Bzzagent! I love getting a chance to try things for free! Glade expressions are a wonderful product!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, November 14, 2011
Am I too busy to coupon?
Hi again, remember me? Sorry about the hiatus, school work hit me like a truck, and while I am still crazy busy, maybe even more so right now, I thought I'd take a break to come back and visit you. Hopefully with some more consistancy. :)
The other day at Pick N Save (double double daze!), a customer and I struck up a short conversation while we were searching for items on our list. I was discouraged that I could not find the yogurt smoothies I had on my list - they would have ended up being only $.16 after double coupon! I had never bought one before, and I was looking forward to trying them. The lady sounded surprised when I told her how much they would have cost me, and she responded "oh, I don't normally coupon, I just want to use these up." I laughed as I showed her my coupon binder, to which she responded "Oh, I don't have that kind of time."
Do I have that kind of time? How much time does she think this takes me each week? Do I come off like one of the crazy people on TV who spend 40 hours a week? I was surprised by her comment - sort of. Yes, I am a crazy lady with a coupon binder, and other couponers recognize me in the store because of it. I had one lady that same day, ask me if I was on my first, or second around... well in general, I only have enough time and money to shop once, but oh boy wouldn't it be nice to have the time to make two lists?! :) But even if I AM one of those crazy binder ladies, I don't buy ten papers, I don't jump in recycling bins, and I don't spend 40 hours cutting coupons. So how much time DO I spend?
Well, since school is in full swing, not as much as I used to but my stockpile is still growing, and we are eating delicious dinners for little money. In general, it all starts with Sunday morning and the paper. I used to have it delivered, but since I never had time to actually read the paper, getting everyday was a waste of paper, and money. Now I drive into Cascade in the morning, and pick one up.
It usually takes me an hour or two to clean out expired coupons, cut the new ones, sort, and file. Now mind you, I usually do this in the livingroom, on the floor, with a DVR'd tv show playing on the tv... relaxation time!!
As for making the lists, I will pull up the ad matching blogs I have saved, and take a half an hour sometime during the week. Another night, I may pull out the ads from Sunday's papers and make a list of things I am interested in. That is maybe another half an hour. Then another night I will look at my list, pull out all the coupons I can use, and print others. Since I already sorted my coupons, it is easy to see what I have, and what I need. Then on shopping day, I grab my binder which has all my coupons and my list, and I shop. Shopping for me, used to take forever - because I would wander the store aimlessly trying to decide what I wanted, or what I could afford. Then came coupons! Now I know what I want, and how much it will cost, so grocery shopping takes half the time!
So if we estimate 4 hours of couponing a week (a little less if you count the time I save in the store now), and 40% savings on groceries, then I would say couponing is well worth it for me. Also, since we live off a construction workers pay, that stockpile of extra products under the stairs leaves me with a nice feeling of security knowing I won't have to worry when the weather turns nasty and Cecil is home for an entire week. We just skip the grocery shopping that week, and snuggle in with a bowl of 'mater soup and grilled cheese and enjoy our extra time together. :)
Yes, I think I have enough time for coupons. :)
The other day at Pick N Save (double double daze!), a customer and I struck up a short conversation while we were searching for items on our list. I was discouraged that I could not find the yogurt smoothies I had on my list - they would have ended up being only $.16 after double coupon! I had never bought one before, and I was looking forward to trying them. The lady sounded surprised when I told her how much they would have cost me, and she responded "oh, I don't normally coupon, I just want to use these up." I laughed as I showed her my coupon binder, to which she responded "Oh, I don't have that kind of time."
Do I have that kind of time? How much time does she think this takes me each week? Do I come off like one of the crazy people on TV who spend 40 hours a week? I was surprised by her comment - sort of. Yes, I am a crazy lady with a coupon binder, and other couponers recognize me in the store because of it. I had one lady that same day, ask me if I was on my first, or second around... well in general, I only have enough time and money to shop once, but oh boy wouldn't it be nice to have the time to make two lists?! :) But even if I AM one of those crazy binder ladies, I don't buy ten papers, I don't jump in recycling bins, and I don't spend 40 hours cutting coupons. So how much time DO I spend?
Well, since school is in full swing, not as much as I used to but my stockpile is still growing, and we are eating delicious dinners for little money. In general, it all starts with Sunday morning and the paper. I used to have it delivered, but since I never had time to actually read the paper, getting everyday was a waste of paper, and money. Now I drive into Cascade in the morning, and pick one up.
