ING Direct has a new smart new deal right now.  When you open a checking account with ING Direct you’ll receive a $50 bonus.  To get the bonus, you must also make 3 card purchases or person2person payments (or a combo) within 45 days of opening the account.  Your $50 will be deposited on the 50th day… who doesn’t love a free fifty bucks!!

Many of you have taken advantage of these deals in the past and been really happy. My husband and I took opened an account a while back and love it too!

There are lots of other perks for Electric Orange Members too:

• Access to over 35,000 ATMS
• No account minimums
• No monthly fees
• No overdraft or ATM fees
• Free MasterCard Debit Card for all purchases
• Free Online Bill Pay

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For the second week of the Pork: Good & Good For You Challenge, we are focusing on game day ideas.  In case you missed it somehow Sunday is the Superbowl, and lately it seems to not watch it would be just plain un-American.  I confess I don’t watch it for the football, but I love the commercials.

Since we are all watching, you also supposedly can’t watch and not eat…  so what do you cook??  Here are a few ideas from the National Pork Board:

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Satay Pork Strips

Italian Pork Pita Pockets

Braised Pork with Peppers & Onions

I plan on trying the Lettuce Wraps for the game tomorrow… I’ll let you know how they go.

There are a lot of other ideas (over 300 just for pork chops) on the Pork Be Inspired website.  They also have some freebie cookbooks available too!  Don’t forget that each week during this series Publix grocery stores will also have a different cut of pork on sale.  This week you can get pork spareribs for $1.99 per pound!

We cooked pork chops as a part of our challenge this week.  We did a simple pepper and salt seasonings with Worcestershire sauce glaze. I love that most of the recipes only take 10-15 minutes, and this one was just as quick and delicious.

With all this talk of Pork, did you know that they recently released a new update from the Department of Agriculture that pork only needs to be cooked to 145 degrees (with the exception of ground pork)?  No more over cooked chewy pork for me!

The Challenge:

The National Pork Board wants everyone to make a challenge to eat more healthy in 2012. Make a small or large change, but whatever you do is better than making no changes!

To get started strong on our goals of healthy living, enter to win the daily give away of pork on the Pork Be Inspired Facebook page.

I am working with Publix, the National Pork Board and the Motherhood to bring you this series, all thoughts above are 100% my own.

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Stuff your mailbox with fun little presents for you!  Check out all the latest free samples around the web:

QuestBar – Free samples when you “like” them on Facebook and click “Get Sample”

Kiss My Face Triple Action Toothpaste – Upload a photo and follow the instructions to grab the free toothpaste

Kraft – Free macaroni & cheese when you “like” them on Facebook, limited amount each day from now until 3/4

Duke Energy – Free energy kit when you sign up (must be a resident of OH, NC, or SC and have Duke Energy)

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To get 25 Points from Hellmann’s:

1. Log in or sign-up for Recyclebank
2. Click on the “Earn Points” category
3. Click on Hellmann’s Be a Smart Shopper
4. Go through the steps and then click “get my points.”

To get 20 Points from Kashi Photo Contest:

1. Log in or sign-up for Recyclebank
2. Click on the “Earn Points” category
3. Click on Kashi Focus Your Day Photo Contest
4. Click Visit the Contest
5. “Like” Kashi’s Facebook Page and Upload a Photo

If you are wondering what Recyclebank is, check out how to get started on Recyclebank or you can see all of the current ways to earn points.  Remember these points can be used to print great coupons!!

(Don’t miss a new program to earn points for coupons with Daily Feats too)

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There is another fun Dave Ramsey kit on Mamasource today.  Last time it was for the adult education kit, now it’s all about teaching our kids to manage their money better.  Grab an awesome kit for $48.  This includes shipping!

If you are new to MamaSource, you can use code JAN10 to get 10% off, making it $43.20.

