For Thrify Thursdays I have decided to write about how to do different things in a thrifty or cheap way.  Today I am focusing on cheap dates! That's right folks, this is all about cheap/thrifty date ideas!

I realized that I was pretty much always a cheap date-I am not picky, I like to be adventurous and I am easily impressed. No need to take me out to La Cai to impress me. (Not that I don't like a fancy meal once in a while, I do, but mostly I just want to hang out with my date!)  So, following are some fun, cheap (many free) date ideas I have done (OK-some are not my ideas, they are Stefanies). Please feel free to read through these and give them a try, and please add your own cheap date ideas to the list-I would LOVE to hear from you! Here's my list:

• Making Cookies together
• Dollar Movies
• Cook dinner in (guys-seriously girls love it when a guy cooks for them and visa versa ladies. The other option is to cook together which is always fun! If you are in a big group, have each couple be in charge of a part of the meal and they have to put it together as a couple-make a game of it)
• Flip a coin adventure (When I was in college, a guy I was dating and I were reading through and laughing at one of those cheap date books and found this idea.  Pick a number, then grab a coin and get in the car. We picked 13.  Then each time you hit a light or an intersection flip the coin to see whether you go left or right.  When you hit the 13th one, you have to stop there-wherever you are and do some kind of activity out of the car-we ended up in a parking lot and danced in the rain then got back in the car and started over again. It may sound odd, but it was a blast.)
• Goodwill date (we went to DI which is like Goodwill, and each had $2 to buy something for our date to wear the rest of the night, then we went for a walk around sight seeing places in our city dressed in our crazy stuff) 
• Dinner under $10 (Each Couple gets $5-$10 to spend to get dinner with and you go in a grocery store and give like a 10 minute time limit and see what you end up with-always an adventure and funny to see what you get-you can consider it like Iron chef to figure out how to combine all the items into a big meal).
• Iron Chef or Amazing Race - Take a game like those listed and make it into a date.
• General admission to local sports-often local sports have cheap general admission-especially college sports. Go to one of those, or for a FREE option, go watch a little league game for free and cheer for all the kids no matter which team-just make sure not to get too obnoxious at that one-and remember, in little league, it is often more fun to watch the parents than the kids anyway!!
• Bigger and Better - Stefanie did this one-take a paper clip to a house and ask them to trade you for something bigger and better. Go house to house and see what the best thing you can get is. Do this on teams and give a time limit. Meet back together and see which team got the best item!
• Scavenger Hunt- Go door to door with a list of items you need to get-just like a scavenger hunt as a kid!
• Treasure Hunt - This one takes some effort, but I more than once set up treasure hunts for my dates to meet me places. I would sent from place to place like on the Amazing Race and at the end there would be a picnic dinner or something fun set up to do.
• Go to a Park -seriously fun to do-just make sure you leave the actual kids alone-don't be that creepy couple bugging kids. I liked to go to empty neighborhood playgrounds when I was younger. I like to go to parks now still with Wes and the kids-we love that!
• Curl up in the cold - Stefanie said she likes to curl up in a blanket on the heater and talk. I also like this, but I am a fireplace girl, so ideally I would curl up in a blanket by the fireplace.
• Do something active-anything! Play a sport, go jogging, do anything active!
• Find Free activities in your city - There are often Free concerts, Store openings, farmer's markets, free museum days, all kinds of freebies if you just look around!  
• Watch the Simpsons - That is what Wes and I do...there is some kissing involved...  :) 

I told you yesterday that as a member of Bzz Agent, I am sometimes contacted by them with information or deals for products. Well, I was lucky enough to be chosen to try out a new product for them, and I am really excited to tell you about it. Before I do, just know that they did send me a free product to try out, but all opinions expressed are my own!!

OK, if you know me personally, you know I HATE to clean. I have a few problems with it. 1-I HATE to put so much effort in with such little results, 2-I HATE the smell of cleaning supplies. Well, yesterday in the mail, I got my package containing my free sample of Scrubbing Bubbles® Extend-A-Clean™ Power Sprayer from Bzz Agent to try! Thank goodness it came when it did because I happened to be cleaning all day yesterday preparing for my sister-in-law to come visit. As usual, I saved the bathroom for the end.

Here are a few things I was told about the Scrubbing Bubbles® Extend-A-Clean™ Power Sprayer by Bzz Agent:

• Works over-time to fight soap scum and grime for up to 4 days with just one application
• Features the first ever one-touch continuous sprayer, for complete ease of use
• Designed for occasional deep cleaning
• Safe for use on most bathroom surfaces including sinks, tiles, counters, showers and tubs

So, this thing has an awesome continuous spray that foams on and cleans like crazy.  Our bathroom sink was gross when we move din 2 years ago and in spite of great effort to make it shine, it never has. I sprayed this on let it sit for about a minute, then wiped it clean, and it was sparkly!! I could not believe it-fast, easy, and it worked well!! Minimal effort with great results! I was sold on that first spray! And guess what?! It has a smell I LIKE-it smells clean AND good.