It usually takes me an hour or two to clean out expired coupons, cut the new ones, sort, and file. Now mind you, I usually do this in the livingroom, on the floor, with a DVR'd tv show playing on the tv... relaxation time!!
As for making the lists, I will pull up the ad matching blogs I have saved, and take a half an hour sometime during the week. Another night, I may pull out the ads from Sunday's papers and make a list of things I am interested in. That is maybe another half an hour. Then another night I will look at my list, pull out all the coupons I can use, and print others. Since I already sorted my coupons, it is easy to see what I have, and what I need. Then on shopping day, I grab my binder which has all my coupons and my list, and I shop. Shopping for me, used to take forever - because I would wander the store aimlessly trying to decide what I wanted, or what I could afford. Then came coupons! Now I know what I want, and how much it will cost, so grocery shopping takes half the time!
So if we estimate 4 hours of couponing a week (a little less if you count the time I save in the store now), and 40% savings on groceries, then I would say couponing is well worth it for me. Also, since we live off a construction workers pay, that stockpile of extra products under the stairs leaves me with a nice feeling of security knowing I won't have to worry when the weather turns nasty and Cecil is home for an entire week. We just skip the grocery shopping that week, and snuggle in with a bowl of 'mater soup and grilled cheese and enjoy our extra time together. :)
Yes, I think I have enough time for coupons. :)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
rebuilding - slowly...
Okay folks, I have begun the slow trek back to my former stockpiling glory... This week I added 4 cans of butterball chicken broth, two cans of Campbell's Chunky Soup, 12 rolls of Cottonelle toilet paper, and a tube of Crest toothpaste to my stockpile. Of course I also raided my stockpile to make a donation to the Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Center in Oshkosh for Kappa Delta Pi, but those ladies need it more than my stockpile does anyway...
I am also pretty proud of the storage area I put together to store my stockpiled items. The space underneath the stairway has always been a catch all for wrapping paper, extra chairs, the table leaf, etc. Well I think it's been a good year since we took out the table leaf, or put away the extra chairs, so the space could be put to better use. I took a bunch of the wire grids I bought this summer at a rummage sale, and started assembling cubes. I figure I will use the cubes for things like laundry detergent, maybe some extra soda (like there is ever extra soda here! LOL), and then use the floor to pile the larger items like paper towels and toilet paper.
You'll notice the room is fairly empty... The food product stockpile is currently still housed in the pantry, as it isn't that big yet, the personal care items like soap and toothpaste are in the guest bathroom (with the HUGE drawers and cupboards...), and I just opened my last extra bottle of laundry detergent.... I told you I fell off the horse...
So, what are YOU stockpiling? I would love to hear how you are storing all your extra loot!
:)
You'll notice the room is fairly empty... The food product stockpile is currently still housed in the pantry, as it isn't that big yet, the personal care items like soap and toothpaste are in the guest bathroom (with the HUGE drawers and cupboards...), and I just opened my last extra bottle of laundry detergent.... I told you I fell off the horse...
So, what are YOU stockpiling? I would love to hear how you are storing all your extra loot!
:)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Recreating a stockpile...
okay folks, I'll admit it, I've fallen off the horse. My stockpile is dwindling... So while I was browsing the web for ideas to start over, I found this wonderful post on another blog about starting stockpiling from scratch. I am including the link to the original post, then I'll copy and paste her words of wisdom. Ready to learn with me? Here we go!
http://thecouponproject.com/2010/01/how-do-you-start-building-a-stockpile-when-theres-nothing-in-the-pantry.html
Reader Jennifer left a very good question at the bottom of one of my posts this week. I felt it deserved answering in a separate post and not in a quick comment. Here's what she writes:
I need help! I'm new to this & I'm not sure what to do in the meantime while trying to grow my stockpile. I currently have 0 groceries & I mean that literally. The fridge is empty for some condiments, eggs, and a few bagels. The cupboards are bare except for cans of soup….This is mostly because I'm so busy at home with my baby and hubby is so busy at work we just haven't had time to shop.
I just started collecting coupons… I'm going shopping tonight and I know that a lot of the coupons expire the end of this month. Should I go ahead and use all of the coupons (that expire soon) to stockpile items that I need anyway even if they're not on sale? I hate for the coupons to go to waste & then end up paying full price anyway…
Jennifer, I'm going to do my very best to take you from square one to stockpiled!
