Woo hoo! We're at 200 followers on our twitter feed.
To share the love, we're giving away lots of goodies, including gift cards, coupon wallets stuffed with coupons (including some high value and free q's).
To enter the contest for your share of the goodies, leave a comment. For an extra entry, tweet about this contest, make sure to mention our twitter feed @cacoupondiva.
Winners will be selected on March 8, 2011, and the goodies will be mailed out the next day.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Upcoming Contest!
Once we hit 200 twitter members and maintain that many followers for 2 weeks, I'll be having a contest to celebrate our 200 members!
I've got some great prizes, including coupons for free products, gift cards, and coupon wallets stuffed with coupons!
So keep your eyes peeled! We hit 200 followers yesterday- so the contest deets will be posted in the next week or so.
I've got some great prizes, including coupons for free products, gift cards, and coupon wallets stuffed with coupons!
So keep your eyes peeled! We hit 200 followers yesterday- so the contest deets will be posted in the next week or so.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
What we've been up to!
I've been busy! Getting ready for our little boy has been a lot of work, and pretty exhausting. I'll be mailing out the Chex coupons out this weekend, for those who asked for them. I still have a couple left, if anyone is interested.
Also, Our internet service has been spotty for hte past 2 weeks, so there are periods of time (days) where we have no internet service. :(
I have a few more blog posts planned out for the rest of the week. I'm hoping our internet connection will hold up!
Also, Our internet service has been spotty for hte past 2 weeks, so there are periods of time (days) where we have no internet service. :(
I have a few more blog posts planned out for the rest of the week. I'm hoping our internet connection will hold up!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Cycle of Business
The Cycle of Business- When are items on sale?
Sales are cyclical- certain items are on sale during specific times of the year, either due to holidays or special events. For example- Barbeque sauce is on sale in the summer, when people barbeque a lot. Manufacturers and stores will put out coupons and places items on sale to entice shoppers to spend more. Use this to your advantage. Combine sales with coupons and increase your stockpile and plan your menu.
Here are some examples:
JANUARY
• Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
• Gyms have sales and free trials
• Healthy Food including Veggies
• Television and other Electronics (Super Bowl Sunday)
• OTC Medications (FSA’s expire in Jan./Feb.- Use it or Lose it!)
• Winter Clothing and Shoes (Formal clothes are usually 75%+ off)
• Organizers (totes, Christmas ornament storage containers)
• White Sales (Sheets/Towels)
• Snack-y food for Super Bowl parties: chips, dip. Velveeta, salsa, taquitos. There are often times really great rebates for snack food and beer or soda around the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is usually the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February.
FEBRUARY
• Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
• Healthy Food including Veggies
• Candy and Chocolates (Valentine's day)
MARCH
• March is National frozen food month. Many Stores like Albertson’s have a “fill a bag” sale where you are given a paper or plastic bag and you receive a discount (typically 15-25%) on each frozen item in that bag.
• Spring Apparel (Easter Dresses and Suits)
• Depending on when Easter falls, look for sales on Easter Dinner food: Ham, Prime Rib, stuffing, veggies, eggs, and Easter Basket Supplies.
• Luggage and Travel (Spring Break)
• Spring-cleaning sales will start and there will be rebates for cleaning supplies-especially with SC Johnson Products.
• Between March 13-17th (St. Patrick’s Day) Corned Beef, Potatoes and Cabbage are all Dirt Cheap. Stock up!
• During Lent, seafood is inexpensive.
APRIL
• More Spring cleaning sales and rebates
• Paper products (plates, napkins) start to have really good sales.
• Paint & Wallpaper (In the same vain as spring cleaning, a lot of people start to spruce up their homes in the spring)
• Jewish Foods and Eggs (Passover)
MAY
May is the start of picnic season. Barbeque food, Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, condiments will all be on sale throughout the summer and will be until September.
• Auto Maintenance (tires, oil changes, tune ups)
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
• Bug repellents – Sprays and Candles
• Home Maintenance (carpet cleaning, duct cleaning)
• SPF and After Sun products (like Aloe)
JUNE
• Summer Clothes
• June is National Dairy Month- Dairy Products
• Summer Activities (local attractions sometimes have “locals only” days or rates)
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
JULY
• Air Conditioning units (Central Air and window units)
• Summer Sports Equipment & Craft Supplies (things for families to do together)
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
AUGUST
• BBQ and Patio Equipment (Just in time for Labor Day!)
• White Sale - Linens and Towels
• Back to School Supplies – Sales may Start in Late July, Depending on when school starts in your part of the world)
• Bathing Suits and the last remnants of summer clothes
• Back to school clothes
• Jackets and light coats for fall
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
• Breakfast foods (cereal, oatmeal, juice, bars) Cereal sales will start this month and continue into September as school starts up.
• Lunch box food- juice boxes, lunchables, snacks, chips, yogurt
About this time of year, heating companies will offer deals to service heaters and clean air ducts. Coupons, discounts and Bogos.
SEPTEMBER
The traditional Back to School Sales will start. For most school, classes begin the Tuesday after Labor Day. This is a great time to stock up on snacks that are healthy and shelf stable. 100 calorie snack packs, fruit leathers, 100% juice boxes, bottled water, peanut butter. Watch the inserts for Lunchables coupons too- they will start going on sale!
• Back to School Supplies (Office Depot, Staples, and Walgreen’s often have Freebies)
• Canned Goods. Canned soup and spaghetti sauce also starts to go on sale in September.
• Frozen Pizza
The last three months of the year are packed full of holidays. Now is the time to stock up on “holiday foods”- Stuffing, turkey, instant mashed potatoes, broth/stock, cranberries (you can freeze the real ones for up to 6 months!), marshmallows, pudding, gelatin, flour, sugar, French fried onions, cream of mushroom soup. These ingredients can be used in everyday foods, not just once a year. Stock up when they are cheap (OR free!) and you will eat well all year.
There are LOADS of rebates during the last three months of the year for “holiday” foods, especially food that is usually served when entertaining, like crackers and cheese.
OCTOBER
• Home goods such as serving dishes, and glassware (to prepare you for the onslaught of entertaining you will be doing for the holidays)
• Candy, nuts
• Baking/candy-making items (choc chips, sprinkles, vanilla, corn syrup, nuts, etc)
• Fall/Winter clothing
• Fabric, Patterns, sewing machines (Halloween)
• Coats/Jackets
NOVEMBER
• Winter Clothing
• Blankets and flannel sheets
• Heating Devices (space heaters, in wall heating units)
• Turkey, ham
• Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
• Baking goods (flour, sugar)
• Baking wear
DECEMBER
• Toys (Coupons.com usually has coupons for Fischer Price Toys in December)
• Gift Items There will be a lot of Try me Free offers and rebates on personal care this time of year. Stock up and fill your stockings and keep your wallet full.
• Post-Holiday Sales I like to stock up on plain colored paper goods after each holiday and stockpile them to use throughout the year for parties and events. No one will know the red napkins are from Valentine’s Day, not from Christmas. Light Blue gift paper from Chanukah will wrap a present for a baby shower gift just the same.
• Party Foods, Baking Goods, and Various Meat. There will be a lot of rebates, keep your eyes open!
• Canned goods (broth, soups, etc.)
• Prime Rib, Turkey, Ham
Year-round after a holiday, you can always pick up cheap cookie dough. Cookie dough freezes really well for about two month. You can also find plain colored paper goods, including plain colored wrapping paper and tissue paper after each holiday in the clearance section.
Sales are cyclical- certain items are on sale during specific times of the year, either due to holidays or special events. For example- Barbeque sauce is on sale in the summer, when people barbeque a lot. Manufacturers and stores will put out coupons and places items on sale to entice shoppers to spend more. Use this to your advantage. Combine sales with coupons and increase your stockpile and plan your menu.
Here are some examples:
JANUARY
• Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
• Gyms have sales and free trials
• Healthy Food including Veggies
• Television and other Electronics (Super Bowl Sunday)
• OTC Medications (FSA’s expire in Jan./Feb.- Use it or Lose it!)
• Winter Clothing and Shoes (Formal clothes are usually 75%+ off)
• Organizers (totes, Christmas ornament storage containers)
• White Sales (Sheets/Towels)
• Snack-y food for Super Bowl parties: chips, dip. Velveeta, salsa, taquitos. There are often times really great rebates for snack food and beer or soda around the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is usually the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February.
FEBRUARY
• Diet Food and Weight Loss Equipment (New Year’s Resolutions)
• Healthy Food including Veggies
• Candy and Chocolates (Valentine's day)
MARCH
• March is National frozen food month. Many Stores like Albertson’s have a “fill a bag” sale where you are given a paper or plastic bag and you receive a discount (typically 15-25%) on each frozen item in that bag.
• Spring Apparel (Easter Dresses and Suits)
• Depending on when Easter falls, look for sales on Easter Dinner food: Ham, Prime Rib, stuffing, veggies, eggs, and Easter Basket Supplies.
• Luggage and Travel (Spring Break)
• Spring-cleaning sales will start and there will be rebates for cleaning supplies-especially with SC Johnson Products.
• Between March 13-17th (St. Patrick’s Day) Corned Beef, Potatoes and Cabbage are all Dirt Cheap. Stock up!
• During Lent, seafood is inexpensive.
APRIL
• More Spring cleaning sales and rebates
• Paper products (plates, napkins) start to have really good sales.
• Paint & Wallpaper (In the same vain as spring cleaning, a lot of people start to spruce up their homes in the spring)
• Jewish Foods and Eggs (Passover)
MAY
May is the start of picnic season. Barbeque food, Hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, condiments will all be on sale throughout the summer and will be until September.
• Auto Maintenance (tires, oil changes, tune ups)
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
• Bug repellents – Sprays and Candles
• Home Maintenance (carpet cleaning, duct cleaning)
• SPF and After Sun products (like Aloe)
JUNE
• Summer Clothes
• June is National Dairy Month- Dairy Products
• Summer Activities (local attractions sometimes have “locals only” days or rates)
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
JULY
• Air Conditioning units (Central Air and window units)
• Summer Sports Equipment & Craft Supplies (things for families to do together)
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
AUGUST
• BBQ and Patio Equipment (Just in time for Labor Day!)
• White Sale - Linens and Towels
• Back to School Supplies – Sales may Start in Late July, Depending on when school starts in your part of the world)
• Bathing Suits and the last remnants of summer clothes
• Back to school clothes
• Jackets and light coats for fall
• Beverages, Hot dogs, Ground Beef, BBQ sauce, Ketchup, Mustard, Ribs (Often times there are some really great rebates WYB beer or soda)
• Breakfast foods (cereal, oatmeal, juice, bars) Cereal sales will start this month and continue into September as school starts up.
• Lunch box food- juice boxes, lunchables, snacks, chips, yogurt
About this time of year, heating companies will offer deals to service heaters and clean air ducts. Coupons, discounts and Bogos.
SEPTEMBER
The traditional Back to School Sales will start. For most school, classes begin the Tuesday after Labor Day. This is a great time to stock up on snacks that are healthy and shelf stable. 100 calorie snack packs, fruit leathers, 100% juice boxes, bottled water, peanut butter. Watch the inserts for Lunchables coupons too- they will start going on sale!
• Back to School Supplies (Office Depot, Staples, and Walgreen’s often have Freebies)
• Canned Goods. Canned soup and spaghetti sauce also starts to go on sale in September.
• Frozen Pizza
The last three months of the year are packed full of holidays. Now is the time to stock up on “holiday foods”- Stuffing, turkey, instant mashed potatoes, broth/stock, cranberries (you can freeze the real ones for up to 6 months!), marshmallows, pudding, gelatin, flour, sugar, French fried onions, cream of mushroom soup. These ingredients can be used in everyday foods, not just once a year. Stock up when they are cheap (OR free!) and you will eat well all year.
There are LOADS of rebates during the last three months of the year for “holiday” foods, especially food that is usually served when entertaining, like crackers and cheese.
OCTOBER
• Home goods such as serving dishes, and glassware (to prepare you for the onslaught of entertaining you will be doing for the holidays)
• Candy, nuts
• Baking/candy-making items (choc chips, sprinkles, vanilla, corn syrup, nuts, etc)
• Fall/Winter clothing
• Fabric, Patterns, sewing machines (Halloween)
• Coats/Jackets
NOVEMBER
• Winter Clothing
• Blankets and flannel sheets
• Heating Devices (space heaters, in wall heating units)
• Turkey, ham
• Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
• Baking goods (flour, sugar)
• Baking wear
DECEMBER
• Toys (Coupons.com usually has coupons for Fischer Price Toys in December)
• Gift Items There will be a lot of Try me Free offers and rebates on personal care this time of year. Stock up and fill your stockings and keep your wallet full.
• Post-Holiday Sales I like to stock up on plain colored paper goods after each holiday and stockpile them to use throughout the year for parties and events. No one will know the red napkins are from Valentine’s Day, not from Christmas. Light Blue gift paper from Chanukah will wrap a present for a baby shower gift just the same.
• Party Foods, Baking Goods, and Various Meat. There will be a lot of rebates, keep your eyes open!
• Canned goods (broth, soups, etc.)