I seriously loved this product, and the best part is that Bzz Agent sent me coupons that I can share with you. I have quite a few coupons for $5 off a starter kit (runs about $8.99) and $1 off refills (run about $3.99). So, if you would like a coupon to try this out, email me and let me know, and I will send out coupons on a first come, first served basis until my coupons are gone. Email me at beckeesdeals@gmail.com with subject "Scrubbing Bubbles Coupon" and include your mailing address in the body of the email so I can mail you a coupon.  Trust me, you will want to give this a try!!

FYI, if your kids like Sponge Bob, you will not want to miss this! On Saturday May 15th Sponge Bob will be at Super Saver on 144th and Stony Brook from noon- 2 pm to celebrate their grand opening! Looks fun-especially for those Sponge Bob fans!

Today's Salt Lake City Groupon is $13 for a Two-Hour Outdoor Excursion with a Zip-Line, a Climbing Wall, and Canoeing at CLAS Ropes Course ($30 Value). (This is actually in Provo FYI).

As with all the deals, make sure you check out the fine print before purchasing. To sign up for Groupons, click on my referral link here (this does NOT commit you to buying any deal-you choose what you buy) and to see the Salt Lake City page, including today's deal, click here.

Not sure what Groupons is? Then click here to read all about it!

Today's Omaha Groupon is for Ticket Plus Appetizer to Auggie Smith at The Funny Bone. Four Dates and Six Showtimes Available.

As with all the deals, make sure you check out the fine print before purchasing. To sign up for Groupons, click on my referral link here (this does NOT commit you to buying any deal-you choose what you buy) and to see the Omaha page, including today's deal, click here.

Not sure what Groupons is? Then click here to read all about it!

My favorite Grocery Deals in Omaha this week by store:

Hyvee

• Butter Kernel canned vegetables 14.5 oz $.48 (this price is only good through May 15)
• Hy-Vee 100% Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $1.88/lb
• Buy one lb Di Lusso meat or cheese, get a FREE Di Lusso Reusable bag
• Dubuque Beef Franks 16 oz $.99
• Buy 1 lb Sara Lee Deli Meats get up to $2 off a loaf of Sara Lee Bread (with in ad coupon)
• Hy-Vee Kitchen Rotisserie Chicken $5 each
• Hy-Vee sour cream $1.18
• Tony's pizza 5/$10
• Dannon Yogurt 6 oz 10/$3 (I don't know if their fruit on the bottom varieties are included int his sale, but if so, there was a coupon for those in this Sunday (5/9/10)'s Smart Source insert)
• Huggies box 44-96 count $18

No Frills

• Boneless Arm Steak or Roast $1.99
• Our Family Canned vegetables 2/$.88
• Russet Potatoes (5 lb) $1.28
• Our Family BBQ sauce $.69 (18 oz)
• Dole Salad Blends 3/$5 ($1.66 each)
• Peter Pan Peanut Butter 16.3 oz $1.68 (If you get All You Magazine, there was a $1/2 coupon for these in the April edition)
• Skinner Pasta  $.98 (12-16 oz)  (You can download and print a coupon for $.50/1 Skinner pasta here.) 
• Land O Frost Premium Lunch Meat $3.99 (4/25/10 Red Plum insert had coupons for these, or download and print a coupon here.)

Bag N Save

• FREE ice cream cones with purchase of 1/2 gallon Kemp's Ice Cream (with in ad coupon-the ice cream is on sale for $1.87)
• Pillsbury Classic Brownie Mix or Layer Cake Mix $.77
• Quaker cereal (Cap'n Crunch or Life) $.99 (with coupon and qualifying purchase)
• Yoplait Yogurts buy 10 get 5 free (with in ad coupon-on sale 10/$5)
• FREE Rotella Vienna Bread with purchase of 1 lb Kretschmar meat or Cady Creek Cheese (within ad coupon)
• Mango 2/$1
• Haas Avocados $.77 each
• Nature's Pride Bread B1G1

Baker's (Remember their sales are almost always WITH card)

• Dillons Chocolate Milk $1.88
• Salted butter 16 oz $1.88
• Baker's Milk $1.99
• Banquet Entree $.87

Aldi

• Bananas $.39 lb
• Grape Tomatoes $.89 package

Super Saver

• Whole Seedless Watermelon $.24/lb
• Old Orchard Fruit Juice $.88
• Marie's Callender's Dinners or Pot Pies $1.66
• Best Choice Large Eggs $.28
• Pilgrim's Pride Chicken Split Breast $.98
• Wonder Smart White Bread $.98
• Green Giant baby carrots 16 oz $.86
• Best Choice Canned Fruit $.77
• Cookies BBQ Sauce $1.94
• Palermo's Classic Pizza 6/$10
• Crystal Farms Cheese 8 oz $.98 

Remember that I generally just price match at Walmart as much as I can rather than go to all the stores separately! I LOVE being able to do that. You can also pricematch at Target, but I find it easier to pricematch at Walmart.