect accessory to any present!

Gussy Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered the Gussy Giveaway last week in celebration for my 24th birthday! I had a wonderful birthday yesterday! Jerr had so many awesome surprises for me! :-) And the Pioneer Woman Potluck Party was a blast!

Well, I know you really just want to find out who won the $20 Gussy shop credit! So no more stalling. The winner is... *insert drum roll*...Jacky at the Sweetest Petunia! She said, "I loove Gussy! I would get a small zippered pouch, I think. Or maybe a wristlet clutch? Everything is adorable! : )" Congratulations, Jacky!

Come back tomorrow to find out what we'll be giving away at Piggy Bank Dating this week to continue the birthday celebration! I think you'll like it. :-)

The birthday post.

Well, tomorrow is my 24th birthday! Wowzer! I'm not sure if I'm excited or nervous...I'm almost in my mid-twenties! Ahh!

To start the birthday weekend off, a bunch of my girl friends are getting together tonight and will be celebrating my birthday and my good friend's birthday (we share the exact same birthday!) by having a Pioneer Woman Potluck Party! Hehe! Everyone is bringing a dish made from a Pioneer Woman recipe! We kind of ended up with a Mexican Cheese theme...so we'll have Mexican Lasagna, queso dip, salsa, cheddar puffs, a few other side dishes and apple dumplings, cupcakes, etc.! I can't wait! Seriously, if you have no idea who I'm talking about...check out her blog! This lady is awesome!

 No, this is not The Pioneer Woman. I didn't want to get slapped for copyright infringement. Trust me, though. You will like Ree. :-)

You can help me celebrate my birthday by entering the Gussy giveaway today here (ends tonight at 11:59Pm EST) and another giveaway next week with a fabulous creative lady who was recently featured on the front page of Etsy's website! You'll have to wait until Monday for more details. Thank you to everyone who has participated in the giveaway so far. Please look around Gussy's blog this weekend. She is such a fun, sweet girl...and has some fabulous new products out! 

I'll leave you with a little song, my fabulous friends! A classic Beatles birthday medley! (With a cute twist!)

A tip when ordering gifts online.

I just wanted to share a Piggy Bank Dating tip with you. In fact, it's more of a reminder than a tip. Most of you already know to do this, but we (I'm including myself in this) need a friendly reminder.

When ordering a gift online for your special someone (or anyone), always do a quick Google or Swagbucks* search for a coupon. The online coupon can give you a certain % off or get you free shipping.  Or better--both!

I recently ordered someone's birthday gift online. He wanted a special case for his iPhone, and I knew I could get it at a brand name website. Because I didn't go the cheaper Amazon or Ebay route, and because it was a bit pricey, I made sure to google the company's name and the word "coupon." I was amazed at what popped up in my search results! I found several coupons! Most of the coupons were for 10% off, but as I looked at each coupon, I eventually found a coupon that was not only 10% off, but also offered free shipping. All I had to do was copy the promo code into the box at the checkout and it accepted it! So, I easily saved $10 just by taking a few minutes to search for a coupon code!

This same process may also work when ordering clothing, books, electronics...you name it!

*Swagbucks is "an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called Swag Bucks, which can be redeemed for 1000's of awesome prizes." It's just like Google or Bing except you earn points for random searches. You can sign up for Swagbucks here. <------- I get referral points if you sign up through me...so thank you for signing up using that link! :-)

**Also, the Gussy shop credit Giveaway is still open! Enter here for your chance to win!**

Blockbuster Express Free Movie Rentals!

If you've already used the Blockbuster Express free movie rental promo codes I posted here, don't fret!  I've got six more for you!

So, here's to another month of free movie date nights! 
Blockbuster Express promo codes:
-Free rental code: W67DY3
-Free rental code:  2XPEWG
-Free rental code: 1LSG76
-Free rental code: SSD15A2 (may be expired)
-Free rental code: GT14A
-Free rental code: GT15A

Locate the nearest Blockbuster Express kiosk here.

These codes are not guaranteed to work, but have been found to be successful at most kiosks. If a code doesn't work for you, please let me know.  Actually, please let me know either way! I'd love to hear if you find these helpful! Also, remember to return the movie before 9pm the next evening or you will be charged $1 to your credit card. These codes are good once per credit card.

Thank you so very much, Coupon Dad!

**You could win: Enter the AWESOME GUSSY GIVEAWAY here!**

Barnes and Noble: B1G1 Free Frappuccinos

Are you having withdrawals this week since the end of Starbuck's Happy Hour?  

Have no fear! 

The Barnes and Noble Starbuck's are offering Frappuccinos buy one get one free!  Get your coupon here.  So, continue those coffee dates, and add some light reading!  This offer ends May 24.

