Amazon has 50% off select Fisher Price toys today – this includes various Little People sets, like the Animal Sounds Farm and Happy Sounds Home, as well as a basketball hoop, tricycle, and more. (The lawnmower pictured above is $9.99!) All of these items ship free with orders of $25 or more, or free for Prime members.

These deals are available Tuesday only! Go here to see the Fisher Price items that are 50% off.

Time for another freebie from Panda Express!  Print this coupon or show it on your phone after 9 PM this Friday, June 21st to get a free single serving of Orange Chicken – no coupon required.

McDonald’s is offering a free Quarter Pounder when you buy another starting Tuesday, June 18th and going through Thursday, June 20th!  No coupon is required, but it is valid at participating locations only.  It was advertised on their Facebook page so hopefully most locations are participating.  Thanks, Money Saving Mom.

I’ve been wanting to write this post for awhile, and this month’s Eat Well, Spend Less theme of vacations and travel finally motivated me to do it!

As self-employed folk, neither Jeremy nor I get any sort of paid vacation.  But, since most of my Colorado Bargains tasks can be done remotely, and some of Jeremy’s job as a real estate agent can be done sort of remotely (at least for a couple of weeks), we’ve been able to be able to take a few vacations of one to 2.5 weeks over the past few years.  We’ve also been hugely blessed to be able to use weeks at Jeremy’s parents’ timeshare resort to have a place to stay for free – otherwise it really wouldn’t matter how much time we could take off; the cost of lodging seven people would be huge!

Even with staying for free, though, vacations get expensive – especially when you are trying to feed seven people who happen to really like to eat.  Enter freezer cooking.

Yes, freezer cooking for vacation!

By preparing ready-to-cook or easy-to-assemble meals ahead of time and then freezing them, we save big time on vacation food and eat out very little.  It takes a lot of planning and a lot of work, but the savings is worth it, and I have to say that having to spend ten minutes on dinner preparation is a lot easier than taking five little people out to eat at a lot of places.  ‘Nuf said.

I’ve written somewhat extensively about how I cook non-casserole meals for the freezer, and my vacation freezer meals are much of the same.  Read that if you want some idea of what I might cook for the freezer.  Of course, I don’t take a deep freezer along with me, so here’s how I bring freezer meals on vacation:

→ Buy a big, gigantic cooler.

Last year, I was trying to figure out how many meals I could get in our average-sized cooler and realized that we could bring a whole lot more food if I spent $50-60 on a really big cooler.  I went to Walmart and found one – I don’t know what size it is but it was hunting-themed so maybe it’s big enough to fit a deer? :)  I don’t know, but it’s big, and took up most of the bottom of our van’s storage compartment.

I don’t know exactly how much we saved on food by being able to bring twice the amount of food, but it was well over the $50-60 I spent on the cooler, and we’ll of course be using it much more in the future, too!

→ Pack it tight and don’t open it!

Depending on where we travel, we sometimes stay a night at a hotel before we get to the timeshare resort.  So, food that’s in the freezer has to stay frozen for a couple of days before we have arrived at our destination with the kitchen and freezer.

I just pack it tight, putting the frozen stuff on bottom and non-frozen stuff (like yogurt or condiments) on top, then we cover it with ice.  We have never had an issue with anything being less than frozen after two days.  I’ve never used dry ice, but I hear that can be even better.

Do not open it until you are ready to put the stuff in the freezer, though!

→ Freeze anything that can be frozen.

Last year, I brought a long a bunch of deli meat for lunches.  While the deli meat didn’t need to be frozen, I did it anyway so that it would help keep the freezer cold.  Doing this will just make it easier to pack the cooler with mostly food and not have to add a bunch of ice to keep it cold.

Don’t try to bring anything that’s frozen that you wouldn’t normally thaw before consuming, such as ice cream or frozen pizza.  And don’t put anything in the cooler – even on the top, where it’s not as cold – that you wouldn’t want to freeze, like lettuce.

→ Bring new bottles of condiments.

By bringing unopened bottles of condiments, you can just throw them wherever as you pack – they don’t have to be refrigerated until open, so this can save a lot of space in the cooler.

→ Double-bag stuff.

When your homemade enchilada sauce has just started to thaw and your cooler has a bunch of water in it and the bag of enchilada sauce leaked slightly, you’ll be left with a nasty-looking sludge.  Just double bag everything so you don’t have to clean up such a mess.  (You can even use cheap plastic grocery bags as the double-bag layer, provided it doesn’t have holes.)

→ Stock up on good deals at home.

A few months before we plan to leave on vacation, I try to stock up when I see a good deal on something we don’t normally eat, but are nice to have on vacation – things like cold cereal, granola bars, etc.  Those are the types of things that I can get super-cheap at home, but could be double or triple or quadruple the price if I bought them at the grocery store after we arrive at our destination.