• Prime Rib, Turkey, Ham
Year-round after a holiday, you can always pick up cheap cookie dough. Cookie dough freezes really well for about two month. You can also find plain colored paper goods, including plain colored wrapping paper and tissue paper after each holiday in the clearance section.
Friday, February 4, 2011
At home pampering- Frugal ideas for a Girls' Night In!
Most of us enjoy pampering: pedicures, manicures, facials, body wraps, and massages. With money not going as far as it used to, here are some ways to save some money and keep up your beauty routine.
Have a girls’ day in! Remember as teens we would have slumber parties, do masks, paint each other’s toes? Well, why not do something similar? Send out a free, electronic invitation, with a service such as elite (www.evite.com). Have each person bring something to do or a beauty “ritual” to share. Then everyone takes turns giving and receiving!
You can serve spa like refreshments such as sparkling water with fruit slices and ice cubes made from all natural juice, veggie plates, hummus and pita, yogurt and herb dips, tortilla chips and fire roasted salsas and fruit compote. Google Spa recipes and try something new! Have everyone bring a dish and share!
Here are some suggestions for “beauty ritual” that are easy and fun!
Pedicures-
Here are some simple steps that'll let you pamper your feet in 30 minutes or less:
Remove old polish using a gentle nail polish remover.
Clip and file your nails. (File one way, don’t saw back and forth- it can damage your nails.)
Soak your feet for about ten minutes in a dishpan or plastic bowl filled with warm water and a few drops of chamomile and lavender essential oil and/or Epsom salts (which have excellent relaxing properties that will soothe your tired, aching feet).
Apply a cuticle softener; after a few minutes, push back the cuticles gently using an orangewood stick. Use Cuticle nippers to remove dead skin around the cuticle bed. Don’t get over-zealous when it comes to removing dead skin from around your nail bed. You can clip live skin, and allow bacteria to enter through cuts. OWIE!
Apply a callus remover liquid containing alpha hydroxyl acids. Slip you feet into plastic bags for 5-10 minutes, remove the bags and use a pumice stone to remove dead skin cells. Don’t “file”/pumice your feet when they are dry.
Use an exfoliating paste/scrub on your feet and calves in a gentle circular motion to remove any dead skin, then remove with a warm, moist towel; then apply a moisturizing cream in order to hydrate the skin, as well as improve flexibility and promote relaxation. Don't forget your toes!
Massage feet and calves with a creamy hand lotion. Rub in for a couple of minutes in order to fully hydrate the skin, particularly if you are suffering from dry winter skin.
Use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad on your nail beds to remove any lotion on your nails and apply a base coat, then add two coats of your favorite nail polish color. Add nail decals, gems or paint flowers on your toes! Follow with a topcoat.
If you don’t want to go with a full pedicure, do a foot care ritual. It’s still relaxing and you’ll fee like a million bucks afterward.
Soak your feet in a tub or basin with 1 cup of Epson salts and some essential oils for 15-20 minutes.
Use an exfoliating paste/scrub on your feet and calves in a gentle circular motion to remove any dead skin, then remove with a warm, moist towel; then apply a moisturizing cream in order to hydrate the skin, as well as improve flexibility and promote relaxation. Don't forget your toes!
Massage feet and calves with a creamy hand lotion. Rub in for a couple of minutes in order to fully hydrate the skin, particularly if you are suffering from dry winter skin.
Slip on some socks to seal in the moisture!
Manicures-
Follow these simple steps for the perfect at-home manicure:
Remove old polish using a gentle nail polish remover
Clip and file your nails. (File one way, don’t saw back and forth- it can damage your nails.)
Soak your hands for about ten minutes in a plastic bowl filled with warm water and a few drops of chamomile and lavender essential oil and/or Epsom salts.
Apply a cuticle cream/softener; after a few minutes, push back the cuticles gently using an orangewood stick. Use Cuticle nippers to remove dead skin around the cuticle bed. Don’t get over-zealous when it comes to removing dead skin from around your nail bed. You can clip live skin, and allow bacteria to enter through cuts. OWIE!
Use an exfoliating paste on your hands and forearms, remove with a hot towel; then apply a moisturizing cream in order to hydrate the skin, as well as improve flexibility and promote relaxation.
Massage hands and arms with a creamy hand lotion. Rub in for a couple of minutes in order to fully hydrate the skin, particularly if you are suffering from dry winter skin.
Use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad on your nail beds to remove any lotion on your nails and apply a base coat, then add two coats of your favorite nail polish color. Add nail decals, gems or paint flowers on your nails! Follow with a topcoat.
Facials-
For your girls night in, have every one can bring their favorite product to share, or a quick trip to the beauty supply and the grocery store can get you everything you’ll need for a soothing facial.
Cleanse your skin using a gentle cleanser in order to remove surface oil, dirt and germs. If you have oily or combination skin, use a foaming gel cleanser; if you have dry skin, look for a creamier blend that won't dry out your skin.
Exfoliate. Natural exfoliates include: Ground oats and pineapple. Grind oatmeal in your food processor and add 3 T. oats to 2T. Plain natural yoghurt or whole milk. Apply to the face and remove after 10 minutes with a warm towel. Or put ¼ cup pineapple and 3 T. plain natural yoghurt into the food processor and pulse. Once combined apply to the face and remove after 10 minutes with a warm towel.
At this point, you may wish to apply a serum or spritz the skin with a nourishing toner (don’t use anything that stings, burns or causes discomfort. That means NO SEA BREEZE OR ALCOHOL BASED ASTRINGENTS!)
Apply a mask. If you have oily or combination skin, try a clay-based mask; for dry or mature skin, look for a hydrating mask (with a creamy or gel texture). Peel off masks are better suited for those skin. Most beauty supply stores or drug stores sell masks in small sachets if you do not already have a favorite mask. Apply mask to the skin, being careful to avoid the eye area (this can lead to sagging skin). Leave mask on for 10 to 20 minutes or as directed. Do not allow clay masks to dry completely. The active ingredients only work as long as the mask stays moist. Sprtiz the mask with a spray bottle of water to keep it moist once or twice. Remove the mask with warm towels and follow with a light spritz of toner.
[caption id="attachment_866" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="montagne-jeunesse makes a great selection of individually packaged masks for home use"]
[/caption]
Most facials end with a special moisturizer or lotion applied to the face. Apply a light moisturizer in order to prevent dehydrating the skin. Look for a moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher in order to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Don’t forget to apply moisturizer to your neck and décolleté.
[caption id="attachment_869" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A face and neck massage during a facial after exfoliation, but prior to the masking can improve blood flow to the face (sending fresh blood flushes out waste in tissue) and promotes relaxation"]
[/caption]
If you wish to apply an eye cream, use only a pea sized amount and apply it with your ring fingers in a gentle patting motion. Don’t drag your fingers across the gentle under-eye tissue. It can damage the delicate skin in that area.
Massage-
This is where having a partner to help is great. Here is a great protocol for facial massage:
Apply the massage cream or lotion and begin massaging the face and neck areas in small symmetrical circles. The strokes should move up the neck and along the contour of the face. Do not leave out any facial muscles.
Next, gently glide the back of the hands across the forehead with light pressure. Placing the thumbs side by side on the center of the forehead with the hands cradling the face, draw the thumbs outward towards the temples and make a gentle sweeping movement around the temple. Repeat the movement several times to relieve tension in the temples.
Apply pressure in the hollow areas under the eyebrows by placing the hands along the sides of the face; use the thumb to press gently under the ridge one spot at a time. Move the pressure point from the inner to the outer edge of the brows and repeat the thumb pressure. This technique can help relieve tension headache.
Position the thumbs alongside the nose bridge with hands cupping the face. Firmly slide the thumbs downward to the nostrils and outwards along the contour of the cheeks applying pressure along the way. Gently release the pressure when the thumbs reach the hairline. Then pull both hands up alongside the face towards the top of the head and away from the face. Repeat this motion two more times.
Position fingertips in the cheek muscles and gently make circling movements counter-clockwise for a few times moving along the cheek muscles. This motion alleviates tension in the cheek area.
Gently stroke the ears with the index fingers and thumbs while moving along the rims of the ears. This technique is very relaxing and enjoyable.
Position the fingers just behind the neck while pressing with a thumb pad on a spot in the jaw area and circling this spot before moving to the next one. Holding the chin with the fingers, stroke the chin with the thumbs using circular motions downward. Finish the jaw massage with gentle strokes alongside the chin. This movement releases tension in the mouth and jaw.
Make circular motions on the scalp and comb the fingers through the hair to release tension from the face and the head and to stimulate the scalp.
Finally, remove the massage cream or lotion with fresh and damp cotton pads.
The next several beauty rituals require more room or specialized equipment, namely a massage bed or facial chair. A recliner can be substituted, cover it with a flat bed sheet to protect it.
Massage-
Who doesn’t love a neck and back rub? Here are some great websites that show how to give a great back massage!
http://www.easyvigour.net.nz/backpain/h_BackMassage.htm
http://www.ehow.com/video_8066_give-back-massage.html
http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Give_a_Back_Massage
Remember to ask about the pressure- too much, not enough, just right? Always have clean hands and trimmed nails. After the massage, remove any excess oil or lotion with a warm towel. If you don’t have a massage table or a recliner, have the person receiving the massage sit in a low back chair or sit backwards in a chair, so their chest rests against the back of the chair.
Body treatments- these can be messy. I recommend doing these in a tiled area of your home, or cut apart trash bags and lay them down, put down newspaper, a tarp or a drop cloth.
You may want to wear a bathing suit or a bra and panties you don’t mind getting wet. I recommend doing body treatments 1st before you start the rest of your day of rituals.
Body scrub-
Sometimes known in spas as a sugar shimmer, salt glow, or full body exfoliation. Whatever you call it- it’s FUN and a great way to sweep away dead skin cells. I like using sugar. It has natural alpha hydroxy acids in it that break up the web of expired skin calls clinging to your skin.
Here is my recipe:
2 parts sugar (1 white and one brown) to 1 part oil (olive oil, coconut oil, etc), add any essential oils you like. You can also add any leftover ground oats you have or a few tablespoons of baking soda to add a little extra exfoliation. Apply to your body and rub in circular motions. Remove with warm towels or hop in the shower and rinse off. Towel dry and apply a moisturizing lotion or crème.
Body mask- in day spas, this can be called a body wrap. Mud and herbs are applied to your body and you are wrapped in a cocoon of blankets while the mud and herbs do their thing- softening, moisturizing, and toning.
Apply a body mask (available in most beauty supplies or drug stores) and wrap yourself in a silver thermal blanket or in saran wrap to keep the heat in. Relax for 4-50 minutes. Remove with warm towels or hop in the shower and rinse off. Towel dry and apply a moisturizing lotion or crème.
Other Fun Spa activities
Ask the girls to bring their robes, so everyone can lounge and hang out during treatments.
You can also do deep conditioning hair treatments. They are available at local beauty supply stores, or do a Google search for at home varieties- You’d be amazed what mayonnaise does to dry, over-styled hair! Apply the conditioning treatment, put on a shower cap or wrap your hair in Saran Wrap and hang out for 20-30 minutes, then shampoo out the mayo. Towel or blow dry.
If any of the girls have Paraffin pots, they are a great addition to any spa day. Dip clean, freshly scrubbed hands or feet in the melted paraffin, then cover the paraffined area with a plastic bag and relax for 2-30 minutes. Remove the paraffin and discard- you hands and feet have never felt softer. If you have dry, scaly elbows, paraffin works miracles. Wash elbows and exfoliate with a scrub/paste, then dip each elbow into the paraffin and wrap in Saran wrap. After 30 minutes, remove and discard the paraffin.
[caption id="attachment_867" align="aligncenter" width="273" caption="Paraffin Wax Pots are available at most Drug stores, mass merchandisers and beauty supply stores"]
[/caption]
Offer cucumber slices to place over puffy eyes, or herbal tea bags (such as chamomile) that have been moistened with warm (not boiling) water. Raw potato slices can also help de-poof your under eye area.
[caption id="attachment_868" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cucumber slices on the eyes promote relaxation and can reduce under-eye puffiness"]
[/caption]
Remember to practice good sanitation- wash all equipment with hot water and soap and dry with a clean towel. Do not share tools or implements, especially if someone has a fungal foot infection. Mani/pedi tool kits are available at beauty supply stores and most 99 cent/dollar stores.
If you are using products that are stored in a tub, do not dip your fingers into the tub, use a plastic spoon or disposable spatula, or wooden stir stick, and discard it afterward- this will help curb the spread of bacteria.
Have a girls’ day in! Remember as teens we would have slumber parties, do masks, paint each other’s toes? Well, why not do something similar? Send out a free, electronic invitation, with a service such as elite (www.evite.com). Have each person bring something to do or a beauty “ritual” to share. Then everyone takes turns giving and receiving!
You can serve spa like refreshments such as sparkling water with fruit slices and ice cubes made from all natural juice, veggie plates, hummus and pita, yogurt and herb dips, tortilla chips and fire roasted salsas and fruit compote. Google Spa recipes and try something new! Have everyone bring a dish and share!