The Kit Includes:

Financial Peace Junior
Junior’s Adventures 6 CD Set
Kids’ Bank

The kit is geared towards kids 3-12 and teaches them a lot about the value of work (and a little about the cost “fines” of disobedience).  You can apply as much or as little in your home as you wish, no matter what you do they will learn the concept of saving, giving and spending their money in a wise manner.

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LifeLock recently released a new product, LifeLock Ultimate.  I was already considering getting their service recently with a few close friends just having large issues from identity theft, so I spent some time this past week trying to see what’s new and what’s different over the basic service.

According to reviews from web safety folks there is a lot of praise for the new system as being the most proactive approach yet.

The basic system they have had for years would catch something after it happened and help you fix it (still a great help).  But the new Ultimate system now monitors your credit score and accounts 24/7 watching for any attempts to open new accounts and also watches for quickie payday loan fraud (supposedly biggest form of identity theft right now).  They also watch pubic record databases for address changes, new drivers licenses or other things people might try to do with your identity.

There are a number of other features, like the ability to cancel all your cards with one phone call if you ever lose your wallet and a constant look at your credit score.

I don’t know if I’m completely sold, as it is a little pricey, but… I was pleased to learn that right now they are offering a free 30 day trial.  If you decide to keep it, you’ll also get 10% off.

It took me about 5 minutes to started.    So far we there are a few things we’ve liked:

• We got an email within the first day that we had been removed from the pre-approved credit card mailings.  Yay for less junk mail!
• My husband learned that two people have his exact name and birthday that are not very good people.  This is a big help, we knew there must be someone with similar information because he has been held by airport security a number of times asking very random questions.
• We got to see instantly our credit reports and scores.  We’ve also gotten one alert by email when they went up a few points.

Do you have any experience with LifeLock or identity theft?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips.

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For those of you who send a lot of letters or postcards, it’s time to stock up on stamps again. Effective this Sunday, January 22nd, the price of Stamps will increase from 44¢ to 45¢ per stamp.

Additionally, according to the U.S.P.S. website, the following changes will take place:

• 1¢ increase on postage for letters to 45¢
• 3¢ increase on postcards to 32¢
• 5¢ increase on letters to Canada or Mexico to 85¢
• 7¢ increase on letters to other international destinations to $1.05

So save yourself some pennies and grab a book of stamps before Sunday.  You can read the full press release here.

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Last we talked about getting your budget in order.  One of the most important steps to do that is also getting your bills in order.  So many of us have an inbox like the one above, and honestly this only leads to frustration and late fees.

Since we have a great free tool to manage budgets, how about another great free resource to manage the bills!!

Manilla.com is  a great site for keeping your finances organized – from paying bills to tracking travel miles. This site and service is completely FREE and to start, all you need to do is create your profile.

You will quickly have a view of every account you have, plus it even tracks reward programs!

Once you get started, you can set up reminders to be sent to your e-mail or phone so that you don’t ever miss a bill payment.   As for getting rid of the paper pile, Manilla.com will store all your documents and past bills for as long as you want, so that you never run out of storage space.

If you are concerned with the level of security, read up on everything Manilla is doing to keep your information under lock and key.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Manilla.

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Amazon has the best price I’ve seen so far for Turbo Tax Deluxe + eFile + State.  You can get it this week for $39.79 (about $10 cheaper than going directly to Turbo Tax).

You can actually do unlimited federal tax returns with one copy, and it includes 5 different federal eFiles for free.  So if anything split this with a family member if you can!

Note: It does not include an eFile for the State taxes, but you could print and mail them to your state with no additional cost.  =

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There is a great book available for FREE Kindle download right now! It’s Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider.

It is all about living well in a clutter-free, intentional way. It includes tips on organization, ideas for creating a family purpose statement, recipes for cleaners and natural toiletry items and more!

It probably won’t be free for long, so go ahead and download it if you want.

*Remember, if you don’t have a Kindle you can still download it to your PC to read.