To go along with that, pack the stuff that’s most expensive and don’t take up room in your cooler for cheaper stuff unless you have room for it.  For me, this has meant packing deli meat and cheeses, but waiting to buy milk (we don’t use much) and eggs until we get there.

→ Buy the perishables on vacation.

Even if it’s a lot cheaper at home, I’ve found it’s usually much better to buy anything perishable at our destination, rather than trying to pack it ahead of time.  It’s too much trouble to try to keep sandwich bread from getting squashed or apples from getting bruised as you drive.

→ Make a grocery list for when you arrive.

As you are planning your freezer meals for vacation, make sure to make a list of items you need to purchase when you arrive.  Last year was the first time I’d done that, and it helped a lot to be able to just grab the list and go rather than have to think through what exactly I’d brought and what I still needed to buy to complete meals.

→ Bring your own tools & disposable cookware.

You might be a geek if…

You bring your own pepper grinder on vacation.  OK, I don’t think that’s terribly geeky – but can I still claim that title when I admit that I sometimes bring along my immersion blender?!  Yes, bringing along just a few of my tools (minimum of a good knife, and a pepper grinder) makes getting meals done quickly that much easier.

I don’t bring along my own cookware anymore – though I admit I have once or twice.  I use whatever’s in the resort unit, and then bring along some disposable foil pans for meals that need to be baked.  I don’t want to do any more dishes than necessary!

→ Be willing to buy not-homemade stuff.

Listen, I am all about cooking from scratch, but if there is one time to buy a box of macaroni and cheese (make it organic if you must) or pancake mix, vacation is the time to do it. Last year, I mixed up my own pancake mix, and then bought buttermilk and butter and eggs to mix it up, but really, I am now questioning why I didn’t buy just-add-water mix.  (Honestly, it didn’t even enter my mind – I forgot it existed!  But it’s really not that bad!)

→ You can bring hot meals on the road!

Two of the meals that I freeze and bring on vacation are breakfast burritos and bean/meat/cheese burritos.  Naturally, you will want to be out and about on vacation, not stuck in the kitchen trying to heat up meals – but, sandwiches do get old after awhile.

I’ve had good success with heating up burritos before we leave, and then putting them in their own “cooler” (which we are really just using to hold the temperature) and eating them for lunch.  They probably won’t stay warm all day, but it works for probably four or so hours.  Last time, I heated burritos up at home just before we left in mid-afternoon, and then we had a hot supper on the road in the early evening.

Soup would be another thing that you could do similarly with, using a thermos, though that might be kind of messy to eat on the road.

→ Bring lots of snacks for the road.

This doesn’t have much to do with freezer cooking for vacation, but it was a huge source of savings for us on our last trip: bring snacks for the road and about 30 minutes before you stop for a meal, start stuffing the kids with high-protein snacks like nuts or granola bars.   My kids ate way less at fast-food stops when we did this!

→ If you don’t have a kitchen, improvise.

As I mentioned, we usually stay at a timeshare resort when we travel, which means there is always a full kitchen.  But, it’s possible to cook even if you don’t have a full kitchen – check out how much friend Jen cooked in a hotel room at Disney!  I’ve actually brought along an electric griddle on a trip once myself, though I didn’t end up using it.  I’m totally going to do that next time we travel, though!

Do any of you freezer cook for vacation?

That’s how we eat well and spend less on vacation.  How about you?  Click here to share your vacation food tips and tricks!

And, look for more posts from these Eat Well, Spend Less bloggers this week:

• Amy from Kingdom First Mom
• Jessica from Life As Mom
• Aimee from Simple Bites
• Katie from Kitchen Stewardship
• Mandi from Life Your Way
• Shaina from Food for My Family

Sonic is doing half-priced shakes all day this Thursday, June 20th!  This is to celebrate Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Don’t forget they have half-priced shakes after 8 PM all summer long, and corn dogs for 50¢ during happy hour, too.

The Rockies won on Sunday (scoring five runs), so this deal is on for Monday, June 17th!

The day after the Rockies win, you can order online at PapaJohns.com and use coupon code ROXWIN to save 40% off your entire order, and they will donate 10% to a Colorado charity! The ROXWIN does not work if you have any discounted items in your cart. The code is valid at participating Colorado Papa John’s locations the day after the Rockies win, regardless of how many runs they score. (The Rockies Taco Bell deal is only when they score seven or more.)

Just pay shipping for a desktop calendar from Walgreens: create it here and use coupon code FORTHEDESK to get it for free! Shipping is $5.99, and the offer is valid through Wednesday, June 19th.

Go here to create your free calendar.