Here are some suggestions for “beauty ritual” that are easy and fun!
Pedicures-
Here are some simple steps that'll let you pamper your feet in 30 minutes or less:
Remove old polish using a gentle nail polish remover.
Clip and file your nails. (File one way, don’t saw back and forth- it can damage your nails.)
Soak your feet for about ten minutes in a dishpan or plastic bowl filled with warm water and a few drops of chamomile and lavender essential oil and/or Epsom salts (which have excellent relaxing properties that will soothe your tired, aching feet).
Apply a cuticle softener; after a few minutes, push back the cuticles gently using an orangewood stick. Use Cuticle nippers to remove dead skin around the cuticle bed. Don’t get over-zealous when it comes to removing dead skin from around your nail bed. You can clip live skin, and allow bacteria to enter through cuts. OWIE!
Apply a callus remover liquid containing alpha hydroxyl acids. Slip you feet into plastic bags for 5-10 minutes, remove the bags and use a pumice stone to remove dead skin cells. Don’t “file”/pumice your feet when they are dry.
Use an exfoliating paste/scrub on your feet and calves in a gentle circular motion to remove any dead skin, then remove with a warm, moist towel; then apply a moisturizing cream in order to hydrate the skin, as well as improve flexibility and promote relaxation. Don't forget your toes!
Massage feet and calves with a creamy hand lotion. Rub in for a couple of minutes in order to fully hydrate the skin, particularly if you are suffering from dry winter skin.
Use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad on your nail beds to remove any lotion on your nails and apply a base coat, then add two coats of your favorite nail polish color. Add nail decals, gems or paint flowers on your toes! Follow with a topcoat.
If you don’t want to go with a full pedicure, do a foot care ritual. It’s still relaxing and you’ll fee like a million bucks afterward.
Soak your feet in a tub or basin with 1 cup of Epson salts and some essential oils for 15-20 minutes.
Use an exfoliating paste/scrub on your feet and calves in a gentle circular motion to remove any dead skin, then remove with a warm, moist towel; then apply a moisturizing cream in order to hydrate the skin, as well as improve flexibility and promote relaxation. Don't forget your toes!
Massage feet and calves with a creamy hand lotion. Rub in for a couple of minutes in order to fully hydrate the skin, particularly if you are suffering from dry winter skin.
Slip on some socks to seal in the moisture!
Manicures-
Follow these simple steps for the perfect at-home manicure:
Remove old polish using a gentle nail polish remover
Clip and file your nails. (File one way, don’t saw back and forth- it can damage your nails.)
Soak your hands for about ten minutes in a plastic bowl filled with warm water and a few drops of chamomile and lavender essential oil and/or Epsom salts.
Apply a cuticle cream/softener; after a few minutes, push back the cuticles gently using an orangewood stick. Use Cuticle nippers to remove dead skin around the cuticle bed. Don’t get over-zealous when it comes to removing dead skin from around your nail bed. You can clip live skin, and allow bacteria to enter through cuts. OWIE!
Use an exfoliating paste on your hands and forearms, remove with a hot towel; then apply a moisturizing cream in order to hydrate the skin, as well as improve flexibility and promote relaxation.
Massage hands and arms with a creamy hand lotion. Rub in for a couple of minutes in order to fully hydrate the skin, particularly if you are suffering from dry winter skin.
Use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad on your nail beds to remove any lotion on your nails and apply a base coat, then add two coats of your favorite nail polish color. Add nail decals, gems or paint flowers on your nails! Follow with a topcoat.
Facials-
For your girls night in, have every one can bring their favorite product to share, or a quick trip to the beauty supply and the grocery store can get you everything you’ll need for a soothing facial.
Cleanse your skin using a gentle cleanser in order to remove surface oil, dirt and germs. If you have oily or combination skin, use a foaming gel cleanser; if you have dry skin, look for a creamier blend that won't dry out your skin.
Exfoliate. Natural exfoliates include: Ground oats and pineapple. Grind oatmeal in your food processor and add 3 T. oats to 2T. Plain natural yoghurt or whole milk. Apply to the face and remove after 10 minutes with a warm towel. Or put ¼ cup pineapple and 3 T. plain natural yoghurt into the food processor and pulse. Once combined apply to the face and remove after 10 minutes with a warm towel.
At this point, you may wish to apply a serum or spritz the skin with a nourishing toner (don’t use anything that stings, burns or causes discomfort. That means NO SEA BREEZE OR ALCOHOL BASED ASTRINGENTS!)
Apply a mask. If you have oily or combination skin, try a clay-based mask; for dry or mature skin, look for a hydrating mask (with a creamy or gel texture). Peel off masks are better suited for those skin. Most beauty supply stores or drug stores sell masks in small sachets if you do not already have a favorite mask. Apply mask to the skin, being careful to avoid the eye area (this can lead to sagging skin). Leave mask on for 10 to 20 minutes or as directed. Do not allow clay masks to dry completely. The active ingredients only work as long as the mask stays moist. Sprtiz the mask with a spray bottle of water to keep it moist once or twice. Remove the mask with warm towels and follow with a light spritz of toner.
[caption id="attachment_866" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="montagne-jeunesse makes a great selection of individually packaged masks for home use"]
[/caption]Most facials end with a special moisturizer or lotion applied to the face. Apply a light moisturizer in order to prevent dehydrating the skin. Look for a moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher in order to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Don’t forget to apply moisturizer to your neck and décolleté.
[caption id="attachment_869" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A face and neck massage during a facial after exfoliation, but prior to the masking can improve blood flow to the face (sending fresh blood flushes out waste in tissue) and promotes relaxation"]
[/caption]If you wish to apply an eye cream, use only a pea sized amount and apply it with your ring fingers in a gentle patting motion. Don’t drag your fingers across the gentle under-eye tissue. It can damage the delicate skin in that area.
Massage-
This is where having a partner to help is great. Here is a great protocol for facial massage:
Apply the massage cream or lotion and begin massaging the face and neck areas in small symmetrical circles. The strokes should move up the neck and along the contour of the face. Do not leave out any facial muscles.
Next, gently glide the back of the hands across the forehead with light pressure. Placing the thumbs side by side on the center of the forehead with the hands cradling the face, draw the thumbs outward towards the temples and make a gentle sweeping movement around the temple. Repeat the movement several times to relieve tension in the temples.
Apply pressure in the hollow areas under the eyebrows by placing the hands along the sides of the face; use the thumb to press gently under the ridge one spot at a time. Move the pressure point from the inner to the outer edge of the brows and repeat the thumb pressure. This technique can help relieve tension headache.
Position the thumbs alongside the nose bridge with hands cupping the face. Firmly slide the thumbs downward to the nostrils and outwards along the contour of the cheeks applying pressure along the way. Gently release the pressure when the thumbs reach the hairline. Then pull both hands up alongside the face towards the top of the head and away from the face. Repeat this motion two more times.
Position fingertips in the cheek muscles and gently make circling movements counter-clockwise for a few times moving along the cheek muscles. This motion alleviates tension in the cheek area.
Gently stroke the ears with the index fingers and thumbs while moving along the rims of the ears. This technique is very relaxing and enjoyable.
Position the fingers just behind the neck while pressing with a thumb pad on a spot in the jaw area and circling this spot before moving to the next one. Holding the chin with the fingers, stroke the chin with the thumbs using circular motions downward. Finish the jaw massage with gentle strokes alongside the chin. This movement releases tension in the mouth and jaw.
Make circular motions on the scalp and comb the fingers through the hair to release tension from the face and the head and to stimulate the scalp.
Finally, remove the massage cream or lotion with fresh and damp cotton pads.
The next several beauty rituals require more room or specialized equipment, namely a massage bed or facial chair. A recliner can be substituted, cover it with a flat bed sheet to protect it.
Massage-
Who doesn’t love a neck and back rub? Here are some great websites that show how to give a great back massage!
http://www.easyvigour.net.nz/backpain/h_BackMassage.htm
http://www.ehow.com/video_8066_give-back-massage.html
http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Give_a_Back_Massage
Remember to ask about the pressure- too much, not enough, just right? Always have clean hands and trimmed nails. After the massage, remove any excess oil or lotion with a warm towel. If you don’t have a massage table or a recliner, have the person receiving the massage sit in a low back chair or sit backwards in a chair, so their chest rests against the back of the chair.
Body treatments- these can be messy. I recommend doing these in a tiled area of your home, or cut apart trash bags and lay them down, put down newspaper, a tarp or a drop cloth.
You may want to wear a bathing suit or a bra and panties you don’t mind getting wet. I recommend doing body treatments 1st before you start the rest of your day of rituals.
Body scrub-
Sometimes known in spas as a sugar shimmer, salt glow, or full body exfoliation. Whatever you call it- it’s FUN and a great way to sweep away dead skin cells. I like using sugar. It has natural alpha hydroxy acids in it that break up the web of expired skin calls clinging to your skin.
Here is my recipe:
2 parts sugar (1 white and one brown) to 1 part oil (olive oil, coconut oil, etc), add any essential oils you like. You can also add any leftover ground oats you have or a few tablespoons of baking soda to add a little extra exfoliation. Apply to your body and rub in circular motions. Remove with warm towels or hop in the shower and rinse off. Towel dry and apply a moisturizing lotion or crème.
Body mask- in day spas, this can be called a body wrap. Mud and herbs are applied to your body and you are wrapped in a cocoon of blankets while the mud and herbs do their thing- softening, moisturizing, and toning.
Apply a body mask (available in most beauty supplies or drug stores) and wrap yourself in a silver thermal blanket or in saran wrap to keep the heat in. Relax for 4-50 minutes. Remove with warm towels or hop in the shower and rinse off. Towel dry and apply a moisturizing lotion or crème.
Other Fun Spa activities
Ask the girls to bring their robes, so everyone can lounge and hang out during treatments.
You can also do deep conditioning hair treatments. They are available at local beauty supply stores, or do a Google search for at home varieties- You’d be amazed what mayonnaise does to dry, over-styled hair! Apply the conditioning treatment, put on a shower cap or wrap your hair in Saran Wrap and hang out for 20-30 minutes, then shampoo out the mayo. Towel or blow dry.
If any of the girls have Paraffin pots, they are a great addition to any spa day. Dip clean, freshly scrubbed hands or feet in the melted paraffin, then cover the paraffined area with a plastic bag and relax for 2-30 minutes. Remove the paraffin and discard- you hands and feet have never felt softer. If you have dry, scaly elbows, paraffin works miracles. Wash elbows and exfoliate with a scrub/paste, then dip each elbow into the paraffin and wrap in Saran wrap. After 30 minutes, remove and discard the paraffin.
[caption id="attachment_867" align="aligncenter" width="273" caption="Paraffin Wax Pots are available at most Drug stores, mass merchandisers and beauty supply stores"]
[/caption]Offer cucumber slices to place over puffy eyes, or herbal tea bags (such as chamomile) that have been moistened with warm (not boiling) water. Raw potato slices can also help de-poof your under eye area.
[caption id="attachment_868" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cucumber slices on the eyes promote relaxation and can reduce under-eye puffiness"]
[/caption]Remember to practice good sanitation- wash all equipment with hot water and soap and dry with a clean towel. Do not share tools or implements, especially if someone has a fungal foot infection. Mani/pedi tool kits are available at beauty supply stores and most 99 cent/dollar stores.
If you are using products that are stored in a tub, do not dip your fingers into the tub, use a plastic spoon or disposable spatula, or wooden stir stick, and discard it afterward- this will help curb the spread of bacteria.
It's Free Flavor Friday from Coffee-Mate!
Coffee-Mate is Sponsoring Free Flavor Friday Today!
[caption id="attachment_863" align="aligncenter" width="177" caption="3 New Coffee-Mate Flavors!"]
[/caption]
They're giving away 100,000 coupons for a FREE bottle of COFFEE-MATE to try any of our delicious flavors. Request your coupon here or on Facebook starting at 9am PST on February 4th.
Taste one of our newest flavors:
Get on over to FB and get your free Coffee-Mate!
[caption id="attachment_863" align="aligncenter" width="177" caption="3 New Coffee-Mate Flavors!"]
[/caption]They're giving away 100,000 coupons for a FREE bottle of COFFEE-MATE to try any of our delicious flavors. Request your coupon here or on Facebook starting at 9am PST on February 4th.
Taste one of our newest flavors:
- Caramel Macchiato
- White Chocolate Caramel Latte
- Café Latte
Get on over to FB and get your free Coffee-Mate!
Gluten Free living from Pssst by General Mills...
On Wednesday I received a box of Honey Nut Chex from Pssst by General Mills. Since I am always hungry now (33 weeks pregnant) I dug right in. 3 bowls later.... OMG! Sweet, crunchy with a yummy corn, almond, and honey flavor.
One of the best parts of Honey Nut Chex is they are GLUTEN FREE!! There are 5 varieties of Chex that are Gluten free!
Honey Nut Chex – Sweetened with a bit of honey, flavored with a touch of almond and ta-da! Breakfast is served—sans gluten.
Chocolate Chex – Chocolate lovers, fix your eyes—and taste buds—on a bowl of morning merriment, complete with delicious cocoa.
