Tricia emailed me a list of great resources for free music and eBook downloads.  She was kind enough to have it all formatted and ready to go, so I'll just copy it below.  There are some wonderful freebies, so check them out.  Thanks so much, Tricia!

By the way, her husband has wonderful, free websites that you can use. (He's a former public school music teacher that used to teach a homeschool music class — for free!)

www.MakingMusicFun.net — Check for a full beginner's piano book, sheet music, and games.
www.MakingArtFun.com  —  Printables, lessons, and techniques
www.StorehouseBuilder.com  — Learn how to make money online.

Here's Tricia's list of free music:

• itunes has a couple free downloads every Tuesday – You'll have to download the itunes program, then go to the itunes store and scroll to the bottom of the page where it says, "Free on itunes"

• Amazon always has a big list of free songs.

• If you sign up on www.hearitfirst.com, they'll email you every Tuesday to tell you about new Christian songs and will offer a free download every week.

• If you sign up on www.newreleasetuesday.com, they'll email you every Tuesday to tell you about new Christian songs and they usually offer three free songs every week.

• The new thing I'm really excited about is a program through the library called freegal.  You log in with your library card number and password.  (If you do not have an online password for your library card, you will need to go to your specific library online to register it.)  However, once you have a library card and online password (pin), they will let you download three songs OF YOUR CHOOSING every week! 

• Here is another Christian website that offers a few free downloads every week:  www.freeccm.com  Right now they are also promoting www.grouptune.com where you can get a free 10 song sampler.

Here's the list of free eBooks:

•  www.christianaudio.com has a free audio book download every week

• Also, there is a new library program where you can "check out" digital content such as audio e-books that you can listen to on your computer or ipod/mp3 player.  However you can only keep these downloads for 14 days.  Also, for popular titles, you often have to wait for them to be available by putting them on hold.  They have audio ebooks as well as regular ebooks for this program.  (For the regular ebooks, you can read them on your computer or any digital reading device except Kindle, but Kindle is supposed to be compatible soon.)  Anyway, to checkout library ebooks, go to www.overdrive.com.  You'll need to enter your zip code and find your specific library, but then you can see all of the digital content available to "check out."

• Also, there are tons of free ebook downloads on amazon.

I just have to share this cake with you and publicly thank Alicia . . . THANK YOU!!

A much-too-nice Bargain Believer reader wanted to thank me for helping her family save money.  She used her unique cake making talent to bless my family.  My son had a Halo video game birthday party this past weekend and she delivered this incredible cake.

For those of you who don't know (would have been me a couple weeks ago!) . .  this is Master Chief's helmet.  :)

Beyond this cake and beyond just knowing that you all are saving, there have been so many other nice surprises for me.  Bargain Believer blessings are beyond belief . . . really!  Thank you all!!

If you remember, my husband and I decided to donate half of what we make as a result of Bargain Believer.  We began this website with the hope of paying the yearly hosting fee someday, but it's far exceeded that.  You guys are amazing!

Tamara, a friend of mine was able to visit Africa to see boys she calls her sons.  She and her family have formed a significant relationship with them through Skype and other means.  She sincerely loves these boys!  I saw soccer shirts on clearance at JC Penney's and immediately knew they would be perfect to bring to the orphanage where her boys live.

I was planning on using Bargain Believer profit, but wanted to stretch it as far as I could.  I asked the store manager if she could mark them down further.  (I think they were around $6?)  I told her I would be willing to pay, but would love it if she could donate all or part of them too.  She was able to mark them down to $1.97, which I thought was the end of the deal — and a good one!  Then, she told me to wait and she'd do some research and see what she could do.

I just picked up 59 soccer shirts from the Gilbert JC Penney's today — TOTALLY FREE!  Leslie was wonderful to work with and I'm so grateful.  (She even told me she'd email me a link to the "friends & family" coupon when it comes out.  Stay tuned!)

Instead of paying for shirts, I was able to give Tamara a check to help with her costs.   Thank you for your part in that!

Tamara has set up a website, We are Blessed to be a Blessing.  Check it out!  She'd love for you to pray or get involved in other ways.  There are items she would like to take over there, but her biggest need is for money to get there.  She is hoping to take her family of four next year.  You can contact her through that website, if you desire.  (Also, check out the sidebar if you're interested in purchasing coffee or a cookie cutter shaped like Africa.)  Just a note:  The blessings are multiplied, but the taxes are not deducted as a result of your generosity.  :) 

So . . . thanks for the shirts!  If it wasn't for the 50% that I was planning on giving away, I probably wouldn't have asked about them.  The blessings just keep on multiplying!

Thanks for using my coupon links (a few of them pay me a commission), clicking on Google ads (only when you're truly interested, please!) and following other links that lead you to some bargains.  The majority of the links I give you don't pay me anything, but the ones that do certainly add up.  Thank you for using this site!

A quick (okay, if you don't know me . . . maybe more like medium to long length) personal story to encourage you all to see beyond the deal — which can sometimes be a blinder for me.

Just as I like to get good deals, I also like to save on the necessities, one being electricity.  Something that just doesn't happen around this Bargain Believing house is leaving a light on all night.

My son has a dim night light, but also likes to have the hall light on when he goes to sleep.  It's usually not a problem.  I just turn it off after he falls asleep or as I'm going to bed.

Well, last night he was up late and I was going to bed a little bit early.  I attempted to turn it off, but my 10 year old wasn't asleep . . .

Son:  "Mom, can you leave the light on?"
Me:  "No, I'm going to bed."
Son:  "But, I'm used to it on and I get scared."
Me:  "But, you have a night light."
Son:  "But, I like it on."
Me:  Thinking, thinking, praying, listening, praying, listening . . .  "Okay, I'll leave it on."
Son:  "Thanks, good night."

A little while later, (after no further discussion or conversation about why)
Son:  "Mom, you can turn the light off if you want.  That would cost a lot of money
           to leave it on all night."  (Yes, he's definitely my son!)
Me:  "No, I'll leave it on.  It's not that much."
Son:  "No, you can turn it off."
Me:  "That's alright.  It's important to you, so I'll leave it on."

I can't tell you how much his unselfish attitude blessed me.  I witnesses a softened, kind heart that can sometimes get overlooked with normal day to day happenings.  God planted a "yes" in my heart that will be a reminder of something I often repeat to my kids, "People are more important than things!"

Really, what did that cost me, 25¢?  I'm not sure and I don't even care.  I made my son feel more important than saving money and that's what he and I will remember — not having extra in the bank or to spend on something else far less valuable than him.

I share this, not to show how wonderful I am (really, a quarter?), but to honestly tell you that I constantly struggle to keep a balance in my life — bargains and beyond.  It's not just bargains for me, it's also time.  These precious years are flying by and I want to invest what I've been given wisely.  Thank you, Lord, for blessing me well beyond bargains!  What a treasure I have in my son!

Anyone else have a hard time seeing the big picture sometimes?