Eggs
Harvey's is running a special. If you buy 2 packages of Borden cheese, you get eggs free! Borden cheese is 2/$4 which is the maximum I'll pay for cheese, but paying that and getting the eggs free makes a good deal.
Albertsons has the best Egg deal this week $0.88/doz. This is the cheapest you'll find eggs! I believe there is a limit of 2. So you'll have to make multiple trips if you want more than 2 doz. Despite popular belief, eggs actually keep for a good amount of time in the refrigerator. Older eggs are better for hard boiling. Fresher eggs are better for baking. You can freeze eggs in ice cube trays with a little salt, if you want to.
Winn Dixie this week are $1.99 for 18 eggs. It's not the best price for eggs, but it's a good price.
There are several coupons available for discounts on eggs. You MIGHT find a good deal if you have any of them, depending on the price of the required item.
Milk
Publix $2.99/gallon!! Only this upcoming sale week. If you sales start Wed, it'll end Tuesday. If you sales start Thurs, it'll end Wednesday. (Check your store first! I don't know if all of them are doing this deal.)
Harvey's has TG Lee milk BOGO for quarts of whole milk. It doesn't say what the cost is however. If you were to buy a gallon at $3.85, the BOGO quart would be $1.93. If it's less than that, you're ok. If it's less than $1.50, it's the same as Publix.
Milk is on special at CVS for the next few weeks. I called and they can't give me details on dates. The manager said he believes it runs through September (Don't take that as a guarantee, I'll try to get more info). If you buy 5 gallons, the 6th gallon will be "free." As a general rule, CVS and Walgreens have the cheapest milk, usually around $3.19-$3.39/gallon. Right now, it's $3.99/gallon. If you divide it out (3.99-3.69=0.60x5=3.00) it means your 6th gallon costs $3.00 which is still better than the $3.85+ at the grocery store.
Yes, as some say, you can freeze milk. However, we drink whole milk in our house and whole milk doesn't freeze well because of the high fat content. The less fat, the better it will freeze. DO NOT just put a gallon jug in the freezer. It will burst!
Sugar
WinnDixie $3.29/5 lbs = $0.66/lb
Sweetbay $2.99/5 lbs = $0.59/lb
Ground Beef
Albertson's 73% lean $1.99/lb 7/15-7/17 only
Sweetbay 80% lean patties $1.99/lb
Sweetbay 80% lean ground chuck value pack $2.00/lb
Coupons in ads: Hitchcocks ($5/$50), Albertsons
Weekly Specials searched in Gainesville, FL: WinnDixie, Albertsons, Publix, Food Lion, Dollar General, Hitchocks,Sweetbay, Fresh Market, CVS, Walgreens, and Harveys (Keystone Heights)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Frustrating Farm Life
You never know what's going to happen from day to day when the weather, animals, plants, and kids have a say in it.
A few weeks ago, I thought things were going so well. The greenhouse was doing well, the goose and the chicken were sitting on eggs, we had the quail (well, they had their struggles).... Well, I told you we lost one goose and I sold the gander. (What's the point of having a gander if there's no goose and he's too old to eat?) The chicken ran away for a couple days, so I was incubating goose and chicken eggs, both had been set on for a while, but I wasn't sure exactly how long. I gave up on the goose eggs when I knew it had been at least a week past their guestimated hatching date. I gave up on the chickens too. Later the next night, I decided to stay up late and low and behold, there was chirping coming from those chicken eggs. I quickly turned the incubator back on. We had 4 hatch! Pretty good since I'd given up on them.
We acquired peacocks of varying ages and ducks this summer. We had a regular farm going. Well, since, white flies have taken over the greenhouse. I refuse to spray anything on my plants, "organic" or otherwise. They've left the tomatoes alone this year and they're not really bothering the herbs, strawberries, peppers, or sweet potatoes, but everything else is struggling. Yesterday, we lost 3 baby peacocks (2 to heat, 1 was too young) and one more today (from a chicken attack yesterday). Earlier last week, we lost our new buck rabbit, probably because of heat.
We have 2 miniature mares. One is doing really well and the other hasn't been able to keep weight on. We've "wormed" her a few times and she's still struggling. After talking to several people, the consensus is she may be pregnant. It is possible and if so, she should foal in the next month. After a struggle with the kids yesterday, I decided I've just had it. I'm done! We found a buyer for the rabbits. We found a buyer for the 4 chicks. We'll keep the horses for now and we've changed the feed schedule to see if it helps. If she foals, we'll keep her, if not, we'll find a new home for them. We'll keep the peacocks and chickens and ducks because they're easy. We hardly even feed the ducks, they keep the pond clean and get plenty to eat on their own. The quail have laid 12 eggs in the past two days, if we can sell their eggs for $3/doz and they continue to lay a dozen every 1-2 days, they'll pay for their own food and they can stay.