Let's start with your last question – and it's a great one. Should you use coupons just because they're about to expire? In short, NO!! It sounds like you're in a place where you simply NEED some food. Here's what I propose you do. Head to the store with your coupons, but pay attention. Often you'll find the generic counterparts are cheaper than the name brand at full price with a coupon. Your goal is to simply find the lowest price on the items you need – coupons or not.
So let's talk about two kinds of shopping that we do as couponers and I think this will clear some things up. First, there's NEED-BASED SHOPPING. These are the items you need for the week ahead to complete your meals. For instance, produce, dairy, bread, meat, and/or anything you don't have in your stockpile. When you are starting out, most of your shopping will likely fall into this category. But as your stockpile grows over the months, you'll notice the items on your NEEDS list declines. You'll also learn how to become a more savvy shopper and you'll discover how to find deals on these items.
The second type of shopping is STOCKPILING. The idea here is that you buy items your family needs and uses when they are at their low prices. By using coupons on low prices, you sweeten the deal. But let me get something straight – not every stockpile deal uses coupons! I've stockpiled cans of broth when my store had them for $0.33 each. Don't think you MUST use coupons to stockpile! If you find a good deal, go for it!
Knowing this, how do you start? I recommend that you start each week with a meal plan – do not go to the store willy-nilly to buy things you "need." Make sure every item has a purpose. The items on this list become your NEEDS-BASED items. Do your best to find deals on these items, but do not stress! I like to shop at Fred Meyer or Winco for items I need but aren't on sale. I know that because these stores generally offer lower prices than their competitors, I'll be saving money. For more ideas, read this post I wrote about how to save money without using coupons.
With your need-based shopping out of the way, start to slowly add in a few stockpile deals each week. For instance, you might find a deal on soup you like. Try to get as much as you can reasonably use and store before it goes bad. I also recommend you start slow so you don't overwhelm yourself. Ease in! I also recommend you start looking to acquire household and personal care items such as toilet paper, shampoo, soap, and toothpaste as soon as you can. Why? Because you can often find these items very cheap if not free and these items can easily eat into your grocery budget otherwise. I think they'll make the biggest difference in your budget the fastest.
So how can you find these great stockpile deals? Well, are you not reading this blog?! Each Saturday night (hey – that's today!) I feature Walgreens and Rite Aid matchups. I also do Fred Meyer deals. All of these come late in the evening. On Wednesdays, I tackle Albertsons. Simply scan through my list and pick and choose a few deals out that make sense for you. I'll tell you the sale prices, which coupons to use, and what you can expect to pay. After awhile, you'll get the hang of it and you'll be able to find similar deals in nearly every ad you pick up.
I decided this morning to give this post a great visual, so I turned once again to my friend Mr. Excel:
I created this chart to illustrate how your shopping might look now and how it might evolve over time. Suppose you ordinarily spend $100 a week at the store. For the first couple months, you may continue to spend this amount. However, the composition of your trips will be different. Now you'll start looking for better prices on the items you need and you'll begin to carve out a small portion of your budget to stockpile.
As the months progress, you should notice a couple things. First, the amount of the items you need each week should slowly go down. Why? This is simple. As your stockpile grows, you'll be able to draw on those items to complete your meals. The second thing you should notice is that you'll be spending less overall. You'll also begin to notice that different items go on sale at different times of the year. This means it's going to be important to cycle through one calendar year to fully develop your stockpile.
At 12 months, I would say I've seen the biggest savings in my budget. As of late, I've devoted more of my budget to stockpiling – particularly meat and other "more expensive" stockpiling deals. I couldn't have afforded to do this at the beginning. Three months from now, the chart may change again. But the conclusion is I've ended up with a nicely rounded stockpile and am spending less overall. Of course, your personal shopping and stockpiling needs may yield a different chart…but this illustrates how it *might* look for some.
Jennifer, I hope this serves to help answer your question. I also encourage you to read the series of coupon lessons I wrote – you can find them in Getting Started. I know I have a lot of knowledgeable and talented readers and would love their input too!
http://thecouponproject.com/2010/01/how-do-you-start-building-a-stockpile-when-theres-nothing-in-the-pantry.html
How do you start building a stockpile when there’s NOTHING in the pantry?
Reader Jennifer left a very good question at the bottom of one of my posts this week. I felt it deserved answering in a separate post and not in a quick comment. Here's what she writes:
I need help! I'm new to this & I'm not sure what to do in the meantime while trying to grow my stockpile. I currently have 0 groceries & I mean that literally. The fridge is empty for some condiments, eggs, and a few bagels. The cupboards are bare except for cans of soup….This is mostly because I'm so busy at home with my baby and hubby is so busy at work we just haven't had time to shop.