(thanks Ann & Bee!)

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It’s now January 14th, have you thought about taxes yet?

For folks that file a standard return with no itemized deductions, you probably qualify for the FREE version of Turbo Tax.  They even file it for free.

If you need a state return also, that is an additional fee.  A tip though, before kids and deductions we used to use the free version for federal returns and then do a state return on paper using the numbers that turbo tax had given us for the federal return.  Then you are only out the cost of a stamp!

If you don’t qualify for the free version they current have the deluxe and higher versions up to 40% off.

Don’t forget about free budgeting software for everyone from the makers of turbo tax.

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We all have big goals for the new year.  Hopefully being 13 days in you haven’t given up on any of them yet!!  If getting your finances in order is on the top of your resolutions list, then you need to start with a budget. No one likes that word, but it is very important to see where your money is going and get a handle on out of control areas.

One place to start is definitely Mint.com.  This is a FREE online program that will help you not only balance your check book, but also track every thing you spend money on.  While you may not enjoy seeing that you spend over $100 a month at Starbucks…  it is definitely an eye opening place to start on getting things under control.

This is actually a pretty advanced program that can even track retirement accounts.  My favorite part though is the budgeting software.  It looks at your past expenses and helps you make reasonable goals.

Do you use Mint.com?  I’d love to hear your thoughts (and even tips).

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If you are looking for answers on how to save the most money this year, don’t forget to join me on Twitter (@SouthernSavers) for a Twitter Party with Coupon Network!

The Twitter party will be run on Thursday, 1/12 from 1-2 PM EST. Use the hashtag #frugalresolutions to tune into everything.

You can win prizes and get all your questions answered!

Check out the original post to RSVP & see more details.

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If one of your goals is to get your budget in shape this year, Mamapedia is has a great deal on the Dave Ramsey Money Education bundle today! For $45 shipped you get $120 worth of Dave Ramsey’s most popular lessons:

• The Total Money Makeover book and workbook
• 2 DVD Lessons from Financial Peace University
• The Money Answer Book
• Starter Envelope System
• Dave’s Budgeting Software

If  you are new to Mamapedia, you can also use coupon code  JAN10 to save an extra 10%, making this $40.50 instead!

Dave Ramsey has helped tons of folks get out of debt and reclaim financial freedom and this kit is everything you need to get started.

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As frugal-minded shoppers, we are always on the hunt to find the best prices without too much work. I know a lot of you have found that Aldi has low prices and good deals on certain items.  Since they don’t carry name brands or accept any coupons, I thought it might be a good idea to compare their prices with the sales and coupons at traditional grocery stores and see where things fall.

You might be surprised to learn that the comparison shows when you buy brand name and use coupons, you actually get much better deal!

To make the price comparison, I took 13 items from a recent Buy One Get One list at Publix and found the comparable house brand item at my local Aldi. This included items like canned tomatoes, brownie mix, condiments, snacks,  bread and dairy products. After tallying up the prices at both stores, here are the results:

Aldi: $19.47
Publix with coupons: $13.16
Publix without coupons: $21.73

As you can see, if you just want to walk in the store without clipping a coupon, you could save $2.26 to buy the Aldi store brands vs. national brands at Publix.  Add on the coupon savings and there really is no comparison.  I saved $6.31 shopping at Publix and I got Kraft cheese instead of the Aldi brand! Another point about Aldi is they only accept debit, or cash (no credit cards) and grocery bags are not provided.

I hope this helps you see that buying on sale and using coupons on name brand items can save you more just just shopping at discount stores. If you want to learn more about how to shops sales and coupon, check out the Learn to Coupon page!

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Starting in February 2012 I have some big changes for workshops!

Instead of traveling all over the southeast (which is fun don’t get me wrong) I am going to be doing one workshop a month, each in a different area.  These are going to be a bit different than what you may have seen in the past.  I am working to get grocery stores, financial planners and many others involved in making this a true savings event!

