Here's What I Found

Have you seen the customer satisfaction surveys on your receipts?  Captain D's offered a $2.00 coupon for calling and telling about my recent visit.  10 minutes later, I hung up because I was bored and it just wasn't worth my time.  Rite Aid and CVS often offer a sweepstakes entry for your feedback.  Gordmans and JCPenny often offer 15% or 20% on your next visit. Do you ever respond to these offers?  Occasionally I will call - especially if I know I am planning to revisit their store and I want that % off coupon.  Most of the time, to me - they are a waste of time.  Just my opinion (for what it's worth...)

In the last 6 weeks I have spoken with managers from CVS and Rite Aid.  It's been enlightening to hear their perspective about our coupon use.  Here's the gist of the conversations.   They love.... when we come to their store and use our coupons!  when we smile and are pleasant while we shop and check out.  when we are careful about making sure our coupons match the product we are purchase.  when we are considerate of others waiting in line behind us.  Here's what drives them nuts: when we have 4 transactions and don't step aside for those waiting in line. when we try to use a coupon that doesn't match the product. when we get to the counter, can't find a coupon and make everyone wait while we look. when we blame them for running out of an advertised special.  And guess what the most interesting thing was about the conversations?  These managers use coupons too!

Just a personal note.... This week at my son's school, a small kindergartener lost her life in a car accident.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, close friends and school mates.  It's a tough time. In my quest for coupons, deals and saving money somthing like this brings it all back into perspective.  The reason I save money and hunt the deals is to make my family life easier and fun.   I am more thankful today than ever before for family and friends who share my life!

Last week I told you here about Third Party Billing and how companies have a legal way to add charges to your phone bill without you agreeing to it.  It is completely and ethically wrong in my opinion.  Today I got my phone bill and just like I had thought I had a $13 charge - plus tax of course.  Supposedly the company is crediting my statement but it will take at least one or two billing cycles to see that credit.  Hmmmm......  I will be waiting and watching! If you have not called your phone company and requested that third party billing be blocked, I would read my original post - then make that call!  ***Third Party billing is also referred to on your bill as Enhanced Billing Options.

This is a repost for my new readers who are just joining us today . So you want to start saving money but " But where do you start ?" These are the top things I suggest you do to get started: Subcribe to this blog . Enter your email address on the right. Check your email account and click on the activate link. You will receive 1 email each day with a list of all the deals. Call Colgate-Palmolive and request coupons. You need these coupons asap so you can get really cheap deodorant, toothpaste, and detergent. Call Georgia Pacific and request coupons for Angel Soft Toilet paper . You need these 4 coupons so you can toilet paper for under a quarter a roll at Walmart! Sign up for swagbucks and start earning bucks to use on amazon.com. Click on the Coupons Button on the right side of the blog to print coupons. (They change every month and you can print them twice) If you shop at Kroger, load free ecoupons to your Kroger card.

If you have ever been shopping for toys with my kids, you have probably heard them say this: "We know Mom, W e can only get the toy if it is a good toy and a good price !" This works for all toy shopping -from yard sales to Goodwill, Salvation Army or ToysRus. Even when they are with others, I've heard reports of them telling grandparents the same line. We're working to teach our kids that just because they like a toy, it doesn't mean they can buy it. It has to be a quality toy for a good price . Surely, you all do the same thing. But I thought I might as well make a quick note about it. When the kids do good at the doctors office or we want to do something special for them out of the clear blue, it's fun to be able to drop by a store and know that we can look for a toy and not have to worry about them having a meltdown if we don't find a 'good toy' at a 'good price'. You'd be amazed at all the good toys we've found for real...

Thanks Chris for going through the entire month of January to help me weed out old links to coupons and samples that are no longer valid! I appreciate it!

I am very careful with what I sign up for online. But yesterday I got a small postcard from TheRecipeSquad.com telling me thanks for signing up. If I wish to cancel my service, contact this number. Charges will appear on my local telephone bill! What in the world is this all about?!?!?! I immediately called the number. I barely even cook hamburger helper or grill chicken so I know that I didn't sign up for a recipe club! I immediately canceled my service that I didn't sign up for and demanded (nicely but firmly) that I be credited this amount. That's now in process. I was told that they had received my application - meaning they had my phone number, email address and mailing address. When I "signed up" I had agree to be charged $13.42 each month for this service. No way I did that! Then they charged my telephone number account - this is called Third Party Billing. Today I have called my land line company (BellSouth/ATT) and my cell phone company (Verizon) to...

Connor's 2nd grade program was last night. That means we've been working on costumes and props for several weeks. What's the cheapest way to find costumes and props? Here's what worked this time around: Tell everyone you know what you are looking for. I found a coat for Francis Scott Key, a dress for Martha Washington and Betsy Ross just by asking random people I met. Look through what you already have - Marth W, Betsy R and George Washington are wearing 'hair' from my craft box (and I don't even craft!). White snow cloth from Christmas or quilt batting is working great! Francis Scott Key is wearing boots that I found in my kids costume box. Salvation Army/GoodWill are great places to find pieces. I found the coat for George W at Salvation Army in the ladies section for .99! We made the cannon out of cardboard then painted it with school paint. I ended up spending $2.00 total for 5 costumes. I know the costumes may not win best costume at the big award shows...