Also, here are some great printable coupons for caffeine and books for Barnes and Noble Members.
Thanks, Southern Savers!

{Don't forget to enter the GUSSY giveaway! Enter here.}

It's a Gussy Giveaway!

Have you met Gussy?

Meet the incredibly talented and sweet Gussy (AKA Maggie)!

Now that's a Gussy tote/diaper bag. Ain't she a beauty?!   

Gussy is a line of ruffled accessories. Each ruffle is machine sewn free-hand style, making each ruffle unique. Can you believe that just 18 months ago Gussy sat down at her kitchen table -- and decided she wanted to learn how to sew?!  "And here I am now, offering wallets, zipped pouches of all sizes, laptop bags, and note cards (all with my signature ruffle) to those that love a little flair," she says. To read more about Gussy, click here.

Gussy was so sweet and generous to help me celebrate my upcoming 24th birthday with a Gussy giveaway here this week! You have many chances to enter to win! The giveaway will end this Friday at 11:59pm EST.

One lucky Piggy Bank Dating reader will win: 

-$20 shop credit to be spent at www.shopgussy.com
{all baby blankets are exempt from giveaway credit}

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

To Enter:
-first entry: visit Gussy's shop and comment back here about your favorite item. (Please leave an email address if you don't link to your blog.)
-additional entries {leave a comment for each one} (optional) 

• follow Piggy Bank Dating's blog
• follow Gussy's blog (www.maggiewhitley.com)
• follow Piggy Bank Dating on Twitter 
• follow Gussy on Twitter
• tweet about it (please @ me in the tweet)
• like Piggy Bank Dating on Facebook

I asked my mom for one of Gussy's checkbook covers for my birthday! :-) Aren't they cute?!

B1G1 Free Ice Cream Shakes at Sonic!

Well, that's it.  We're just going to re-name Piggy Bank Dating the "Free Ice Cream After-Dinner Treat Date Blog!"

Are you ready for it?  Sonic is offering a buy 1 get 1 free special for the Real Ice Cream Shakes now through June 27.  Also, real ice cream single topping sundaes will be offered for $0.99 after 8 p.m. beginning Memorial Day!

Thanks, MOJOSavings!

Free 10-Day Supply of Bare Minerals Foundation and Brush!

Here's another free makeup offer for the ladies from the Sephora counter at JCPenney!  {If they keep this up, we can have all our date makeup supplied for free!}

Get a 10-day supply of Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Matte Foundation and a baby buki brush for free using this printable coupon.  Redeem it at the Sephora counter in JCPenney.  The fine print on the coupon states that the foundation sample will be given away while supplies last, but if they're out of supplies, they will give you a custom sample of whatever you'd like.  Sounds like a sweet deal to me! 

It's just too bad we don't have a Sephora counter in my local mall!

Thanks, MOJOSavings!

Camera Strap Giveaway at Living in Taradise!

Tara at Living in Taradise is giving away a camera strap or coffee cozy  from Jennifer at Creations3102! Sign up here for your chance to win her giveaway! 

How cute is this camera strap?!

Free Ice Cream at Haagen-Dazs!

Are you ready for another free ice cream date?

Enjoy a free scoop of vanilla, chocolate or coffee on a cone at Haagen-Dazs to celebrate their 50th anniversary TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 18 at 4-8 pm!  Only at participating stores! Locate the nearest store on the Haagen-Dazs website.

Thanks, 365CheapDates!

Free Sephora Mascara at JCPenney

Hey Ladies, need to add a little flutter to your lashes? 

Grab this printable coupon and head to your nearest JCPenney Sephora counter for a free tube of Too Faced Lash Injection Pinpoint Mascara! (While supplies last.) Mascara is expensive and you'll probably be tromping through the mall with your honey this weekend anyway... :-)

Thanks, The SavALots!

Fab Friday: Fab Chick Flicks

The Design Girl created a list of her favorite chick flicks for Fab Friday.  I linked up to add a list of mine! 

Here goes:
-Funny Face: My all-time favorite movie.
-Hitch: Because it's a movie guys can actually sit through beginning to end...and it's hilarious.
-Pride and Predjudice: I'm talking the A&E, takes several hours to watch, version.
-Persusion: Can you tell I love a certain author and time period?
-How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days: Even the TV version is awkward to watch with parents...
-Little Women: She should have married Laurie.
-The Holiday: So many awesome stars in one place!
-Sabrina: Either version. I love Audrey Hepburn and Harrison Ford (I have a slight crush on him...I know he's old, but he dates younger women!)

I could add many more movies to the list, but I'll spare you...

Free Chicken Box Combo at Raising Cane's!

Do you love chicken fingers as much as my sweetie? 