Another big difference is that ALL workshops are now 100% non-profit.  All proceeds will raise funds for local food banks and Operation Christmas Child.  It is still $10 to attend, but it’s awesome to get a chance to help others while learning to save!

If you are interested in learning everything about couponing in one place, check out the upcoming workshops and keep checking back for an event in your area.

For anyone that can’t make it to a workshop, don’t worry I have more big news coming in a few weeks…

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Novartis Consumer Health is recalling select bottles of Excedrin and NoDoz that are expiring December 20, 2014 or earlier. They are also recalling select Bufferin & Gas X Prevention that is expiring December 20, 2013 or earlier.

You can see all of the impacted products.

The products may contain stray tablets from other products or broken and chipped tablets.

If you have a product that is part of this recall discontinue use and return them to Novartis Consumer Health for a full refund.

You should contact the Novartis Consumer Relationship Center at 1-888-477-2403 (available Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time) for information on how to return the affected products and receive reimbursement.

You can also get a form to obtain a refund.

If you need to replace these items this week,  see the current deals at CVS, Rite Aid or Walgreens.

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Everything in a store goes on sale at some point – even vegetables! While you might not find BOGO swiss chard, you will find it on sale in the winter with most of the other greens.

Check out my latest video for tons of tips for saving on produce:

How to Save on Produce

• Buy in season
• Shop local
  -Farmer’s Markets (get a detailed local price report here)
  -Community supported agriculture farms (CSA)
  -Food Co-Ops
• Stock up & freeze extras (or opt for frozen/canned when appropriate)
• Use overage from other items and take advantage of any coupons you do find
• Ask for rainchecks
• Price match at Walmart/Target
• Consider growing your own herbs and simple veggies

Check out the previous video for how to save on meat too!

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As a former nurse for kids with pediatric cancer, I am excited to share that during the month of January you can join the National Marrow Donor Registry for FREE.

Normally it costs $100 to offset the lab costs, but right now the American Express Foundation is paying for anyone that registers during January!

I urge everyone to consider joining the registry.  It takes 1 minute to get set up online, and then within a week you will get a kit in the mail.  Your lab kit is very simple, just swab the inside of your cheek with a cotton swab that they send, and then mail it back (in a prepaid envelope).

I’ve been part of the registry now for the past 4 years. I’ve never had a call that I was needed, but I would love to help someday if I did match someone that needed it.  As a donor you would spend an afternoon in the hospital, with an IV and nothing more than what you would do donating blood.  You’ll be back to full steam the next day, and your body will completely recover and make new marrow within a few weeks.

There are so many patients just waiting to hear that a match is out there.  Having actually set kids up and spent the day with them as these transplants happen, I long for every person to help.

I know some of you don’t want to, that’s cool.  For everyone else that is even a bit interested, head over and read about the registry and how easy it is to help.

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Yesterday I shared a fun free eBook with lots of simple ways to save money, use coupons, entertain your kids and more.  Now it’s time to share 5 new simple tips.

Couponing is “in” there is no doubt about that.  Just because everyone is doing it though doesn’t mean it is easy.  For some of you this is a sea of abbreviations and terms that are Greek, and others of you see something that looks like math and you’re done!

It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or foreign.  Here are 5 simple ways to get started couponing.  I am assuming that you already understand the basic concepts, if you don’t read the learn to coupon page first then come and apply these 5 tips to get started with the least stress!

1.  Don’t Cut Your Coupons

As you get started you will run into folks that have a large binder (or multiple binders) of clipped coupons.  While this can help people feel they are saving more money, it also VERY time consuming.  When you are just starting out, going that intense will only make you more frustrated.

Instead of cutting everything, try taking the inserts from the Sunday paper and filing them by the date in an accordion file.  Then when you pull up your list of deals for the week cut only the coupons that you will need that week.