I hate to get rid of animals, but when we spend so much time taking care of them and so much (even though it's not that much, it adds up) to feed them compared to what we get from them, it just doesn't seem worth keeping them. I like storing food "on the hoof," as it's called, but it's a lot of time. We will probably get more rabbits later, when it's cooler, but if we get rid of the horses, we'll be done with horses. Besides, who really wants to eat a horse?
Just thought I'd share a little farm life. I wish it were more uplifting. I enjoy the security in knowing that we have them. I enjoy seeing life's miracles when we have animals and plants producing, I just wish it were as easy as opening a box.
A few weeks ago, I thought things were going so well. The greenhouse was doing well, the goose and the chicken were sitting on eggs, we had the quail (well, they had their struggles).... Well, I told you we lost one goose and I sold the gander. (What's the point of having a gander if there's no goose and he's too old to eat?) The chicken ran away for a couple days, so I was incubating goose and chicken eggs, both had been set on for a while, but I wasn't sure exactly how long. I gave up on the goose eggs when I knew it had been at least a week past their guestimated hatching date. I gave up on the chickens too. Later the next night, I decided to stay up late and low and behold, there was chirping coming from those chicken eggs. I quickly turned the incubator back on. We had 4 hatch! Pretty good since I'd given up on them.
We acquired peacocks of varying ages and ducks this summer. We had a regular farm going. Well, since, white flies have taken over the greenhouse. I refuse to spray anything on my plants, "organic" or otherwise. They've left the tomatoes alone this year and they're not really bothering the herbs, strawberries, peppers, or sweet potatoes, but everything else is struggling. Yesterday, we lost 3 baby peacocks (2 to heat, 1 was too young) and one more today (from a chicken attack yesterday). Earlier last week, we lost our new buck rabbit, probably because of heat.
We have 2 miniature mares. One is doing really well and the other hasn't been able to keep weight on. We've "wormed" her a few times and she's still struggling. After talking to several people, the consensus is she may be pregnant. It is possible and if so, she should foal in the next month. After a struggle with the kids yesterday, I decided I've just had it. I'm done! We found a buyer for the rabbits. We found a buyer for the 4 chicks. We'll keep the horses for now and we've changed the feed schedule to see if it helps. If she foals, we'll keep her, if not, we'll find a new home for them. We'll keep the peacocks and chickens and ducks because they're easy. We hardly even feed the ducks, they keep the pond clean and get plenty to eat on their own. The quail have laid 12 eggs in the past two days, if we can sell their eggs for $3/doz and they continue to lay a dozen every 1-2 days, they'll pay for their own food and they can stay.
I hate to get rid of animals, but when we spend so much time taking care of them and so much (even though it's not that much, it adds up) to feed them compared to what we get from them, it just doesn't seem worth keeping them. I like storing food "on the hoof," as it's called, but it's a lot of time. We will probably get more rabbits later, when it's cooler, but if we get rid of the horses, we'll be done with horses. Besides, who really wants to eat a horse?
Just thought I'd share a little farm life. I wish it were more uplifting. I enjoy the security in knowing that we have them. I enjoy seeing life's miracles when we have animals and plants producing, I just wish it were as easy as opening a box.
How to Organize Coupons-in and for the store
Going to the store with a sort of list a binder/folder/or stack of coupons and a flier is a bad idea. I've been there. Talk about stressful, especially if you have kids &/or supportive but non-couponer spouse, in tow. It also takes longer to shop and when it's time to swipe your card and pay, you're in for a shock.
Spending the time it takes to organize on the front end before you go to the store helps A LOT. At a minimum, go without kids with a list of what coupons to use for what items and know exactly what you'll buy. It'll still take longer to shop than it needs to, but it won't be as stressful and you'll have an idea of what to expect at the counter.
There are several ways you can help yourself cut down on time and frustration. I'll share a few of them, but you'll ultimately need to find what works best for you. There are a few steps involved, so I'll break the process into steps and you can determine what system works best for you in each step and create your own system that way.
Determine what you will buy and what coupons to use
1. You can use the weekly fliers and compile a list of what you feel are good specials you want and then go to a coupon database or your binder/file and find the corresponding coupons.