Welcome to new readers who are just now finding this blog! It's always so much fun to talk to you all when we're out and about in town or online. Here's a couple thoughts in response to some of your questions and comments. I don't try to do all the deals . There's absolutely no way you can get in on all the deals. It's impossible - so don't even try. You'll go crazy. I don't spend much time cutting coupons . My life is too full to spend more than about 2-3 hours a week cutting and sorting coupons. If you are just starting out, pick 1 or 2 ways you can save money and just focus on that. I pretty much stick to CVS once a week, Kroger once a week and Walmart whenever there is a deal. I don't really like to go to Walmart unless I have a special need. I never spend money just so I can use a coupon . That doesn't even make sense - but I hear it as a regular complaint about coupon users. Why would I spend $2.00 on something just so I can ...

There are 2 things I refuse to do when it comes to kids birthday cakes! I refuse to pay $20 plus dollars on a birthday cake when the only people there are the 5 in my family plus grandparents. I refuse to make a cake that involves real cake decorating and mixing icing colors. (I've done that in the past and for me it's just too much work :-) There are some people who love this - but that's just not me. Here's how I make our kids birthday cakes and they are always thrilled. I don't spend more than $3.00 for their cakes. Usually less! I make a cake from the cake mix (usually use a coupon and spend less than $1 on the mix) Use the Betty Crocker whipped icing (my favorite because it is smoother than regular icing; use coupon, buy on sale and stack with ecoupon.) Use a toy that matches the theme for the party for the cake decoration. Double bonus: this serves as one of their gifts + it is the cake decor! For this last birthday, I used Little Einsteins rocket toy that we ...

When our kids whine about something, my husband starts teasing them about being a 'whiny hiny' as a way of reminding them not to complain and whine. I just signed up for the 'free' coupon for Nabisco cookies on Facebook. I can't believe how many people are 'whining' about the fact that the coupon expires in 3 days or that the printable coupon may or not have printed right for them. Granted, 3 days for expiration is very very short and I may or may not have time to use it before it expires. And the coupon was a full page coupon so I may have wasted alot of ink. However, Nabisco didn't have to offer a coupon at all. I appreciate companies trying - even if their attempt is a little less than spectacular. So next time a coupon or free offer doesn't work like I want it to........ I need to remember to not be a 'whiny hiny' and just appreciate the offers that are great. (And believe me, I'm sure not going to be posting on their facebook page ho...

I usually do not suggest that you spend money just so you can save money. But my one exception every week is buying the Sunday newspaper . We subscribe to the Lexington Herald Leader Sunday edition only and have it delivered to our house every weekend ($8.00 per month). (If you buy it in the store, it costs $2.00 each week.) We also buy the local Danville paper ($1.50) and sometimes buy a Courier Journal (Louisville paper $2.00). That means I spend almost $6.00 every week on newspapers. Why is it worth it to spend $6.00 every week? First, my husband loves reading the Sunday papers. So he would probably buy the Sunday editions anyway. Second, I always save at least $6.00 (and usually way more than that) from the coupons I get in the papers. If you are wanting to start couponing and saving money, I suggest that you buy at least one copy of your local paper each week so you will be able to do some of the deals that I list. If you can't afford to buy the Sunday paper, then start talki...

I almost always have a surplus of 'stuff' thanks to my coupons and bargain hunts. That means when I see family members - they really hit the jackpot. But what's fun is when they can trade from their surplus too. Last weekend, my aunt gave us 5 bars of Johnson buddies soap and we gave her family Kotex pantiliners, toothpaste and bodywash. I got something that my kids love and they got stuff to save them money too. Win - win! Next time you go see a family member of friend, consider taking a little 'hostess' or 'just because' gift from something that's on your stockpile shelf! I bet your gift will be a hit and you will get the satisfaction of knowing you have brightened someones day!

For too many years, I had to work for the credit card companies. I was paying the minimum monthly payment and giving the credit cards way too much of my money/interest. After learning to be extremely tight and frugal and becoming focused on paying off those credit card debts, we are finally at a point where we make the credit cards work for us! Every time we make a purchase big or small, we use a particular credit card. Even if I run into McDonalds or the post office, I pay with my credit card. But even my 5 year old knows the next step . She will often remind me as we're in the car after making a purchase that I have to go home and pay it off. That's the key . I always pay off the purchase immediately. By using the card frequently, we earn points. Then we are able to trade our reward points for cash or a gift card and use them to buy something else we need to buy. That gives us more points toward the next gift card/cash and we keep the cycle going. ***Word of caution: If we c...

An itouch is not a cheap toy but we've been saving for it and I used some swagbucks....so.... yep! I am now the proud owner of an itouch! Since we're on the subject of an itouch - let me tell you how its going to save me money! Read ebooks for free . I downloaded the amazon kindle app which offers tons of free ebooks! Listen to any of my music - anytime: We moved all our music to mp3s and am now able to 'swap' all those cds (tons of cds) for things I really want. Remember my favorite swap site? Swaptree ! View photos - No more carrying around pictures to show our latest family adventure; just upload the pics to the itouch. Calendar, Notes and voice memos Now before you go buy an itouch, please remember that this is my big splurge and I've been saving for a while to buy this. If you do have one though, you can agree - ain't it fun!

Today is Black Friday but I'm not going near a store. I get to play and decorate for Christmas, knowing that my Christmas shopping is practically done. I don't have to mess with Black Friday crowds, don't have to be in the shopping craze or fight with someone over a toy in the aisle. I can feel very pleased with myself (almost smug if you please) that I was able to buy my kids Christmas toys for very little out of pocket. How have I done that? I have spent the entire year watching sales, accumulating swagbucks, using coupons, matching sales and being as smart as possible. Do you get to relax today while the shopping world goes crazy? I know some people get a huge thrill of hunting and scoring a great find on Black Friday - but for me..... I'm quite content to stay at home today. If you haven't gotten your Christmas shopping list checked off yet, there's still time to snag some really good deals. Here's a couple of tips..... Make sure you are getting...