Cinnamon Chex – A perfect balance of real cinnamon gives gluten free-seeking early birds another reason to celebrate.
Rice Chex – Lightly oven toasted with an enthusiastic crunch, Rice Chex is simply delicious on its own or dressed up with berries or sliced bananas for a wholesome breakfast pick.
Corn Chex – Offers a wholesome crunch at the breakfast table and plays nice with a variety of flavors, working well in many gluten free recipes.
Without sacrificing quality or taste, Chex® has taken the requisite steps to ensure products labeled as “gluten free” do not contain wheat, rye, barley, oats or crossbred hybrid of these grains. They also do not contain ingredients derived from these grains. Production locations assure that no cross-contact can occur during manufacturing and/or packaging. Gluten free products are also routinely analyzed to assure ongoing compliance with the FDA proposed regulation for “gluten free.”
To verify that the cereal is gluten free, consumers are strongly encouraged to look for “GLUTEN FREE” on Chex cereal packaging. This label will appear near the ingredient declaration on the package side panel and on the front panel. It’s also important to note that Wheat Chex and Multi-Bran Chex are NOT gluten free cereals.
I am giving away Chex cereal coupons to 5 lucky readers! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment! That's it! One entry per person, please.
I will select 5 winners on 2/9/11. All winners will receive a Chex cereal coupon and a coupon pot luck with at least 10 other coupons from my stash!
[caption id="attachment_860" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="All 5 yummy Gluten free varieties!"]
[/caption]
One of the best parts of Honey Nut Chex is they are GLUTEN FREE!! There are 5 varieties of Chex that are Gluten free!
Honey Nut Chex – Sweetened with a bit of honey, flavored with a touch of almond and ta-da! Breakfast is served—sans gluten.
Chocolate Chex – Chocolate lovers, fix your eyes—and taste buds—on a bowl of morning merriment, complete with delicious cocoa.
Cinnamon Chex – A perfect balance of real cinnamon gives gluten free-seeking early birds another reason to celebrate.
Rice Chex – Lightly oven toasted with an enthusiastic crunch, Rice Chex is simply delicious on its own or dressed up with berries or sliced bananas for a wholesome breakfast pick.
Corn Chex – Offers a wholesome crunch at the breakfast table and plays nice with a variety of flavors, working well in many gluten free recipes.
Without sacrificing quality or taste, Chex® has taken the requisite steps to ensure products labeled as “gluten free” do not contain wheat, rye, barley, oats or crossbred hybrid of these grains. They also do not contain ingredients derived from these grains. Production locations assure that no cross-contact can occur during manufacturing and/or packaging. Gluten free products are also routinely analyzed to assure ongoing compliance with the FDA proposed regulation for “gluten free.”
To verify that the cereal is gluten free, consumers are strongly encouraged to look for “GLUTEN FREE” on Chex cereal packaging. This label will appear near the ingredient declaration on the package side panel and on the front panel. It’s also important to note that Wheat Chex and Multi-Bran Chex are NOT gluten free cereals.
I am giving away Chex cereal coupons to 5 lucky readers! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment! That's it! One entry per person, please.
I will select 5 winners on 2/9/11. All winners will receive a Chex cereal coupon and a coupon pot luck with at least 10 other coupons from my stash!
[caption id="attachment_860" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="All 5 yummy Gluten free varieties!"]
[/caption]
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Birthday freebies!
So far I have received birthday freebies from:
Pick up stix: Emailed coupon for free cream cheese wontons with any purchase
Daphne’s Pita Points: Free plate (no strings attached)
Black Angus: The month of your birthday, they email you a BOGO dinner coupon!
Souplantation: BOGO dinner
Red Robin: FREE burger on your birthday and all the latest Red Robin news.
Cold Stone Creamery: Free ice cream on your birthday
Fuddruckers: BOGO burger
Pick up stix: Emailed coupon for free cream cheese wontons with any purchase
Daphne’s Pita Points: Free plate (no strings attached)
Black Angus: The month of your birthday, they email you a BOGO dinner coupon!
Souplantation: BOGO dinner
Red Robin: FREE burger on your birthday and all the latest Red Robin news.
Cold Stone Creamery: Free ice cream on your birthday
Fuddruckers: BOGO burger
Coupon Basics: Categories for your coupon storage system
Categories for your coupon storage system
I tend to organize my coupons based on how my favorite grocery store is laid out.
Here is a sample layout of a grocery store:
[caption id="attachment_853" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sample Store layout"]
[/caption]
I have given examples for each category:
Fruit and Vegetables- includes Bagged Salad, pre-cut fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, refrigerated soy products
Sauces / Dressings / Condiments- includes Mayo, mustard, BBQ sauce, salsa, salad dressing
Canned Goods & Soups- includes Canned beans, canned raviolis, canned tuna or chicken, canned or powdered soup and Ramen.
Pasta / Rice / Boxed Meals- includes Spaghetti, noodles, Hamburger Helper, Asian or Italian style boxes meal kits (such as Tai Pei or Romano’s)
Cereal / Breakfast Foods/Juice- includes Oatmeal, cream of wheat, juice boxes, bottled juice, Instant Breakfast
Flour / Baking / Oil/ Mixes/ Spices- includes cake/brownie mix, Bisquisk, graham cracker pie crusts, Jello and pudding, spray release, flour, white and brown sugar, Splenda
Beverages- includes soda, energy drinks, sparkling water, diet drinks, powdered beverage mixes (Kool-aid and Crystal Light), chocolate milk mix (liquid or powdered)
Meat- includes fresh or frozen beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, fish, sausages/brats, pre-packaged cold cuts, breakfast sausage (link or patty), bacon, ham
Frozen Food- includes frozen veggies and fruit, pizza, diet foods (such as Lean Cuisine), individual and family sized entrees, ice cream, popsicles, frozen meat free alternatives, ice
Dairy- includes milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, coffee creamer, butter, margarine/spread, pudding/jello cups, tubes or packages of cookie dough, canned dough
Cookies/ Crackers/ Snacks- includes pre-packed portions (such as 100 calorie snack packs), cookies, crackers, popcorn, chips, pretzels, nuts, trail mix
Baby- Includes formula, diapers, wipes, baby care products, baby food and toddler food and snacks
Bakery/Bread- includes bread, tortillas, pita, sandwich thins, English muffins/crumpets, bagels, rolls, donuts, croissants, French bread, freshly made cookies, cakes and other desserts
Deli- includes deli Meat, cheese, hummus, fresh guacamole, fresh salsa, bagel chips, packaged specialty cheeses (Goat and blue cheese), hot and cold deli salads and foods (such as fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, take and bake pizzas, salad bar, olive bar, freshly made sandwiches)
Personal Care / Medicine- Includes over the counter medications, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tooth paste, tooth brushes, hand soap, loofahs/bath poufs, bubble bath, lotion, shaving cream, razors, feminine products
Paper Goods / Containers- Tin foil, plastic wrap, disposable food containers, toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins, plastic silverware, paper plates
Cleaning / Other Household Supplies- dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, home cleaning products (pine-sol, ammonia, bleach), laundry detergent, mops, sponges, brooms and dustpans, candles, scented home sprays, air fresheners.
Miscellaneous- You can use this section for restaurant coupons, specific store coupons, rebates.
I tend to organize my coupons based on how my favorite grocery store is laid out.
Here is a sample layout of a grocery store:
[caption id="attachment_853" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sample Store layout"]
[/caption]I have given examples for each category:
Fruit and Vegetables- includes Bagged Salad, pre-cut fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, refrigerated soy products
Sauces / Dressings / Condiments- includes Mayo, mustard, BBQ sauce, salsa, salad dressing
Canned Goods & Soups- includes Canned beans, canned raviolis, canned tuna or chicken, canned or powdered soup and Ramen.
Pasta / Rice / Boxed Meals- includes Spaghetti, noodles, Hamburger Helper, Asian or Italian style boxes meal kits (such as Tai Pei or Romano’s)
Cereal / Breakfast Foods/Juice- includes Oatmeal, cream of wheat, juice boxes, bottled juice, Instant Breakfast
Flour / Baking / Oil/ Mixes/ Spices- includes cake/brownie mix, Bisquisk, graham cracker pie crusts, Jello and pudding, spray release, flour, white and brown sugar, Splenda
Beverages- includes soda, energy drinks, sparkling water, diet drinks, powdered beverage mixes (Kool-aid and Crystal Light), chocolate milk mix (liquid or powdered)
Meat- includes fresh or frozen beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, fish, sausages/brats, pre-packaged cold cuts, breakfast sausage (link or patty), bacon, ham
Frozen Food- includes frozen veggies and fruit, pizza, diet foods (such as Lean Cuisine), individual and family sized entrees, ice cream, popsicles, frozen meat free alternatives, ice
Dairy- includes milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, coffee creamer, butter, margarine/spread, pudding/jello cups, tubes or packages of cookie dough, canned dough
Cookies/ Crackers/ Snacks- includes pre-packed portions (such as 100 calorie snack packs), cookies, crackers, popcorn, chips, pretzels, nuts, trail mix
Baby- Includes formula, diapers, wipes, baby care products, baby food and toddler food and snacks
Bakery/Bread- includes bread, tortillas, pita, sandwich thins, English muffins/crumpets, bagels, rolls, donuts, croissants, French bread, freshly made cookies, cakes and other desserts
Deli- includes deli Meat, cheese, hummus, fresh guacamole, fresh salsa, bagel chips, packaged specialty cheeses (Goat and blue cheese), hot and cold deli salads and foods (such as fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, take and bake pizzas, salad bar, olive bar, freshly made sandwiches)
Personal Care / Medicine- Includes over the counter medications, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tooth paste, tooth brushes, hand soap, loofahs/bath poufs, bubble bath, lotion, shaving cream, razors, feminine products
Paper Goods / Containers- Tin foil, plastic wrap, disposable food containers, toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins, plastic silverware, paper plates
Cleaning / Other Household Supplies- dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent, home cleaning products (pine-sol, ammonia, bleach), laundry detergent, mops, sponges, brooms and dustpans, candles, scented home sprays, air fresheners.
Miscellaneous- You can use this section for restaurant coupons, specific store coupons, rebates.
How to organize and store coupons
I swear, I haven't gone MIA- just busy with baby preparations!
How to organize and store coupons
Organizational Methods
There are several methods to store your coupons when they are in your home before you go to shop, and there are several more methods for storage when you are out shopping.
Here are just a few examples of organizational methods:
Whole insert: Leave the inserts whole, and file them by date. You may wish to put each insert in a manila envelope on in a tabbed folder and write the date along with the type insert such as SS (Smart Source), P&G (Proctor & Gamble), or RP (Red Plum). Example: 6/6/10 SS
Clipped by dated: Filed in a similar fashion as above, but all coupons from each weeks inserts are clipped, put into an envelope, dated, and filed either in an accordion folder or filing/bank box. This can be a time saver when you need to pull coupons from a specific date. You may choose to have all coupons from the same date filed together, or you may wish to file each insert (Red Plum, Smart Source, Proctor & Gamble) separately. Example: Clipped 6/6/10 All or Clipped 6/6/10 SS
Clipped by category: Coupons are clipped and then filed by category.
Clipped Alphabetically: Simply file the coupons alphabetically, either by product name, product type, or manufacturer.
Storage Methods
There are several methods for storage of coupons.
If you file whole inserts, you may wish to file inserts in an accordion folder or filing/bank box by date.
If you clip your coupons here are just a few examples of storage methods:
Coupon Wallets are commercially available at office supply stores or mass merchandisers. Coupon wallets are small, reinforced accordion file with tabs. They can fit inside most purses. Organize the coupons by category or alphabetically.
Use a 3-ring binder with baseball card sheets or photo sheets (for a large photo album, 4x6 inch size works well) and use tabbed dividers for the category dividers. In the front, you can put a pad of paper inside for your shopping list, a zipper pouch for pens, pencils, scissors and a calculator. 3-ring binders that zip shut are great too!
An index card filing box can be useful. You can use the alphabetic tabs that are included and store coupons alphabetically, or you can re-purpose the tabs and store coupons in categories. A category list in on the next page.
Individual envelopes- I did this once upon a time, and I recommend it only for the most organized. Start with envelopes (I use #10 envelopes) and write the name of each category on the front in large, easy to read letters. File coupons by category in the corresponding envelopes, Once you have all the coupons sorted and filed, store the envelopes in a plastic tub, shoe box, whatever is easiest for you.
If you are extremely organized, an Excel spreadsheet with a list of coupons, value, expiration date and any exclusions might be helpful. Print it out and place it in a plastic page protector in the front of your filing system, or carry it with you in your “take to store” couponing system.
There are commercially available coupon organizers available, including organizers that Velcro over the handles of a grocery-shopping cart. When shopping for a coupon organizational system, look for one that will meet your needs. If you require a system that has a lot of information in once place, or can multi-task, consider a Couponizer- http://www.couponizer.com/ (accessed 6/29/10).