If you live in AL, CO, GA, KY, LA, MA, MN, MS, NE, NV, OH, OK, TX, or VA, visit your nearest Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers restaurant and ask an employee for a Caniac Club card.  Then, go online to the Raising Cane's website and join the Raising Cane's Caniac Club.  You will then get a free chicken combo box that includes 4 chicken fingers, fries, 1 Cane's sauce, Texas toast and a regular drink.  Get your significant other to do this as well, order separately, and have a free lunch or dinner (check the fine print on the card)!

I found more information about the deal here.

Thanks, FreeSamples231!

Free Redbox Code at Stop & Shop!

If you live near a Stop & Shop supermarket, I predict a movie date night in your future! 

Redbox is offering a free movie rental at all of their Stop & Shop kiosk locations.  Use the promo code: SMLVCTS to get your free movie rental!  Just don't forget to return it before 9pm the next day.  (By the way, you can use any of the free promo codes once with each credit card!)

Thanks, The SavALots!

And we have a winner!

Thanks to all of you who joined our Facebook "like"/fan page and suggested it to friends!  If you haven't done so already, you can here.  I've very excited about having Piggy Bank Dating on Facebook and easily available on your news feed!

So, you really just came here to find out if you're the winner of the $10 Starbuck's Gift Card, right? Well, if your name is Emily (PBD's guest poster), you're our winner!  (I promise this was not rigged!  She won our drawing fair and square!)  Emily, you and Richey can use that gift card on a Happy Hour date when he comes to visit from TX this week! Hooray! :-) Congrats!

If you didn't win...Next Tuesday, I'm going to give you another chance to be a winner, but this time it's for something a little better than a gift card.  What is it?  Hmm, I can't tell you what the giveaway is, but I can give you a hint.  Here is your hint:

Fun gift: cute photo mug!

Seriously, how cute is this?!  Picture a coffee mug with an image of you and your sugarbear printed into the side of it.  Now picture it for $1.99.  Okay, now picture it with coffee inside it...  Gotcha with that last line, right?! 

Vista Print is once again offering another great photo deal that I think will make a great affordable (yet small) gift for your someone special.  The mugs are usually $9.99 to order, but you can get one on sale here for $1.99 (I'm not sure when the offer expires or how much shipping will be for the mug).

Thanks, Frugal Living and Having Fun!

Quiznos Sub: B1G1

Thinking about a lunch date any time soon?  Head to Quiznos with this printable buy one sub and soft drink and get one free sub coupon!   Expires 5/18.  Quiznos toasts their subs so you can order them warm with melted cheese.  Mmmm, yum!  Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

For the girls: Bridal Guide for $3.39!

Guys beware! :-)

This deal has nothing to do with dating or affordable gifts, but I know some of you girls would want to take advantage of today's fun offer here on Best Deal Magazines: Bridal Guide for $3.39! Today only, you can order a year's subscription (6 issues)  for $3.39 using the promo code: PXCJ516 at checkout.

My mom has ordered this deal for me before, and my girlfriends and I spend hours looking through the magazines talking about what we like and what dresses, cakes and grooms we'll have at our weddings. (If you're already married and have daughters: order it for your daughters!)

Thanks, A Penny Saved!

Guest Post: From AL to TX Part II

Part II of Emily's trip to Texas to see her sweetheart for his 25th birthday! Read Part I here.

Date #2 – Wildflower Picking

During my drive to TX, one of the things that made the trip enjoyable (or at least bearable) were the large expanses of wildflower-dotted fields. They are absolutely beautiful.

So, after mentioning to Richey that I wanted to go wildflower picking, he took me to a field of wildflowers near his house and set me loose, camera in hand.  (Be careful not to go wildflower picking in areas where it's illegal!)

Date #3 – Day Trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth

Several months ago, I bought tickets to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament for Richey’s birthday, since visiting a medieval-themed restaurant was one of the items on our wish list.

At approximately $75, the tickets were not particularly cheap, but I did get them at a discount, thanks to a Christmas promotion. (Speaking of promotions, Medieval Times is currently offering tickets for seats at U.S. castles for $34.95 each. Head over to their website for ticket reservations and a list of locations.)

To make sure Richey didn’t plan anything for the day of our tournament, I planned a trip to see my friend Wendy, who lives in Ft. Worth. She made us a delicious lunch of eggplant parmesan, so our only cost was the bottles of sparkling grape juice Richey brought. (What a gracious guest he is!)

After spending a couple of hours in Ft. Worth, we drove over to Medieval Times in Dallas. We got there a couple of hours before our show and, once allowed into the castle, were surrounded with plenty of over-priced attractions: a museum, face-painting, swords, tacky jewelry, etc. To avoid spending any more money, we bypassed these attractions and found a table in the back of the lobby, occupying ourselves with a medieval knights coloring book I’d bought Richey for his birthday.