I just started collecting coupons… I'm going shopping tonight and I know that a lot of the coupons expire the end of this month. Should I go ahead and use all of the coupons (that expire soon) to stockpile items that I need anyway even if they're not on sale? I hate for the coupons to go to waste & then end up paying full price anyway…
Jennifer, I'm going to do my very best to take you from square one to stockpiled!
Let's start with your last question – and it's a great one. Should you use coupons just because they're about to expire? In short, NO!! It sounds like you're in a place where you simply NEED some food. Here's what I propose you do. Head to the store with your coupons, but pay attention. Often you'll find the generic counterparts are cheaper than the name brand at full price with a coupon. Your goal is to simply find the lowest price on the items you need – coupons or not.
So let's talk about two kinds of shopping that we do as couponers and I think this will clear some things up. First, there's NEED-BASED SHOPPING. These are the items you need for the week ahead to complete your meals. For instance, produce, dairy, bread, meat, and/or anything you don't have in your stockpile. When you are starting out, most of your shopping will likely fall into this category. But as your stockpile grows over the months, you'll notice the items on your NEEDS list declines. You'll also learn how to become a more savvy shopper and you'll discover how to find deals on these items.
The second type of shopping is STOCKPILING. The idea here is that you buy items your family needs and uses when they are at their low prices. By using coupons on low prices, you sweeten the deal. But let me get something straight – not every stockpile deal uses coupons! I've stockpiled cans of broth when my store had them for $0.33 each. Don't think you MUST use coupons to stockpile! If you find a good deal, go for it!
Knowing this, how do you start? I recommend that you start each week with a meal plan – do not go to the store willy-nilly to buy things you "need." Make sure every item has a purpose. The items on this list become your NEEDS-BASED items. Do your best to find deals on these items, but do not stress! I like to shop at Fred Meyer or Winco for items I need but aren't on sale. I know that because these stores generally offer lower prices than their competitors, I'll be saving money. For more ideas, read this post I wrote about how to save money without using coupons.
With your need-based shopping out of the way, start to slowly add in a few stockpile deals each week. For instance, you might find a deal on soup you like. Try to get as much as you can reasonably use and store before it goes bad. I also recommend you start slow so you don't overwhelm yourself. Ease in! I also recommend you start looking to acquire household and personal care items such as toilet paper, shampoo, soap, and toothpaste as soon as you can. Why? Because you can often find these items very cheap if not free and these items can easily eat into your grocery budget otherwise. I think they'll make the biggest difference in your budget the fastest.
So how can you find these great stockpile deals? Well, are you not reading this blog?! Each Saturday night (hey – that's today!) I feature Walgreens and Rite Aid matchups. I also do Fred Meyer deals. All of these come late in the evening. On Wednesdays, I tackle Albertsons. Simply scan through my list and pick and choose a few deals out that make sense for you. I'll tell you the sale prices, which coupons to use, and what you can expect to pay. After awhile, you'll get the hang of it and you'll be able to find similar deals in nearly every ad you pick up.
I decided this morning to give this post a great visual, so I turned once again to my friend Mr. Excel:
I created this chart to illustrate how your shopping might look now and how it might evolve over time. Suppose you ordinarily spend $100 a week at the store. For the first couple months, you may continue to spend this amount. However, the composition of your trips will be different. Now you'll start looking for better prices on the items you need and you'll begin to carve out a small portion of your budget to stockpile.
As the months progress, you should notice a couple things. First, the amount of the items you need each week should slowly go down. Why? This is simple. As your stockpile grows, you'll be able to draw on those items to complete your meals. The second thing you should notice is that you'll be spending less overall. You'll also begin to notice that different items go on sale at different times of the year. This means it's going to be important to cycle through one calendar year to fully develop your stockpile.
At 12 months, I would say I've seen the biggest savings in my budget. As of late, I've devoted more of my budget to stockpiling – particularly meat and other "more expensive" stockpiling deals. I couldn't have afforded to do this at the beginning. Three months from now, the chart may change again. But the conclusion is I've ended up with a nicely rounded stockpile and am spending less overall. Of course, your personal shopping and stockpiling needs may yield a different chart…but this illustrates how it *might* look for some.
Jennifer, I hope this serves to help answer your question. I also encourage you to read the series of coupon lessons I wrote – you can find them in Getting Started. I know I have a lot of knowledgeable and talented readers and would love their input too!