If you would like to put your own together, there are small accordion files that can be purchased at Wal*mart, Target or Sears Essentials in the office organizational section with the day planners and file folders, or you can use a three ring binder with tabs and add lined paper, a pencil zipper pouch and calculator. It’s about what you need and how much time and effort you are willing to invest.
When you clip coupons and file them you can go one step further and arrange them by expiration date, amount of coupon, or alphabetically. It’s up to you. If you have multiples of the same coupon, consider paper clipping them together.
For photos of examples try Google image searching "Coupon Storage". You'll find a lot of great examples.
How to organize and store coupons
Organizational Methods
There are several methods to store your coupons when they are in your home before you go to shop, and there are several more methods for storage when you are out shopping.
Here are just a few examples of organizational methods:
Whole insert: Leave the inserts whole, and file them by date. You may wish to put each insert in a manila envelope on in a tabbed folder and write the date along with the type insert such as SS (Smart Source), P&G (Proctor & Gamble), or RP (Red Plum). Example: 6/6/10 SS
Clipped by dated: Filed in a similar fashion as above, but all coupons from each weeks inserts are clipped, put into an envelope, dated, and filed either in an accordion folder or filing/bank box. This can be a time saver when you need to pull coupons from a specific date. You may choose to have all coupons from the same date filed together, or you may wish to file each insert (Red Plum, Smart Source, Proctor & Gamble) separately. Example: Clipped 6/6/10 All or Clipped 6/6/10 SS
Clipped by category: Coupons are clipped and then filed by category.
Clipped Alphabetically: Simply file the coupons alphabetically, either by product name, product type, or manufacturer.
Storage Methods
There are several methods for storage of coupons.
If you file whole inserts, you may wish to file inserts in an accordion folder or filing/bank box by date.
If you clip your coupons here are just a few examples of storage methods:
Coupon Wallets are commercially available at office supply stores or mass merchandisers. Coupon wallets are small, reinforced accordion file with tabs. They can fit inside most purses. Organize the coupons by category or alphabetically.
Use a 3-ring binder with baseball card sheets or photo sheets (for a large photo album, 4x6 inch size works well) and use tabbed dividers for the category dividers. In the front, you can put a pad of paper inside for your shopping list, a zipper pouch for pens, pencils, scissors and a calculator. 3-ring binders that zip shut are great too!
An index card filing box can be useful. You can use the alphabetic tabs that are included and store coupons alphabetically, or you can re-purpose the tabs and store coupons in categories. A category list in on the next page.
Individual envelopes- I did this once upon a time, and I recommend it only for the most organized. Start with envelopes (I use #10 envelopes) and write the name of each category on the front in large, easy to read letters. File coupons by category in the corresponding envelopes, Once you have all the coupons sorted and filed, store the envelopes in a plastic tub, shoe box, whatever is easiest for you.
If you are extremely organized, an Excel spreadsheet with a list of coupons, value, expiration date and any exclusions might be helpful. Print it out and place it in a plastic page protector in the front of your filing system, or carry it with you in your “take to store” couponing system.
There are commercially available coupon organizers available, including organizers that Velcro over the handles of a grocery-shopping cart. When shopping for a coupon organizational system, look for one that will meet your needs. If you require a system that has a lot of information in once place, or can multi-task, consider a Couponizer- http://www.couponizer.com/ (accessed 6/29/10).
If you would like to put your own together, there are small accordion files that can be purchased at Wal*mart, Target or Sears Essentials in the office organizational section with the day planners and file folders, or you can use a three ring binder with tabs and add lined paper, a pencil zipper pouch and calculator. It’s about what you need and how much time and effort you are willing to invest.
When you clip coupons and file them you can go one step further and arrange them by expiration date, amount of coupon, or alphabetically. It’s up to you. If you have multiples of the same coupon, consider paper clipping them together.
For photos of examples try Google image searching "Coupon Storage". You'll find a lot of great examples.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Stacking and piggy-backing
Stacking Coupons
Some stores let you "stack" coupons. Stacking is when you use one manufacturer coupon (like the ones that come in the paper, or a tear pad, or a “blinkies” machine) and one store coupon (it will have a store logo on it and it will state that it is only redeemable at X store) in the same transaction for one item,
Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Vons allow this type of coupon use. Make sure to check the coupon acceptance policy of your local stores. Remember, “your mileage may vary”, and you may have different results. Ask at your store if you can use them both. Here is a great example for Coffee-Mate Creamer at Target.
From the Target Website:
From The Coffee Mate Website:
Print those two coupons out, take them to the store, and use them on the purchase two Coffee-Mate Creamers.
Here is what the receipt might look like:
Coffee-mate $2.00
Coffee-mate $2.00
Cpn Man $1.00-
Cpn Target $1.50-
Total $1.50 for two bottles of Coffee-Mate
Another example of stacking is when you use an E-coupon (electric coupon) that is loaded to your club card and a paper coupon in the same transaction. Depending on the store you shop at, they may allow you to stack one e-coupon and a printed coupon.
Check your stores’ coupon policy before you go on your shopping trip.
Piggy Backing
Piggy backing is different from stacking. It is using two coupons when 2 or more products are offered on the coupons with overlap.
Example:
Save $2.00 on any gallon of milk when you buy any 3 packages of Keebler cookies.
And
Save $1.50 on any 3 packages of Keebler cookies.
Another example using a BOGO coupon and a money off coupon. Not only are you saving money on the item you are buying but, you receive a second item for free.
In this example, we are going to buy Silk brand Soy Milk. They are on sale for $2.50/each.
Coupon 1: Buy one Silk product, get one free.
Coupon 2: Save $1.25 on any one Silk product.
Use both coupons together and you will get both cartons of Silk Brand Soy Milk for $1.25!
Some stores do not allow piggybacking, so it is definitely a YMMV, but it is worth a shot. When you find a store that allows piggybacking, make a note in your price book so you will remember which stores to save those coupons for.
It is easiest to piggy back coupons when you have the “when you buy” coupons, which are frequently for money off produce or diary when you buy a shelf stable item.
Some stores let you "stack" coupons. Stacking is when you use one manufacturer coupon (like the ones that come in the paper, or a tear pad, or a “blinkies” machine) and one store coupon (it will have a store logo on it and it will state that it is only redeemable at X store) in the same transaction for one item,
Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Vons allow this type of coupon use. Make sure to check the coupon acceptance policy of your local stores. Remember, “your mileage may vary”, and you may have different results. Ask at your store if you can use them both. Here is a great example for Coffee-Mate Creamer at Target.
From the Target Website:
From The Coffee Mate Website:
Print those two coupons out, take them to the store, and use them on the purchase two Coffee-Mate Creamers.
Here is what the receipt might look like:
Coffee-mate $2.00
Coffee-mate $2.00
Cpn Man $1.00-
Cpn Target $1.50-
Total $1.50 for two bottles of Coffee-Mate
Another example of stacking is when you use an E-coupon (electric coupon) that is loaded to your club card and a paper coupon in the same transaction. Depending on the store you shop at, they may allow you to stack one e-coupon and a printed coupon.
Check your stores’ coupon policy before you go on your shopping trip.
Piggy Backing
Piggy backing is different from stacking. It is using two coupons when 2 or more products are offered on the coupons with overlap.
Example:
Save $2.00 on any gallon of milk when you buy any 3 packages of Keebler cookies.
And
Save $1.50 on any 3 packages of Keebler cookies.
Another example using a BOGO coupon and a money off coupon. Not only are you saving money on the item you are buying but, you receive a second item for free.
In this example, we are going to buy Silk brand Soy Milk. They are on sale for $2.50/each.
Coupon 1: Buy one Silk product, get one free.
Coupon 2: Save $1.25 on any one Silk product.
Use both coupons together and you will get both cartons of Silk Brand Soy Milk for $1.25!
Some stores do not allow piggybacking, so it is definitely a YMMV, but it is worth a shot. When you find a store that allows piggybacking, make a note in your price book so you will remember which stores to save those coupons for.
It is easiest to piggy back coupons when you have the “when you buy” coupons, which are frequently for money off produce or diary when you buy a shelf stable item.
Coupon Previews- You can see your Future Savings!
There are several websites that preview the weekly coupon inserts. However, there are regional differences due to product availability. There also may be slight differences in the value of each coupon. Most coupons received on the West Coast have a higher value, .50 or more each due to the increased cost of food.
http://www.taylortownpreview.com/
http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/
Not all media outlets carry all of available the coupon inserts. Generally, Smart Source or Vlassic arrives weekly, Proctor and Gamble AKA The P&G Saver arrives about once a month, and General Mills Puts out a smaller insert with their brand specific coupons in it about once a month. Red Plum Coupons does not come in the newspaper in some areas. It may be delivered with the weekly bulk/junk, including the grocery and drug store fliers. If you do not receive Red Plum in your paper, visit http://www.redplum.com/ and type in your address to see which local newspaper delivers the Red Plum Insert. In Southern California, it’s the LA Times.
“Match ups”
A “Match Up” is when you have a coupon and match it up to current or upcoming sale items. Various websites, such as Hotcouponworld, Afullcup, and Couponmom all have match ups for different grocery stores each week. You can also Google search “Coupon Match up” plus the name of the store you shop. The sites do most of the work, including telling you which insert the coupon is in and from which week the coupons are from, or in the case of printable coupons, what website you can get printables from.
Depending on where the writer of the match up gets their information on sales and coupons, the coupons you receive may be slightly different in value. Additionally, not all products are carried nationwide, so there may be some variants in the advertisements and coupons you receive.
You can also do your our match ups by making your shopping list and grabbing the circular for your favorite store from the junk mail. Most stores run sales starting at the opening of business on Wednesday until the following Tuesday at close of business, so you’ll get your circulars in Monday’s junk mail- that gives you 2 days to do your own match up scenarios. Once you have the list, and your circular, take a look at what’s on sale that you need and you can match your coupons.
Remember to go to the store at “off” times (not right after work or Saturday afternoon) when you are new to couponing so you do not feel rushed, and it’s always better to shop alone, so you can stick to your list, guilt free.
I like to circle the items in the advertisements that I am going to buy and bring the ad with me to the store. I pull my coupons, and put them in a zip lock bag. I put them in the front of my coupon wallet. I always bring my entire wallet with me- JUST IN CASE. You never know when something will be on clearance or when there will be an item that the store accidentally ordered too much of and they had to mark it down!
Match up Examples
Match up sites generally use a type of short hand to save posters time when they are typing up all of their deals!
Lingo: There will be a set of initials that indicate where the coupon came from.
SS: Smart Source,
PG: Proctor and Gamble- sometimes P&G
RP: Red Plum (In San Diego, Red Plum doesn’t come in the paper, it comes in the weekly junk mail),
IP: Internet Printable (Most match up websites will link to the site where the printable came from)
Then there are the other usual sorts of coupons: Blinkies, in magazine (followed by the name and month), direct mail, on package, in package.
Then a date will be listed, this will be the date the insert was in the paper. On the cover of the coupons, on the spine there will be the date and the “market” the coupons are for. Example: 10/10/10 San Diego Union Tribune.
Here are a couple of examples from the 1/13/10-1/13/10 Albertson’s ad:
Coffee-mate Flavored Creamer 16oz $1.99 ($.50/1 RP 11-01)
Raisin Bran 20oz ( $1/1 Package coupons & Peelies, $1.50/2 Redplum IP) This example gives you a couple different coupons to choose from. Remember one manufacturer paper coupon PER ITEM purchased. You can’t use all of these coupons on one package/item.
http://www.taylortownpreview.com/
http://www.sundaycouponpreview.com/
Not all media outlets carry all of available the coupon inserts. Generally, Smart Source or Vlassic arrives weekly, Proctor and Gamble AKA The P&G Saver arrives about once a month, and General Mills Puts out a smaller insert with their brand specific coupons in it about once a month. Red Plum Coupons does not come in the newspaper in some areas. It may be delivered with the weekly bulk/junk, including the grocery and drug store fliers. If you do not receive Red Plum in your paper, visit http://www.redplum.com/ and type in your address to see which local newspaper delivers the Red Plum Insert. In Southern California, it’s the LA Times.
“Match ups”
A “Match Up” is when you have a coupon and match it up to current or upcoming sale items. Various websites, such as Hotcouponworld, Afullcup, and Couponmom all have match ups for different grocery stores each week. You can also Google search “Coupon Match up” plus the name of the store you shop. The sites do most of the work, including telling you which insert the coupon is in and from which week the coupons are from, or in the case of printable coupons, what website you can get printables from.
Depending on where the writer of the match up gets their information on sales and coupons, the coupons you receive may be slightly different in value. Additionally, not all products are carried nationwide, so there may be some variants in the advertisements and coupons you receive.
You can also do your our match ups by making your shopping list and grabbing the circular for your favorite store from the junk mail. Most stores run sales starting at the opening of business on Wednesday until the following Tuesday at close of business, so you’ll get your circulars in Monday’s junk mail- that gives you 2 days to do your own match up scenarios. Once you have the list, and your circular, take a look at what’s on sale that you need and you can match your coupons.
Remember to go to the store at “off” times (not right after work or Saturday afternoon) when you are new to couponing so you do not feel rushed, and it’s always better to shop alone, so you can stick to your list, guilt free.