2. Go to a matchup site for your primary store, see what the author suggests, and buy all of the superbuys for that week at that store. Use their coupon list to find the coupons you have available to you. (Keep in mind, there will be regional differences.)
3. Go to AllYou.com's grocery comparison. List what you're looking for. Use their store suggestions (keep in mind it's not always 100% accurate.) Use the coupon database to find the corresponding coupons.
4. Determine what you need, look through your area store's matchup sites, determine whether to go to one store or several. Compile a list of items and corresponding coupons (based on the matchup site's suggestions) for each store.
5. Browse the matchup sites and see if anything hits your fancy and make lists of items, stores, and coupons.
What I do: I look through the super deal sections of the matchup sites for my area. I decided if it's worth going to one store or multiple stores (sometimes I don't go at all that week). I copy and paste the item and corresponding coupons from their list for the items I'm interested in into a Word document with the name of the store at the top of each page. Then I determine if I have the coupons and how much money I have to spend that week (that last thing usually narrows my list down quite a bit) and if I have need of/room to store the items. Then I print the Word document, that's my shopping list.
Pull the necessary coupons:
If you have a binder, you're going to flip through the pages and pull the appropriate coupons based on your list/findings. If you have a file system, you're going to find and clip the appropriate coupons. (Binders take more time, with that time being spent primarily when you get the paper. Filing systems take less time overall, but more time when it comes to pulling the coupons for your shopping trip.) If you need internet coupons, you'll either have printed them earlier and need to locate them or you need to print and cut them out. (To save paper, whenever possible I re-use paper that's only been printed on one side and print coupons on the backside. Or if the coupon only uses a small portion of the page, I flip the page over and print other coupons on the bottom, that takes a little practice so you don't print over or directly behind other coupons.)
Organizing the coupons to take to the store:
Organize them by store or by product. And then:
1. Just leave them in a stack of whatever order and hand them to the cashier. (not recommended)
2. Organize them by aisle/order of shopping at the specific store(s)
3. Organize them according to your list order
4. Organize them by general category but not necessarily by aisle.
What I do: I have all of my coupons taped into my binder with a small piece of tape at the top of the coupon. After I print my Word list, I transfer the coupon and the tape to the appropriate location on the list. I don't worry if they overlap or hide part of the list, or exactly what order anything is in on the list. I can pretty much see them all and by the time I've selected the items, found the coupons, and taped the coupons onto my list, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm shopping for, so I don't worry about zigzagging all over the store too much.
Shopping with coupons:
1. Put the coupons in a coupon wallet all together at home in the order you decided and move them from one pocket to another as you pick up items.
2. Keep the coupons in your hand and go through the stack one by one selecting products as you flip through the coupons in your hand. (definitely not for the parent with small children at the store)
3. With no thought about the coupons, just buy what's on your list, knowing you have coupons for some of them.
4. Purchase the items on your list and go through the coupons in an out of the way place in the store before you go through the checkout line.
What I do: My coupons are taped to my list, so as I put an item in my cart, I transfer the tape and the corresponding coupon to the product. That way, I don't have to organize them at or before I get to the cashier.
Checking out with coupons:
1. Hand the wad to the cashier with no thought as to if you even bought all of the items or not (not recommended)
2. Hand the stack of coupons for the items you purchased to the cashier. Either at the beginning or the end of the order.
3. Hand the coupons to the cashier for each item as it's rung up. (IF you do this, have the items in the same order as they are on the belt.)
4. As you're rung up or after the cashier has rung you up, go through the coupons, selecting them while the cashier (and everyone in line behind you waits) (also not recommended-because the non-couponers will think even less of those of us that do and will probably be impatient, but mainly because you'll be concentrating on your coupons and miss watching to make sure everything, including the coupons rings up correctly.).
What I do: Because my coupons are taped to the products, when the cashier is checking me out, he/she can see what I have coupons for, knows if I have the correct item for the product, knows if a price is needed for the coupon and can either write it in then or can wait and knows about where on the receipt to find the price, and I can watch the screen to make sure everything rings up correctly. It makes checking out much less stressful. The Publix cashiers love it when I do it that way. *** If I have a $X/$XX coupon, I take the coupons off the items as I place them on the belt, so they're in the same order as the products were scanned in, and I put the $X/$XX on top. Whoever takes the coupons off the products (the cashier or myself) just folds the tape over.
Order of coupon submission:
The order in which you give your coupons to the cashier can affect your total and which coupons are accepted by the register. Having them organized at least somewhat will help your bottom line. This is a general guideline, there are circumstances in which you might want to change things slightly, but I'm not going to list every possible scenario here.