When we were finally ushered into the arena, we were served a meal of tomato soup, turkey legs, and garlic bread (no utensils allowed) and watched a rousing (and anachronistic) reenactment of a medieval jousting tournament.

Again, we turned down all the extras we were offered during the performance (drinks from the bar, a $20 picture of us with the “king,” and glowing swords [authentic medieval swords, I’m sure]). Then, on our way out, they handed us a buy one get one free coupon for our next visit! (This promotion, by the way, is also available online.)

Our trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth was definitely our most expensive date, but I thought it was well worth it – definitely a memorable experience and one of Richey’s favorite gifts (so he says)!

Now that I’m back in AL, Richey and I are cooking up some new ideas for long distance dates…

Stay tuned!

Blog Makeover Giveaway!

There is a blog makeover giveaway at the Design Girl Studio! Check it out here! 

Guest Post: From AL to TX Part I

Remember my frugal friend Emily? You know, the sweet girl in the long distance relationship who gave us that awesome list of things to do "together" while miles apart? Well, she had a chance to visit her sweetheart in Texas and wrote us a lovely guest post about her two $20 Date Challenges and Richey's fun birthday surprise date! Here is a fun account of her first $20 challenge date with her man. Visit tomorrow to read about dates #2 and #3!

The last time I blogged for Piggy Bank Dating, I wrote about date ideas for couples who are not geographically convenient and therefore must take a creative approach to their dating lives.

Last week, however, I ditched the long distance and loaded up my car with gas, threw a suitcase in the trunk, popped an audio book into the CD player, and embarked on a 9-hour trek to TX to see my honey in honor of his 25th birthday.

During our time together, we enjoyed getting to go on “normal” dates. Read on for more details! Maybe you’ll get some ideas.

Date #1 -- $20 Challenge

Our first night together, we did the $20 challenge. First, Richey took me to a fun shish kabob restaurant. The meals were served with grilled meat and veggies, along with a huge piece of pita bread. It was good, but we should have said NO to the “medium spicy” they put on our meals – the only hearts on fire I like are diamonds!

Meal total: $17

After dinner, we headed over to Target in search of a dress I’d seen in my local Target store but which didn’t come in my size. No luck on the dress, but we did find cute finger puppets in the dollar section. Who doesn’t love getting in touch with their inner child every once in a while?

Finger puppet total: $1

Of course, finger puppets aren’t suitable entertainment for an entire evening, so we decided to rent a movie. After looking at the movie selection, though, we decided we didn’t want to pay $5 to rent a movie. Instead, we decided to head home and have a Three’s Company marathon (we both love this 70s sitcom, and Richey owns several seasons on DVD).

TV marathon: free!

Before heading home, we decided we needed some ice cream to soothe our burning mouths after our spicy meal, so we stopped by Dairy Queen and picked up some chocolatey Blizzards…yum. Sadly, we did have a DQ coupon but didn’t print it out before we left Richey’s house, so we paid full price for our Blizzards.

Ice cream total: $6

Grand total: $24

Okay, so we failed the challenge, but it was still fun!

Visit tomorrow for Date #2 and Date #3 (not a $20 Challenge Date)!

Join me on Facebook! And a GIVEAWAY!

Guess what?! Piggy Bank Dating now has a "like" page on Facebook!  Hooray! "Likers" will receive Piggy Bank Dating blog post updates on their Facebook news feed, as well as be privy to special deals and tips!

Please visit the Piggy Bank Dating "Like" Page (formally known as the "fan" page), like the page, and then suggest it to your friends!   
Visit Piggy Bank Dating's Facebook page here.

*$10 Starbuck's gift card GIVEAWAY*

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
In fact, it's giveaway time!  Join me on Facebook and then suggest PBD to your friends.  Then come back to this post and let me know in a comment that you "liked" PBD on FB and that you suggested the page to your friends (by next Tuesday (5/11) at11:59pm).  On Wednesday, I will randomly select the winner of a $10 Starbucks gift card!  That'll make that Starbuck's Happy Hour a SUPER CHEAP date! :-)

Happy Dating!
<3 Rebecca

Welcome!

Welcome new friends!

You don't have to be dating anyone to follow Piggy Bank Dating. This blog is for singles, married couples, and not-yet-married couples. Please enjoying browsing "cheap date" ideas, check out current deals, and share your fun and frugal dating memories!












Whewww, Friday sure is a big day!  For a special treat today: visit here to learn more about Starbuck's 1/2 price Frappuccinos during their Happy Hour ending this weekend!


Happy Dating!
Rebecca