I like to circle the items in the advertisements that I am going to buy and bring the ad with me to the store. I pull my coupons, and put them in a zip lock bag. I put them in the front of my coupon wallet. I always bring my entire wallet with me- JUST IN CASE. You never know when something will be on clearance or when there will be an item that the store accidentally ordered too much of and they had to mark it down!
Match up Examples
Match up sites generally use a type of short hand to save posters time when they are typing up all of their deals!
Lingo: There will be a set of initials that indicate where the coupon came from.
SS: Smart Source,
PG: Proctor and Gamble- sometimes P&G
RP: Red Plum (In San Diego, Red Plum doesn’t come in the paper, it comes in the weekly junk mail),
IP: Internet Printable (Most match up websites will link to the site where the printable came from)
Then there are the other usual sorts of coupons: Blinkies, in magazine (followed by the name and month), direct mail, on package, in package.
Then a date will be listed, this will be the date the insert was in the paper. On the cover of the coupons, on the spine there will be the date and the “market” the coupons are for. Example: 10/10/10 San Diego Union Tribune.
Here are a couple of examples from the 1/13/10-1/13/10 Albertson’s ad:
Coffee-mate Flavored Creamer 16oz $1.99 ($.50/1 RP 11-01)
Raisin Bran 20oz ( $1/1 Package coupons & Peelies, $1.50/2 Redplum IP) This example gives you a couple different coupons to choose from. Remember one manufacturer paper coupon PER ITEM purchased. You can’t use all of these coupons on one package/item.
Grocery Store & Drug Store Club Cards
If there is one word of wisdom I can impart to new frugalistas it is get a grocery store Club Card for each supermarket you shop, and pick up a CVS Extra Care Card. The cards entitle you to discounts on merchandise or an accumulation or points or special rewards for buying specific merchandise. Club cards are also referred to as a loyalty card, a rewards card, a points card, or an advantage card. Most stores have a Club Card, check with your local supermarket. These cards are free to apply for and use.
Club Cards typically have a barcode or magnetic stripe (like a credit card) that can be easily scanned. Cards are issued after you fill out the application. Many times the card is linked to your phone number. If you forget you card at home, give the cashier you phone number, and you are still entitled to the same discounts and card advantages as if you had presented your card.
Stores utilize the information they gather when consumers scan their cards to look at shopping trends. Grocery companies look at sales trends to help them decide what items should be sold, put on sale or completely discontinued. Cards also offer information about what each consumer purchases, and coupons tailored to the individual cardholder can be mailed or emailed to each card holder.
If you do not present the card or your phone number, you will not receive a discount, which is usually advertised at the sale price. Grocery stores with Club cards do not offer sale prices without the presentation of the card at checkout.
In addition to discounted merchandise, some stores allow accumulation of fuel discounts for specific fuel stations. Usually stations the grocer has affiliations with or is co-branded with. If this is not the case, this promotion may be only for a limited time offer, for example in summer 2009 Ralphs/Kroger offered .03 discount for every $100 worth of groceries purchased at Shell gasoline stations for a limited time. Some have tie-ins with airline frequent-flyer programs, such as the now defunct United Airlines/Safeway promotion, wherein the cardholder earned 125 United Airline miles for every $250 in groceries that was purchased.
Most office supply stores have a Club Card. They offer discounts on merchandise, and track purchases. If purchases reach a specific amount within a time frame (usually once a quarter), a gift card is mailed to the club cardholder for the amount of a percentage of the cardholder’s purchases. In the case of Office Depot, club cardholders can turn in computer ink cartridges to earn an extra $3.00 reward per ink cartridge. The reward is then mailed to you at the end of each quarter in the form of an Office Depot gift card.
Other stores offer cards, such as book or music stores. These cards usually have a cost associated with them and are good for a finite amount of time, usually a year, and offer a very high discount and extended benefits. Barnes and Noble offers a discount card that costs about $25 and offers 20% off purchases and other special discounts throughout the year.
Club Cards typically have a barcode or magnetic stripe (like a credit card) that can be easily scanned. Cards are issued after you fill out the application. Many times the card is linked to your phone number. If you forget you card at home, give the cashier you phone number, and you are still entitled to the same discounts and card advantages as if you had presented your card.
Stores utilize the information they gather when consumers scan their cards to look at shopping trends. Grocery companies look at sales trends to help them decide what items should be sold, put on sale or completely discontinued. Cards also offer information about what each consumer purchases, and coupons tailored to the individual cardholder can be mailed or emailed to each card holder.
If you do not present the card or your phone number, you will not receive a discount, which is usually advertised at the sale price. Grocery stores with Club cards do not offer sale prices without the presentation of the card at checkout.
In addition to discounted merchandise, some stores allow accumulation of fuel discounts for specific fuel stations. Usually stations the grocer has affiliations with or is co-branded with. If this is not the case, this promotion may be only for a limited time offer, for example in summer 2009 Ralphs/Kroger offered .03 discount for every $100 worth of groceries purchased at Shell gasoline stations for a limited time. Some have tie-ins with airline frequent-flyer programs, such as the now defunct United Airlines/Safeway promotion, wherein the cardholder earned 125 United Airline miles for every $250 in groceries that was purchased.
Most office supply stores have a Club Card. They offer discounts on merchandise, and track purchases. If purchases reach a specific amount within a time frame (usually once a quarter), a gift card is mailed to the club cardholder for the amount of a percentage of the cardholder’s purchases. In the case of Office Depot, club cardholders can turn in computer ink cartridges to earn an extra $3.00 reward per ink cartridge. The reward is then mailed to you at the end of each quarter in the form of an Office Depot gift card.
Other stores offer cards, such as book or music stores. These cards usually have a cost associated with them and are good for a finite amount of time, usually a year, and offer a very high discount and extended benefits. Barnes and Noble offers a discount card that costs about $25 and offers 20% off purchases and other special discounts throughout the year.
WOO HOO!
Wow. It's only the 14th of January and we have already hit one of our goals.
Having a specific amount of money in our savings account before I go on Maternity leave.
We hit it this morning! Now it's time to re-assess our savings goals, and start saving even more!
I'm so excited!
Having a specific amount of money in our savings account before I go on Maternity leave.
We hit it this morning! Now it's time to re-assess our savings goals, and start saving even more!
I'm so excited!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Organizing- Time really is money
One of the things I've been doing lately is "nesting", which I think is a nice way of alerting the other person in the relationship- "Watch out, the preggo lady is going to go crazy and start cleaning!!"
GUILTY.
There were a lot of things that i had wanted to do for a while, but now seemed like a good time, since I had 2 3-day weekends in a row.
If you don't know what you have in your house, you won't save as much time or money as you would if you were organzied.
Example- If your pantry is a jumble, when you peer into it to prep for your grocery trip (because in this scenario you are making a list to take to the store, which you always should), you won't see the 26 cans of Ro*tel tomatoes that you have. You'll think you're out and buy more. Eventually you will eat them, but if your pantry was organized you'd see them all in a row and know that you're good.
As part of my goal to use our family binder (more on this in my next post), I printed pantry and freezer inventory sheets. Instead of carrying them with me at all times, I have placed them in plastic page protectors with a pen and taped one to the inside of my pantry, and one to the outside of my freezer. Now I know what we have in stock at a glance.It also makes prepping my grocery list a breeze!
This pic was taken about a week or so ago, before I went to the grocery store for January.
Now the freezer is full, but I still have the lone Hot Pocket.
I plan on making an inventory of our HBA as well. I recently cleaned out our HBA stockpiles, getting rid of stuff that we didn't like or would never use. I traded a large flat rate box full of HBA for a huge coupon pot luck, and the 2nd large box of HBA was traded to a friend for make-up products that she makes and sells (I plan on using some of this for prizes at my shower)
I also organized the tupperware/rubbermade/gladware/ziploc re-usables that we put leftovers in. Before (thankfully, there are no pics, 'cause WHOAH was it awful!), lids and bowls were just tossed up on top of the fridge, willy nilly. If they got too close to the edge and we opened the freezer door, they'd fall on us. LAME.
A quick trip to 99 Cents Only, and $4.o0 later, the lids and bowls were separated into green baskets that fit on top of the fridge. 2 baskets for lids, and 2 for the bowls.
[caption id="attachment_832" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The lids!"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_831" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After- Doesn't it look much better?"]
[/caption]
It is much easier to navigate... and also, nothing falls on me when I open the freezer.
Now doing my once a week lunch and dinner prep is so much easier, all of the lids and bowls fit together- no more orphans. I threw a bunch of lids missing bowls and vice versa into the recycling.
The linen closet- the final frontier of my mad organizing skills.
Before, much like the top of my fridge- Towels crammed in (not folded), flat sheets mixed with fitted sheets, wash cloths everywhere. It was chaos. Once again, we trotted off to 99 Cents only and picked up some baskets. These are black.
One basket for wash cloths and hand towels, one for pillow cases, 2 for flat sheets, two for fitted sheets. That takes up half the linen closet. The other half are blankets, flannel sheets for my massage table, the top sheet of our polar fleece sheets (they are so snuggly, but it is never *that* cold here), laundry soap, dryer sheets and some misc. exercise equipment ( Elastic bands and the pump for our exercise ball, that I use for a desk chair) and the larger towels (bath sheets). We are big, tall people, so we use larger towels.
[caption id="attachment_833" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="What lurks inside???"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_834" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="That's a lot of towels..."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_835" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="The Baskets- and yes, so many more towels!"]
[/caption]
Now, it's so much a lot easier to find everything (especially pillow cases!). And because everything is put away in the linen closet, there aren't a pile of towels sitting in my room in a basket, that DH washes over and over again, even though they are clean. Because- if it's in a laundry basket, it's obviously dirty. Even if it smells clean and is folded. That by itself will save me money- we have a coin op. laundry in our building.
I also cleaned off the shelf and re-organized the photos, and added a few more.
The sewing machine and the pile of mending on top of it will be tackled tomorrow! Most of it is sewing new buttons on DH's pants and fixing fallen hems. Doing your own clothing repairs is also a great way to save money. Learn to sew on a button or fix a fallen hem and you'll save $20-$100/year by avoiding paying the local tailor or dry cleaner to do it. You can pick up an inexpensive sewing kit at most mass-merchandisers.
GUILTY.
There were a lot of things that i had wanted to do for a while, but now seemed like a good time, since I had 2 3-day weekends in a row.
If you don't know what you have in your house, you won't save as much time or money as you would if you were organzied.
Example- If your pantry is a jumble, when you peer into it to prep for your grocery trip (because in this scenario you are making a list to take to the store, which you always should), you won't see the 26 cans of Ro*tel tomatoes that you have. You'll think you're out and buy more. Eventually you will eat them, but if your pantry was organized you'd see them all in a row and know that you're good.
As part of my goal to use our family binder (more on this in my next post), I printed pantry and freezer inventory sheets. Instead of carrying them with me at all times, I have placed them in plastic page protectors with a pen and taped one to the inside of my pantry, and one to the outside of my freezer. Now I know what we have in stock at a glance.It also makes prepping my grocery list a breeze!
This pic was taken about a week or so ago, before I went to the grocery store for January.Now the freezer is full, but I still have the lone Hot Pocket.
I plan on making an inventory of our HBA as well. I recently cleaned out our HBA stockpiles, getting rid of stuff that we didn't like or would never use. I traded a large flat rate box full of HBA for a huge coupon pot luck, and the 2nd large box of HBA was traded to a friend for make-up products that she makes and sells (I plan on using some of this for prizes at my shower)
I also organized the tupperware/rubbermade/gladware/ziploc re-usables that we put leftovers in. Before (thankfully, there are no pics, 'cause WHOAH was it awful!), lids and bowls were just tossed up on top of the fridge, willy nilly. If they got too close to the edge and we opened the freezer door, they'd fall on us. LAME.
A quick trip to 99 Cents Only, and $4.o0 later, the lids and bowls were separated into green baskets that fit on top of the fridge. 2 baskets for lids, and 2 for the bowls.
[caption id="attachment_832" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The lids!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_831" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="After- Doesn't it look much better?"]
[/caption]It is much easier to navigate... and also, nothing falls on me when I open the freezer.
Now doing my once a week lunch and dinner prep is so much easier, all of the lids and bowls fit together- no more orphans. I threw a bunch of lids missing bowls and vice versa into the recycling.
The linen closet- the final frontier of my mad organizing skills.
Before, much like the top of my fridge- Towels crammed in (not folded), flat sheets mixed with fitted sheets, wash cloths everywhere. It was chaos. Once again, we trotted off to 99 Cents only and picked up some baskets. These are black.
One basket for wash cloths and hand towels, one for pillow cases, 2 for flat sheets, two for fitted sheets. That takes up half the linen closet. The other half are blankets, flannel sheets for my massage table, the top sheet of our polar fleece sheets (they are so snuggly, but it is never *that* cold here), laundry soap, dryer sheets and some misc. exercise equipment ( Elastic bands and the pump for our exercise ball, that I use for a desk chair) and the larger towels (bath sheets). We are big, tall people, so we use larger towels.