1. Reward/Loyalty card
2. Coupons that require a total bill of $XX amount (Gas/Gift card offers and $X off your order of $XX or more)
3. Coupons that require an amount be written in on them, usually buy this get that free.
4. Manufacturer coupons
5. Store coupons for specific products
6. Store coupons for $X off your order when they don't require a minimum purchase.
What I do: This is the order I submit coupons in, but because they're taped to my products, I arrange the products in this order on the belt.
General Checking out Thoughts:
Most people are at least a little nervous, the newer they are, the more nervous they are. After you get established and you know you're not trying to scam the system, especially if you're with a cashier you've built a rapport with, you won't be so nervous anymore. People are nervous because they don't want to mess up, they don't want to "cause a scene," they don't want to hold others up, some of it is nervous excitement because they're saving money.
If an item doesn't ring up how you thought it would, let the cashier know. It could be: you read the wrong sign/label; it could be the item was on sale, but isn't now, and no one removed the tag; you were going by what the matchup site told you and it was for a different region; or you picked up the wrong item. All of those are possible and that's why you need to watch as items are rung up. It's not uncommon to have at least one thing ring "incorrectly."
Also watch to be sure your coupons ring correctly. Normally, it's not a coupon price that's the issue, but usually a coupon might not go through because of a computer or human error. It's your job to watch for those errors and point them out. Sometimes you misread the coupon and didn't fulfill the requirements, it's ok, it happens to everyone. Sometimes it has to do with the order the coupons were rung up in. Sometimes coupons (especially cat food for some reason) don't like to ring up at all, no matter what. Sometimes the cashier misses one or forgets to scan a double coupon twice.
If something doesn't work out how you expected-either because of the coupon or the price, ask the cashier to take it off your order. It doesn't make any difference to them and no one will think any less of you (if they do, their opinion doesn't matter anyway). It's your money. Spend it how you want.
By the time you've made your list, found the coupons, picked up the items, and seen them rung up, you should know what you bought. Look over your receipt. Is it right? Make sure. The statistic on incorrect receipts is amazingly higher than you think it would be. If you have issues, take it to the customer service desk immediately. Don't make a big fuss, just ask questions.
Don't argue with the cashier or manager. It's not worth the time and energy. If it's a big deal to you, have the item(s) removed from you bill or have the whole order refunded if it's that bad. If there are one or two small things that are in the store's favor this time, realize next time, there will probably be one or two small things in your favor. Pick your battles, don't stress over unnecessary stuff. Enjoy your savings and be proud of yourself.
Spending the time it takes to organize on the front end before you go to the store helps A LOT. At a minimum, go without kids with a list of what coupons to use for what items and know exactly what you'll buy. It'll still take longer to shop than it needs to, but it won't be as stressful and you'll have an idea of what to expect at the counter.
There are several ways you can help yourself cut down on time and frustration. I'll share a few of them, but you'll ultimately need to find what works best for you. There are a few steps involved, so I'll break the process into steps and you can determine what system works best for you in each step and create your own system that way.
Determine what you will buy and what coupons to use
1. You can use the weekly fliers and compile a list of what you feel are good specials you want and then go to a coupon database or your binder/file and find the corresponding coupons.
2. Go to a matchup site for your primary store, see what the author suggests, and buy all of the superbuys for that week at that store. Use their coupon list to find the coupons you have available to you. (Keep in mind, there will be regional differences.)
3. Go to AllYou.com's grocery comparison. List what you're looking for. Use their store suggestions (keep in mind it's not always 100% accurate.) Use the coupon database to find the corresponding coupons.
4. Determine what you need, look through your area store's matchup sites, determine whether to go to one store or several. Compile a list of items and corresponding coupons (based on the matchup site's suggestions) for each store.
5. Browse the matchup sites and see if anything hits your fancy and make lists of items, stores, and coupons.
What I do: I look through the super deal sections of the matchup sites for my area. I decided if it's worth going to one store or multiple stores (sometimes I don't go at all that week). I copy and paste the item and corresponding coupons from their list for the items I'm interested in into a Word document with the name of the store at the top of each page. Then I determine if I have the coupons and how much money I have to spend that week (that last thing usually narrows my list down quite a bit) and if I have need of/room to store the items. Then I print the Word document, that's my shopping list.