The Denver Aquarium is hosting Summer Family Nights June 17th through August 15th! The events take place Mondays through Thursdays from 5 PM to close. Summer Family Nights events include:

• $1.99 kids menu (One $1.99 kinds meal with the purchase of an adult entree. Valid for children 10 and under. Limited time only.)
• Reduced Adult Exhibit Tickets with Aquarium Restaurant receipt
• $5 Exhibit Pass (10 & under with adult wristband)
• $3 4D movie tickets
• Free Face painting
• $1 Coconut Tree Climb
• Exhibit Scavenger Hunts
• Raffles for Prizes
• Mystic Mermaid shows (6-8 PM)
• Animal Interactions & Shows
• Arts and Crafts
• & More!

Visit their website for more information. The Denver Aquarium is located at 700 Water Street in Denver.

Just a reminder in case you were planning on doing this deal – it ends Monday!

I know many of you have taken advantage of online clothing consignment site ThredUp, and here’s another great deal if you are a new customer!  Through Friday, May 10th, use coupon code SUMMER10 to take $10 off your purchase if it’s your first purchase!  This is valid on children’s clothing, as well as their new section for women.

Shipping starts at $2.99, so depending on what you order, you could potentially get something for free and just pay $2.99 shipping!  There are items that are well below and well above $10.

I’ve been able to order some stuff for my kids and myself from ThredUp using referral credits and have been pretty pleased with the stuff I’ve gotten. You have to be able to know what will fit your kids based on a picture of it laying flat on the ground – for instance, I look at the length of the shirts and whether or not it has an adjustable waist, which is relatively easy to tell based on a picture. The stuff I’ve gotten has all been very gently used and I’ve been quite pleased with what I’ve gotten (though, I have heard that they don’t give you a whole lot on the other end of the process, when you send stuff in).

Go here to shop ThredUp – be sure to enter code SUMMER10 at checkout to get $10 off! The code is valid through June 17th, 2013.

Just a reminder that Tuesday is the last day to get this deal!  Greeting card site Treat.com is giving away more free cards to new customers!  If you aren’t yet signed up for a free Treat.com account, sign up here and use coupon code TREAT1MA to get one free card in any category free!  You can have it shipped to yourself and your total will be $0.00, or send it directly to someone for just the cost of a stamp.  You can send a thank-you card, a birthday card, anniversary, graduation, whatever!

This offer is valid for new customers through June 17th.  Go here to get your free card.

Save 50% off tickets to Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver with this deal from Groupon: pay $22 for admission and unlimited rides for two (up to a $44 value) or $40 for admission and unlimited rides for four (up to an $88 value)!

The vouchers are valid through August 18th, and you can buy one for yourself and up to two as gifts.

Here are more good Groupon and Living Social deals right now:

• 50% off Rusty Wallace Racing Experience at Pikes Peak International Raceway
• $10 for a Peruvian chicken dinner for two at La Polleria in Centennial
• 50% off Miner’s Maze Adventureland Fun Park package for two, four, or six

Just a reminder that Caribou Coffee is offering a buy one drink, get one free deal on Father’s Day – that’s tomorrow, Sunday the 16th!  Click here to access the coupon, and either print it or show it on your phone to redeem.

You can also grab a buy one, get one offer from Firehouse Subs for Father’s Day.

Wow, this morning there are some new printable coupons that we almost never see!

Print this coupon to get a buy one, get one free deal at Peet’s Coffee on Father’s Day – that’s this Sunday, June 16th.  There’s also a buy one, get one free deal for Caribou Coffee.

We are partnering with Corrie from Centsable Momma to bring you the top Rite Aid deals for the week starting June 2nd!  Here’s a handful of the best deals; visit Centsable Momma for the full list.

Select Candy and Gum Products, 2/$2
Get $1 +UP Reward when you buy 2 (Limit 4)
–Non-Chocolate Pegged Candy (Reg. Retail $1.49 to $1.99)
$0.30/1 Haribo Product printable or printable
–Nips (4 oz.)
–Single Pack Gum (Reg. Retail $1.29)
$1/3 Stride, Dentyne, Trident or ID Single Pack, exp. 7/14/13 (SS 05/19/13)
$1/2 Dentyne Gum printable
$0.25/1 Dentyne Gum (RA Video Values, June)
As low as two FREE after coupon and +UP Reward!

Select Candy, 2/$3
Get $1 +UP Reward when you buy 2 (Limit 4)
–Altoids or Ice Breakers Mints
–Sugar Free Bagged Candy (Russell Stover, LifeSavers, Werthers or American Licorice)
$1/1 Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy printable
–Andes or Toblerone
As low as FREE after coupons and +UP Reward!

Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner (12.6 oz.) or Stylers (5.7 to 8.5 oz), 2/$6
Get $1 +UP Reward when you buy 2 (Limit 2)
$2/2 Pantene Product printable or printable
$2/2 Pantene Truly Relaxed & Truly Natural printable
$3/2 Pantene Product, exp. 6/30/13 (P&G 06/02/13)
$1/2 Pantene Product, exp. 6/30/13 (P&G 05/12/13)
As low as $1 each after coupon and +UP Reward!

Head to Centsable Momma for the full list of Rite Aid deals!