[caption id="attachment_833" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="What lurks inside???"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_834" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="That's a lot of towels..."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_835" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="The Baskets- and yes, so many more towels!"]
[/caption]Now, it's so much a lot easier to find everything (especially pillow cases!). And because everything is put away in the linen closet, there aren't a pile of towels sitting in my room in a basket, that DH washes over and over again, even though they are clean. Because- if it's in a laundry basket, it's obviously dirty. Even if it smells clean and is folded. That by itself will save me money- we have a coin op. laundry in our building.
I also cleaned off the shelf and re-organized the photos, and added a few more.
The sewing machine and the pile of mending on top of it will be tackled tomorrow! Most of it is sewing new buttons on DH's pants and fixing fallen hems. Doing your own clothing repairs is also a great way to save money. Learn to sew on a button or fix a fallen hem and you'll save $20-$100/year by avoiding paying the local tailor or dry cleaner to do it. You can pick up an inexpensive sewing kit at most mass-merchandisers.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tax time approacheth....
Taxes- OH NO!! No one likes to do their taxes, even if you are going to get money back.
Here are two links to websites that will help you organize everything you'll need to get your taxes done. Being organized will make sure everything runs smoother and you'll be (hopefully) less frazzled!
Sound Money Matters
Preparing for your taxes
Here are two links to websites that will help you organize everything you'll need to get your taxes done. Being organized will make sure everything runs smoother and you'll be (hopefully) less frazzled!
Sound Money Matters
Preparing for your taxes
How to save money in 2011
All You has an article to help you spend less in 2011. Many frugalistsa's already use some of these strategies. Let's take a look at the list:
Eat out less.
Good idea! I recommend that you menu plan in advance, so you always know the answer to the age old question, "What's for Dinner??"
Reduce memberships.
Spend more time at home, with the family. Game night, watch a DVD, Go for a walk, play in the backyard!
Trim transportation costs.
As a complimentary idea- shop around for cheaper gas- the station right down the street may not be the cheapest. Check out Gas Buddy.
Stretch your grocery dollars.
Start a Price book, eat leftovers, combine coupons with sales, grow some veggies!
Save on health care.
With new healthcare regulations, wellness visits are free! Check your meds to see if they are elligable for $4 30 day supplies, available at most major pharmacies (including Target, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens). That's a big savings for those of use who take RX meds!
Boost your income.
Sell your unwanted stuff on craigslist, have a garage sale, pick up a paper route, offer to babysit the neighborhood kids, or pick up a weekend job.
Lower your living costs.
Got a spare room? Consider renting it out. Garage or sell a spare car, check for energy wasters in your house (unplug stuff when not in use, esp. cell phone chargers!!), make sure your windows and doors seal correctly to keep in the warm (or cool) air. Turn off the lights when you aren't in a room. Open the windows during the day instead of turning on the lights.
Put retirement on hold.
This is the only one I don't agree with. You should always save for the future.
Eat out less.
Good idea! I recommend that you menu plan in advance, so you always know the answer to the age old question, "What's for Dinner??"
Reduce memberships.
Spend more time at home, with the family. Game night, watch a DVD, Go for a walk, play in the backyard!
Trim transportation costs.
As a complimentary idea- shop around for cheaper gas- the station right down the street may not be the cheapest. Check out Gas Buddy.
Stretch your grocery dollars.
Start a Price book, eat leftovers, combine coupons with sales, grow some veggies!
Save on health care.
With new healthcare regulations, wellness visits are free! Check your meds to see if they are elligable for $4 30 day supplies, available at most major pharmacies (including Target, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens). That's a big savings for those of use who take RX meds!
Boost your income.
Sell your unwanted stuff on craigslist, have a garage sale, pick up a paper route, offer to babysit the neighborhood kids, or pick up a weekend job.
Lower your living costs.
Got a spare room? Consider renting it out. Garage or sell a spare car, check for energy wasters in your house (unplug stuff when not in use, esp. cell phone chargers!!), make sure your windows and doors seal correctly to keep in the warm (or cool) air. Turn off the lights when you aren't in a room. Open the windows during the day instead of turning on the lights.
Put retirement on hold.
This is the only one I don't agree with. You should always save for the future.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Part 2- Where do I find all of those awesome coupons????
Where to find coupons?
The first place to look is the Sunday paper. There are inserts filled with coupons. Make sure to check the Parade Magazine, if that is included in your paper. Often times there are coupons in the Parade Magazine or other syndicated weekly magazine insert. Coupons can also be in the individual sections of the newspaper, like travel, arts or food.
If you are looking for coupons other than grocery, take a few minutes to look through the paper each week. You might be surprised at what kind of the coupons are available.
Attached to displays, in or on products, in dispensers (called “blinkies”, because of their blinking light).
Check your junk mail too. Coupons usually come the same day that the grocery circulars for the next week arrive. Keep your eyes open for all types of coupons, not just grocery coupons.
All You Magazine- All you is a great a magazine full of coupons, usually $50-$80 in savings for grocery and HBA items. In addition, there are great articles on money saving, healthy, delicious recipes the whole family will love. It is available for purchase at Wal*mart only. You can also subscribe to the magazine, visit the Magazine website: www.allyou.com for more info on subscription info. Magazines.com also sells All You.
Other Magazines- Some magazines have coupons within advertisements spread throughout the magazine, or in the back with the advertising sections. Self, Shape, Parents, People all have had coupons for HBA products in them each month for the past few years. Each magazine usually has one or two coupons, that is for a higher value- $1.50-$3.00 off or a BOGO (Buy one, get one).
Store Circulars- Some stores, such as Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid and selected grocery stores distribute coupons that are valid only at their stores. These coupons tend to be valid for a shorter amount of time. These circulars may be mailed to you, inserted into the newspaper, or available for pick up at the store.
The Internet- is a great place to print coupons. Here are a few sites:
Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, Couponmom.com, Redplum.com
The best online/printable coupon-hunting tip I can give is: Google whatever item you are looking for plus printable coupon. Be as specific as possible. “Ovaltine printable coupon” will yield better results than “Chocolate milk mix printable coupon”. Please remember that when you print coupons from the Internet, not all stores accept them, as there is high incidence of counterfeiting and forgery. Using fake coupons hurts all couponers.
Other websites offer great printables, but ask you to sign up. They’ll email when new coupons are ready to print or, in some cases will mail you samples of new products.
http://vocalpoint.com (they also offer free samples from time to time)
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/coupons/ (coupons for healthy products)
http://www.coffee-mate.com/coupons.aspx (Coffee-Mate coupons)
http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/coupons.aspx (Betty Crocker Coupons)
http://www.betterathome.com (More Betty crocker coupons)
http://www.kashi.com/account/new (Kashi coupons)
https://www.pillsbury.com/coupons-promotions (Pillsbury coupons)
http://www.livingnaturally.com/common/coupons/ (Health food coupons)
http://coupons.mambosprouts.com/online_coupons (Health food coupons)
Types of Coupons
There are two types of coupons: Manufacturer and Store coupons.
Manufacturer coupons are distributed by the manufacturer and can be redeemed at any store that accepts coupons.
Store coupons are distributed by stores and can be redeemed only at the store that issued the coupon. Store coupons can be found in store circulars, home mailers or the newspaper.
Using Coupons to your Advantage
This is very important for those shoppers who prefer to purchase organic or “all natural” products! When using coupons, it is important to read and understand the terms of the coupon.
Example, "Save $.50 on any TWO (2) Hunt’s Tomatoes." Then, there is a graphic of a can of Hunt’s diced Tomatoes. This graphic doesn’t limit you to that specific item (this is true for any coupon, unless the language prohibits specific items to be purchased with a coupon). The language or terms of the coupon state ANY TWO Hunt’s Tomatoes. For example, if you like the organic variety of the Hunt’s Tomatoes, you can use this coupon for those products.
Many companies make organic versions of their products- Prego, for example, makes an organic sauce. Prego puts out coupons about once a quarter.
Keep your eyes open, be an informed consumer!
Coupon Policies
It is important that before you pack up your shopping list, coupons, calculator and hit the stored, you need to understand the coupon acceptance policy of each store that you will be shopping at.
Most grocery stores and mass merchandisers (Wal*mart and Target, specifically), post their coupon policies on their website. I print the policies out and keep them with my coupons in page protectors, back to back in alphabetical order. Some couponers have them saved on their Smart Phones, instead of carrying paper copies with them.
It is important to keep up to date, since policies can change at any time without warning. In June 2010, Vons/Safeway changed their coupon policy, and they no longer accept Internet Printable coupons for free items, including BOGO coupons. Please refer to Appendix VIII. for selected coupon policies for grocery, mass merchandiser, and drug stores.
E- Coupons
There are sites that you can "load" coupons onto your grocery store club card. Leave your coupon wallet at home! Just swipe and save. Cellfire.com, Coupons.com, and shortcuts.com all offer Electronic coupons(sometimes called “E-coupons”).
Cellfire
Cellfire registry requires a valid cell phone number and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it.
The only down side is that if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to. Electronic coupons can only be used once.
Coupons refresh every two weeks.
There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected, however, in most markets there are not more than usually more than fifteen coupons available to be added to the card. Cellfire in newer, so it’s offerings tend to be smaller.
Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.
Cellfire is currently available for these grocery stores:
Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
Coupons.com
Coupons.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it. You can add as many cards as you possess, however, currently coupons.com only loads coupons to Safeway Brand store cards (see list below). When you select a coupon, it adds the coupon to all of the cards, however coupons can only be used once per card.
Coupons refresh every two weeks.
There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected.
Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.
Coupons.com is currently available for these grocery stores:
Randalls, Safeway, Pavilions, Carrs, Dominicks, Genuardi’s, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once -this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it. Coupons refresh every two weeks. The only down side is if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to. Electronic coupons can only be used once.
A maximum of 75 coupons may be added to your account at any time.
The only way to remove coupons from your account is to either allow them to expire or to use them.
Shortcuts.com is currently available for these grocery stores: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
With all three, you will have to register you club cards. All three have the option of emailing you when new coupons are available, usually about once a month.
All three options also give you the chance to print out a list of the coupons that are loaded onto your card. This can be very helpful in planning your trips to the store.
The first place to look is the Sunday paper. There are inserts filled with coupons. Make sure to check the Parade Magazine, if that is included in your paper. Often times there are coupons in the Parade Magazine or other syndicated weekly magazine insert. Coupons can also be in the individual sections of the newspaper, like travel, arts or food.
If you are looking for coupons other than grocery, take a few minutes to look through the paper each week. You might be surprised at what kind of the coupons are available.
Attached to displays, in or on products, in dispensers (called “blinkies”, because of their blinking light).
Check your junk mail too. Coupons usually come the same day that the grocery circulars for the next week arrive. Keep your eyes open for all types of coupons, not just grocery coupons.
All You Magazine- All you is a great a magazine full of coupons, usually $50-$80 in savings for grocery and HBA items. In addition, there are great articles on money saving, healthy, delicious recipes the whole family will love. It is available for purchase at Wal*mart only. You can also subscribe to the magazine, visit the Magazine website: www.allyou.com for more info on subscription info. Magazines.com also sells All You.
Other Magazines- Some magazines have coupons within advertisements spread throughout the magazine, or in the back with the advertising sections. Self, Shape, Parents, People all have had coupons for HBA products in them each month for the past few years. Each magazine usually has one or two coupons, that is for a higher value- $1.50-$3.00 off or a BOGO (Buy one, get one).
Store Circulars- Some stores, such as Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid and selected grocery stores distribute coupons that are valid only at their stores. These coupons tend to be valid for a shorter amount of time. These circulars may be mailed to you, inserted into the newspaper, or available for pick up at the store.
The Internet- is a great place to print coupons. Here are a few sites:
Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, Couponmom.com, Redplum.com
The best online/printable coupon-hunting tip I can give is: Google whatever item you are looking for plus printable coupon. Be as specific as possible. “Ovaltine printable coupon” will yield better results than “Chocolate milk mix printable coupon”. Please remember that when you print coupons from the Internet, not all stores accept them, as there is high incidence of counterfeiting and forgery. Using fake coupons hurts all couponers.
Other websites offer great printables, but ask you to sign up. They’ll email when new coupons are ready to print or, in some cases will mail you samples of new products.
http://vocalpoint.com (they also offer free samples from time to time)
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/coupons/ (coupons for healthy products)
http://www.coffee-mate.com/coupons.aspx (Coffee-Mate coupons)
http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/clip/coupons.aspx (Betty Crocker Coupons)
http://www.betterathome.com (More Betty crocker coupons)
http://www.kashi.com/account/new (Kashi coupons)
https://www.pillsbury.com/coupons-promotions (Pillsbury coupons)
http://www.livingnaturally.com/common/coupons/ (Health food coupons)
http://coupons.mambosprouts.com/online_coupons (Health food coupons)
Types of Coupons
There are two types of coupons: Manufacturer and Store coupons.
Manufacturer coupons are distributed by the manufacturer and can be redeemed at any store that accepts coupons.
Store coupons are distributed by stores and can be redeemed only at the store that issued the coupon. Store coupons can be found in store circulars, home mailers or the newspaper.