For example: You see SS 1/01 at the end of a coupon.
This means the coupon was in the Smart Source newspaper insert on January 1st.

2.  Pick One Store to Shop

There is no need to run all over town getting every deal you see at every store.  If you wait, you will see many of the same deals at the store you shop at.  Grab what is on sale at your store this week and head home proud of your savings rather than frantic from a day of shopping.

3.  It’s Okay To Not Use A Coupon

Yep, I just said that.  One the most frustrating things for folks is when you see a coupon on your shopping list but you don’t have it.  Because coupon inserts vary by region, you will never have all the coupons.  It is better to buy something on sale without a coupon than it is to pay full price.  Disregard the coupons you don’t have and shop away.

4. Everything Does Go On Sale

The number one excuse folks give me as to why they don’t coupon is, “The things I buy never go on sale”.  Not true.  Everything goes on sale.  It may not be a wowing BOGO sale, but your favorite items do have a period that they are marked down.  Start watching sales and you will eventually learn what a good price for your item is.  For some items, don’t be afraid to think outside the box.  We buy some gluten-free foods on Amazon, their prices for a bulk size package almost always beat the grocery store sale price.

5.  Drop Brand Loyalties

If you just aren’t agreeing with #4… I promise you will save more money if you are willing to change up a few brands.  There are a few brands that will never hit the sale prices of others in the same category.  It doesn’t hurt to try a few others if you can get them for a fraction of the cost.  Being content with a few different brands will also decrease the amount you need to stock up on, since you will see more frequent deals.

Hopefully these can help take away the stress that can be associated with couponing.  Remember that anything you do to save money is better than saving nothing at all.  Even if you aren’t up for being a “couponer” yet at least start small and save something!

This is part of a series with other bloggers, make sure to check out all the simple tips they have!

-Springs Bargains-5 Simple Ways To Save More By Wasting Less
-Heavenly Homemakers- 5 Simple Ways To Accomplish More Each Day
-A Familiar Path- 5 Simple Ways To Make The Most Of Your Pictures
-Smockity Frocks- 5 Simply Ways To Occupy Preschoolers
-My Blessed Life- 5 Simple Ways To Update Your Home Decor
-The Happy Housewife- 5 Simple Ways To Save Money In 2012
-Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures- 5 Simple Ways To Save Money In The Kitchen
-I’m In Organizing Junkie- 5 Simple Ways To Organize Without Spending Big Bucks
-Balancing Beauty and Bedlam- 5 Simple Ways To Freshen Up Your Wardrobe for 2012

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If you are looking for ways to save on meat, one of the best ways is to buy in bulk.  Since many of us can’t go and buy a whole cow, the next best thing is bulk meat orders from companies like Zaycon Foods.  This is a meat seller that runs special sales across the nation.  You order in advance if you want to take part in a sale and then drive buy and pick up your order during the assigned pick up window. Your meat is fresh from the processor and is never frozen!

If you are curious, now is a great time to look into it.  Through tonight (1/6) they are taking orders for their chicken sale.  You get boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.69 lb.  It is a bulk order of 40 lbs.  That’s a lot of chicken for many of us, so go in and split it with a friend.

They also just opened beef and bacon sales in many areas today too!  The beef is the one I’m the most excited about. They are offering 93% lean ground beef for $2.97 lb.  It also comes in a 40 lb case.  In my area I can’t get extra lean meat for less than $3.99 lb so I’ll gladly take the $40 savings of buying it in bulk.

When you go to pick this up, be ready with freezer bags!  All of their meat comes straight from the processor, so you are getting fresh meat that will need to be individually packaged before freezing.

Again the chicken orders have to be in by tonight, but you have until January 13th (or until they sell out) to order the beef or the bacon.