Monday, September 12, 2011
I WON!
Guess who just found a new way to save money on crafting supplies? ME! It's easy, just win contests! LOL. I was excited to see my scrapbook page appear on Facebook as the new profile picture for a page called scrapbook rooms. They were announcing the winner of that contest I entered at the beginning of the week! :)
My winning entry! :) Thanks for letting me share!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Something a little crafty!
Hey all! Remember when I started this blog and I said sometimes I may post some of my crafty items? Now is the time! I stumbled across this contest, and decided I wanted to enter. Maybe some of you would like to enter too! The prize is your choice of scrapbook kits, and boy oh boy do I want to win! (but I would be really happy if any of you won!)
So, here is the link to the contest, and an awesome crafting blog, stop by and check it out! :)
http://scrapbookrooms.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-favorite-things-challenge.html
now - on to what I want to enter :)
(sorry that last one is sideways, I'm confuzeled!)
So, follow the link if you'd like to enter, and if now, wish me luck! :)
So, here is the link to the contest, and an awesome crafting blog, stop by and check it out! :)
http://scrapbookrooms.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-favorite-things-challenge.html
now - on to what I want to enter :)
So, follow the link if you'd like to enter, and if now, wish me luck! :)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Bzzagent - a freebie hunter's dream!
Hello again!
I am often asked how I get freebies and high dollar coupons. You already know how much I love Swagbucks (ordered pretty jewelry the other day from Amazon.com - FREE!). My next favorite is Bzzagent.com.
I joined Bzzagent because it promised to give me the opportunity to try free products if I completed surveys. Now many sites have promised that, and very few freebies ever come of it. This site however is FAR different. When I first signed up, I spent two days completing surveys, waited a week, and... nothin. I was all set to be disappointed and never visit the site again. Then a few days later, I got an email asking me if I'd like to try some spring cleaning products... hmmm sure, why not. Shortly after that I received a giant box at my mail box with a full can of Pledge, an airwick air freshener, a glade candle, a can of scrubbing bubbles shower foamer, scrubbing bubbles toilet cleaning gels, and gosh I don't remember what else. And not tiny sample packets - full products! So I figure this website had to be pretty cool, and I went back. I earned more points by telling them all about my experience with the products (dear bzzagent - I love you!). A few weeks later they ask if I want free Covergirl lipstick - duh! Over time I have also gotten free Covergirl foundation and lip moisturizer. My newest prize is free computer antivirus - a $79.99 value! Each time I tell them my honest opinion, I earn points for my Mypoints.com account (another site I absolutely love!). Each time I tell YOU my honest opinion on the products I get more of those points. By doing this I also earn honeycombs (leveling up) - the more honeycombs I have, the better my chance of being chosen for the new campaigns!
Oh and those freebies often come with high value coupons for me to share!
is being a Bzzagent something that interests YOU? Check out www.bzzagent.com
I am often asked how I get freebies and high dollar coupons. You already know how much I love Swagbucks (ordered pretty jewelry the other day from Amazon.com - FREE!). My next favorite is Bzzagent.com.
I joined Bzzagent because it promised to give me the opportunity to try free products if I completed surveys. Now many sites have promised that, and very few freebies ever come of it. This site however is FAR different. When I first signed up, I spent two days completing surveys, waited a week, and... nothin. I was all set to be disappointed and never visit the site again. Then a few days later, I got an email asking me if I'd like to try some spring cleaning products... hmmm sure, why not. Shortly after that I received a giant box at my mail box with a full can of Pledge, an airwick air freshener, a glade candle, a can of scrubbing bubbles shower foamer, scrubbing bubbles toilet cleaning gels, and gosh I don't remember what else. And not tiny sample packets - full products! So I figure this website had to be pretty cool, and I went back. I earned more points by telling them all about my experience with the products (dear bzzagent - I love you!). A few weeks later they ask if I want free Covergirl lipstick - duh! Over time I have also gotten free Covergirl foundation and lip moisturizer. My newest prize is free computer antivirus - a $79.99 value! Each time I tell them my honest opinion, I earn points for my Mypoints.com account (another site I absolutely love!). Each time I tell YOU my honest opinion on the products I get more of those points. By doing this I also earn honeycombs (leveling up) - the more honeycombs I have, the better my chance of being chosen for the new campaigns!
Oh and those freebies often come with high value coupons for me to share!
is being a Bzzagent something that interests YOU? Check out www.bzzagent.com
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