Using Coupons to your Advantage
This is very important for those shoppers who prefer to purchase organic or “all natural” products! When using coupons, it is important to read and understand the terms of the coupon.
Example, "Save $.50 on any TWO (2) Hunt’s Tomatoes." Then, there is a graphic of a can of Hunt’s diced Tomatoes. This graphic doesn’t limit you to that specific item (this is true for any coupon, unless the language prohibits specific items to be purchased with a coupon). The language or terms of the coupon state ANY TWO Hunt’s Tomatoes. For example, if you like the organic variety of the Hunt’s Tomatoes, you can use this coupon for those products.
Many companies make organic versions of their products- Prego, for example, makes an organic sauce. Prego puts out coupons about once a quarter.
Keep your eyes open, be an informed consumer!
Coupon Policies
It is important that before you pack up your shopping list, coupons, calculator and hit the stored, you need to understand the coupon acceptance policy of each store that you will be shopping at.
Most grocery stores and mass merchandisers (Wal*mart and Target, specifically), post their coupon policies on their website. I print the policies out and keep them with my coupons in page protectors, back to back in alphabetical order. Some couponers have them saved on their Smart Phones, instead of carrying paper copies with them.
It is important to keep up to date, since policies can change at any time without warning. In June 2010, Vons/Safeway changed their coupon policy, and they no longer accept Internet Printable coupons for free items, including BOGO coupons. Please refer to Appendix VIII. for selected coupon policies for grocery, mass merchandiser, and drug stores.
E- Coupons
There are sites that you can "load" coupons onto your grocery store club card. Leave your coupon wallet at home! Just swipe and save. Cellfire.com, Coupons.com, and shortcuts.com all offer Electronic coupons(sometimes called “E-coupons”).
Cellfire
Cellfire registry requires a valid cell phone number and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it.
The only down side is that if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to. Electronic coupons can only be used once.
Coupons refresh every two weeks.
There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected, however, in most markets there are not more than usually more than fifteen coupons available to be added to the card. Cellfire in newer, so it’s offerings tend to be smaller.
Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.
Cellfire is currently available for these grocery stores:
Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
Coupons.com
Coupons.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it. You can add as many cards as you possess, however, currently coupons.com only loads coupons to Safeway Brand store cards (see list below). When you select a coupon, it adds the coupon to all of the cards, however coupons can only be used once per card.
Coupons refresh every two weeks.
There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected.
Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.
Coupons.com is currently available for these grocery stores:
Randalls, Safeway, Pavilions, Carrs, Dominicks, Genuardi’s, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once -this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it. Coupons refresh every two weeks. The only down side is if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to. Electronic coupons can only be used once.
A maximum of 75 coupons may be added to your account at any time.
The only way to remove coupons from your account is to either allow them to expire or to use them.
Shortcuts.com is currently available for these grocery stores: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.
With all three, you will have to register you club cards. All three have the option of emailing you when new coupons are available, usually about once a month.
All three options also give you the chance to print out a list of the coupons that are loaded onto your card. This can be very helpful in planning your trips to the store.
Coupons- Part 1: Starting out...
For those new to money savings, this is the beginning of a very exciting journey. Like any new endeavor, there is a learning curve. Don’t give up, ask questions at stores if you are confused, or refer back to this chapter at any time if you need to brush up.
How to start?
It all seems pretty intimidating when you look at frugal living, money saving, and couponing websites as fledgling frugalista. There is new lingo, equipment, special websites, it can make your head swim! Remember: One step at a time.
Step one: Make a list.
What do you buy?
Your list should include groceries, baby formula or baby food if you have kids, & pet food, treats and supplies, cleaning supplies, and personal care items, such as shampoo, body wash, toothpaste.
Which grocery stores and mass merchandisers (Wal*mart, Target type stores) do you shop?
What restaurants do you like to eat at? Fast food, sit down/full service, make and take.
What kind of services do you use? Car wash, dry cleaners, copy shops.
Step two: Grab a Sunday paper.
That is a good place to start because every weekend, except major holidays, there will be coupon inserts and sales flyers.
Go over the Sunday paper with your list and clip the coupons for the items and services on your list.
Step three: Read on!
What is a coupon?
Dictionary.com defines a coupon as, “–noun. 1. A portion of a certificate, ticket, label, advertisement, or the like, set off from the main body by dotted lines or the like to emphasize its separability, entitling the holder to something, as a gift or discount, or for use as an order blank, a contest entry form, etc.
2. A separate certificate, ticket, etc., for the same purpose.”
The History of Coupons
In 1887, the Coca-Cola Company was incorporated with Asa Candler as one of the partners. He transformed Coca-Cola from an insignificant tonic into a profitable business by using innovative advertising techniques. The key to this growth was Candler's ingenious marketing including having the company's employees and sales representatives distribute complimentary coupons for Coca-Cola. Coupons were mailed to potential customers and placed in magazines. The company gave soda fountains free syrup to cover the costs of the free drinks. It is estimated that between 1894 and 1913 one in nine Americans had received a free Coca-Cola, for a total of 8,500,000 free drinks. (From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupon) That was the first time that coupons as we know them were distributed. Since that time, coupons for almost every type of food, HBA item or service has been made available at one time or another.
The basics of couponing- a primer
Couponing- The act of clipping from commercially available printed materials or printing coupons from the Internet and redeeming them is pretty simple. You take the coupon to a store that sells the product your coupon is redeemable for, and when you purchase the item listed on the coupon, you give it to the cashier, they deduct the face value of the coupon from the purchase price.
To make couponing more lucrative, make a list of the items that you purchase regularly, and look for coupons for those items. Match your coupons up with items you buy or wait for them to go on sale. Stores know what coupons are going to be released and they match their sales up with those coupons are available. With the sale price and the coupons, your savings will be exponential, sometimes resulting in free products or products that cost just pennies.
Example of using a coupon when an item is on sale: Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner is usually $5.00/bottle, it is on sale at Walgreen’s for 3/$10. There are $1.00 off coupons in the paper and you have 3. Your three Pantene products are now 3/ $7, making them $2.33/each. That’s $2.67 savings per bottle!
If there is a brand that is cheaper than what you had planned to buy with the coupon, it makes no sense to pay more, even though you may have a coupon. Always look at the bottom line.
Example: Rosarito Brand refried beans are 1.19/each and you have a $.50 off 2 coupon, however, the El Pato brand refried beans are .69/each on sale. El Pato is a better deal. If your store doubles coupons (your coupon is worth $1.00 off 2 cans), then both items are the same price and it doesn’t matter which one you buy.
Sometimes, you have to buy all of a set (example 3/$10, or 10 for $10) to receive the sale price. Usually, this is only the case at Mass merchandisers and drug stores. With Albertson’s and Vons 10 for $10 deals, you do not need to buy all ten items to receive the discount, however, you will need to swipe your store club card.
Couponing Myths
•You don’t really save money with coupons!
*My grocery bill has gone down from $150/week to $75/week! Once I started using coupons in conjunction with store sales and eating food that was in season, we have saved $3900 in a year. We eat better food than we did before!
•But they don’t have coupons for the items that I actually use.
With coupons and store sales, I have picked up in the past few months:
*1 Gallon of milk for $1.00
*Kashi Cereal for $1.99
*Free Garnier Fructis Shampoo and conditioner
*Free Toothpaste
•Store brands are cheaper.
Here is a recent sale that I took advantage of- this demonstrates that with a good sale and a coupon, you can purchase name brand items for less than the generic price.
*Store brand High Protein Cereal/Granola (Generic Kashi) $2.99
*Kashi $3.49
*Coupon for Kashi $1.50 (from Vocal Point)
*Name brand price with coupon $1.99
How to start?
It all seems pretty intimidating when you look at frugal living, money saving, and couponing websites as fledgling frugalista. There is new lingo, equipment, special websites, it can make your head swim! Remember: One step at a time.
Step one: Make a list.
What do you buy?
Your list should include groceries, baby formula or baby food if you have kids, & pet food, treats and supplies, cleaning supplies, and personal care items, such as shampoo, body wash, toothpaste.
Which grocery stores and mass merchandisers (Wal*mart, Target type stores) do you shop?
What restaurants do you like to eat at? Fast food, sit down/full service, make and take.
What kind of services do you use? Car wash, dry cleaners, copy shops.
Step two: Grab a Sunday paper.
That is a good place to start because every weekend, except major holidays, there will be coupon inserts and sales flyers.
Go over the Sunday paper with your list and clip the coupons for the items and services on your list.
Step three: Read on!
What is a coupon?
Dictionary.com defines a coupon as, “–noun. 1. A portion of a certificate, ticket, label, advertisement, or the like, set off from the main body by dotted lines or the like to emphasize its separability, entitling the holder to something, as a gift or discount, or for use as an order blank, a contest entry form, etc.
2. A separate certificate, ticket, etc., for the same purpose.”
The History of Coupons
In 1887, the Coca-Cola Company was incorporated with Asa Candler as one of the partners. He transformed Coca-Cola from an insignificant tonic into a profitable business by using innovative advertising techniques. The key to this growth was Candler's ingenious marketing including having the company's employees and sales representatives distribute complimentary coupons for Coca-Cola. Coupons were mailed to potential customers and placed in magazines. The company gave soda fountains free syrup to cover the costs of the free drinks. It is estimated that between 1894 and 1913 one in nine Americans had received a free Coca-Cola, for a total of 8,500,000 free drinks. (From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupon) That was the first time that coupons as we know them were distributed. Since that time, coupons for almost every type of food, HBA item or service has been made available at one time or another.
The basics of couponing- a primer
Couponing- The act of clipping from commercially available printed materials or printing coupons from the Internet and redeeming them is pretty simple. You take the coupon to a store that sells the product your coupon is redeemable for, and when you purchase the item listed on the coupon, you give it to the cashier, they deduct the face value of the coupon from the purchase price.
To make couponing more lucrative, make a list of the items that you purchase regularly, and look for coupons for those items. Match your coupons up with items you buy or wait for them to go on sale. Stores know what coupons are going to be released and they match their sales up with those coupons are available. With the sale price and the coupons, your savings will be exponential, sometimes resulting in free products or products that cost just pennies.
Example of using a coupon when an item is on sale: Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner is usually $5.00/bottle, it is on sale at Walgreen’s for 3/$10. There are $1.00 off coupons in the paper and you have 3. Your three Pantene products are now 3/ $7, making them $2.33/each. That’s $2.67 savings per bottle!
If there is a brand that is cheaper than what you had planned to buy with the coupon, it makes no sense to pay more, even though you may have a coupon. Always look at the bottom line.
Example: Rosarito Brand refried beans are 1.19/each and you have a $.50 off 2 coupon, however, the El Pato brand refried beans are .69/each on sale. El Pato is a better deal. If your store doubles coupons (your coupon is worth $1.00 off 2 cans), then both items are the same price and it doesn’t matter which one you buy.
Sometimes, you have to buy all of a set (example 3/$10, or 10 for $10) to receive the sale price. Usually, this is only the case at Mass merchandisers and drug stores. With Albertson’s and Vons 10 for $10 deals, you do not need to buy all ten items to receive the discount, however, you will need to swipe your store club card.
Couponing Myths
•You don’t really save money with coupons!
*My grocery bill has gone down from $150/week to $75/week! Once I started using coupons in conjunction with store sales and eating food that was in season, we have saved $3900 in a year. We eat better food than we did before!
•But they don’t have coupons for the items that I actually use.
With coupons and store sales, I have picked up in the past few months:
*1 Gallon of milk for $1.00
*Kashi Cereal for $1.99
*Free Garnier Fructis Shampoo and conditioner
*Free Toothpaste
•Store brands are cheaper.
Here is a recent sale that I took advantage of- this demonstrates that with a good sale and a coupon, you can purchase name brand items for less than the generic price.
*Store brand High Protein Cereal/Granola (Generic Kashi) $2.99
*Kashi $3.49
*Coupon for Kashi $1.50 (from Vocal Point)
*Name brand price with coupon $1.99
Back to basics- Basic Couponing info
I'm going to be doing a series of posts for coupon beginners. Thanks to the TLC Show Extreme Couponers, a lot of people have expressed an interest in couponing and money saving.
As a beginner you will NOT save 90+% on each shopping trip. But with some hard work (an hour or so each week), you will be able to save 50+% on groceries and toiletries without going crazy and ending up with rooms full of salad dressing, toothbrushes and deodorant.
If you are new to reading my blog, check out some past entries. A lot of what I write about is not "Look How much free food I got" posts, but ways to save money, live better. We Combine sales with coupons to maximize our savings. I only buy food that my family will eat.
Keep your eyes peeled- Couponing info ahead!
As a beginner you will NOT save 90+% on each shopping trip. But with some hard work (an hour or so each week), you will be able to save 50+% on groceries and toiletries without going crazy and ending up with rooms full of salad dressing, toothbrushes and deodorant.
If you are new to reading my blog, check out some past entries. A lot of what I write about is not "Look How much free food I got" posts, but ways to save money, live better. We Combine sales with coupons to maximize our savings. I only buy food that my family will eat.
Keep your eyes peeled- Couponing info ahead!
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