Just in case you are wondering you can order more then 40 lbs if you want…

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Some great deals:

-Mushroom Gravy, 99¢ (originally $7.95)

-Regional BBQ Sauces, $2.99 (originally $9.95)

-Beaba Rice & Pasta Cooking Bowl, $3.99 (originally $15)

-Chambers Heritage Solid Towels, $8.99-$13.99 (use the code WHITESALE to get an extra 20% off, the codes won’t stack though)

A lot of the items are seasonal, but remember the best way to save on seasonal items is to buy them when they are out of season!

See more online shopping deals.

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Time Periods for Returns

For most stores, the time frame for returns is within 90 days of purchase with a receipt.  Be careful though because certain items like electronics may have shorter return periods.

The Value of a Receipt

Receipts are very helpful in the return process! If you aren’t sure where yours are, you may want to start looking now. If they got lost in the holiday hustle & bustle, it’s not the end of the world.  Many stores like Walmart will allow you to get a cash refund or store credit for items returned in store. You may need your driver’s license handy for returns without a receipt because most stores limit the number of times you can do that type of return.

One tricky part about returns without a receipt is that you may not get the full value back. If an item is on sale or being clearanced after the holidays, the store may only offer pennies on the dollar for your return. If you don’t know where the item was purchased, remember that many items are sold at several retailers, so it doesn’t hurt to check the return value at a few stores.  You can even check online to see which stores carry which products. If you are really unhappy with the current return value, but don’t need the item, consider donating it to charity instead.

Restocking Fees

Beware of restocking fees.  You may not receive the full value of the item back if they charge for restocking.  Many stores no longer do this, but you will see stronger policies against open packages or missing tags as retailers try to minimize losses.

Online Returns

Online sales are more popular than ever and lots of retailers including Walmart, Toys R Us, Target, and Best Buy will allow you to return online purchases to a store, or you can request a return label to ship the item back.  You may have to pay for return shipping, so keep that in mind.  If the product is defective, most retailers will waive the return shipping fee.

Non-Returnable Items

Some stores, like Best Buy for example, have guidelines for non-returnable items. Things like earbuds and microphones, pre-paid cards and digital subscriptions, personalized items, open computer software, movies, music and video games can be exchanged for an identical item but not for a refund.

More Helpful Return Tips

1. Don’t open the box.
   In the rush to open all those gifts, slow down and take a look before you open the box. If you think there are any you would want to return put them aside. Many stores don’t except items that were opened.  If you do open it, try to make sure all the pieces stay inside.
2. Save the Receipts!
   It never hurts to just tell the person that gave it to you that you need a new size or want something slightly different.  Ask if they still have the receipt.
3. Check the date on the receipts. Make sure you return them within those 90 days.
4. Skip the lines and wait a few days after Christmas!

For more specifics, be sure to review the return policy at the stores you are headed to:

Walmart Return Policy
Toys R Us Return Policy
Target Return Policy
Best Buy Return Policy
Kohl’s Return Policy
Dick’s Sporting Goods Return Policy
Old Navy Return Policy

If you received gift cards for stores you don’t frequent there are options for you too! A number of sites allow you to sell, exchange your trade your gift card for one to another store. A few resources are:

Gift Card Rescue
GiftCards.com
eBay

Remember: These are all important to keep in mind when you are giving gifts too! Including a gift receipt (which most retailers offer) can make the return process much easier for everyone involved and prevent your heartfelt gift from going to waste.

What are your best tips for making the most of your returns?

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You can pick between:

• mini My Agenda planner, $15 (originally $27)
• My Agenda Desktop Planner, $19 (originally $32.25)
• Mom Agenda Desktop Planner, $19 (originally $32.25)

All of the planners come in a variety of colors and shipping is $5.95.

See more daily deals.

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Here is the schedule for 2012:

-January 14-16
Martin Luther King Jr. weekend

-April 21-29
National Park Week

-June 9
Get Outdoors Day

-September 29
National Public Lands Day

-November 10-12
Veterans Day weekend

There are also a lot of National Parks that never charge admission.

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