Pull the necessary coupons:
If you have a binder, you're going to flip through the pages and pull the appropriate coupons based on your list/findings. If you have a file system, you're going to find and clip the appropriate coupons. (Binders take more time, with that time being spent primarily when you get the paper. Filing systems take less time overall, but more time when it comes to pulling the coupons for your shopping trip.) If you need internet coupons, you'll either have printed them earlier and need to locate them or you need to print and cut them out. (To save paper, whenever possible I re-use paper that's only been printed on one side and print coupons on the backside. Or if the coupon only uses a small portion of the page, I flip the page over and print other coupons on the bottom, that takes a little practice so you don't print over or directly behind other coupons.)
Organizing the coupons to take to the store:
Organize them by store or by product. And then:
1. Just leave them in a stack of whatever order and hand them to the cashier. (not recommended)
2. Organize them by aisle/order of shopping at the specific store(s)
3. Organize them according to your list order
4. Organize them by general category but not necessarily by aisle.
What I do: I have all of my coupons taped into my binder with a small piece of tape at the top of the coupon. After I print my Word list, I transfer the coupon and the tape to the appropriate location on the list. I don't worry if they overlap or hide part of the list, or exactly what order anything is in on the list. I can pretty much see them all and by the time I've selected the items, found the coupons, and taped the coupons onto my list, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm shopping for, so I don't worry about zigzagging all over the store too much.
Shopping with coupons:
1. Put the coupons in a coupon wallet all together at home in the order you decided and move them from one pocket to another as you pick up items.
2. Keep the coupons in your hand and go through the stack one by one selecting products as you flip through the coupons in your hand. (definitely not for the parent with small children at the store)
3. With no thought about the coupons, just buy what's on your list, knowing you have coupons for some of them.
4. Purchase the items on your list and go through the coupons in an out of the way place in the store before you go through the checkout line.
What I do: My coupons are taped to my list, so as I put an item in my cart, I transfer the tape and the corresponding coupon to the product. That way, I don't have to organize them at or before I get to the cashier.
Checking out with coupons:
1. Hand the wad to the cashier with no thought as to if you even bought all of the items or not (not recommended)
2. Hand the stack of coupons for the items you purchased to the cashier. Either at the beginning or the end of the order.
3. Hand the coupons to the cashier for each item as it's rung up. (IF you do this, have the items in the same order as they are on the belt.)
4. As you're rung up or after the cashier has rung you up, go through the coupons, selecting them while the cashier (and everyone in line behind you waits) (also not recommended-because the non-couponers will think even less of those of us that do and will probably be impatient, but mainly because you'll be concentrating on your coupons and miss watching to make sure everything, including the coupons rings up correctly.).
What I do: Because my coupons are taped to the products, when the cashier is checking me out, he/she can see what I have coupons for, knows if I have the correct item for the product, knows if a price is needed for the coupon and can either write it in then or can wait and knows about where on the receipt to find the price, and I can watch the screen to make sure everything rings up correctly. It makes checking out much less stressful. The Publix cashiers love it when I do it that way. *** If I have a $X/$XX coupon, I take the coupons off the items as I place them on the belt, so they're in the same order as the products were scanned in, and I put the $X/$XX on top. Whoever takes the coupons off the products (the cashier or myself) just folds the tape over.
Order of coupon submission:
The order in which you give your coupons to the cashier can affect your total and which coupons are accepted by the register. Having them organized at least somewhat will help your bottom line. This is a general guideline, there are circumstances in which you might want to change things slightly, but I'm not going to list every possible scenario here.
1. Reward/Loyalty card
2. Coupons that require a total bill of $XX amount (Gas/Gift card offers and $X off your order of $XX or more)
3. Coupons that require an amount be written in on them, usually buy this get that free.
4. Manufacturer coupons
5. Store coupons for specific products
6. Store coupons for $X off your order when they don't require a minimum purchase.
What I do: This is the order I submit coupons in, but because they're taped to my products, I arrange the products in this order on the belt.
General Checking out Thoughts:
Most people are at least a little nervous, the newer they are, the more nervous they are. After you get established and you know you're not trying to scam the system, especially if you're with a cashier you've built a rapport with, you won't be so nervous anymore. People are nervous because they don't want to mess up, they don't want to "cause a scene," they don't want to hold others up, some of it is nervous excitement because they're saving money.
If an item doesn't ring up how you thought it would, let the cashier know. It could be: you read the wrong sign/label; it could be the item was on sale, but isn't now, and no one removed the tag; you were going by what the matchup site told you and it was for a different region; or you picked up the wrong item. All of those are possible and that's why you need to watch as items are rung up. It's not uncommon to have at least one thing ring "incorrectly."
Also watch to be sure your coupons ring correctly. Normally, it's not a coupon price that's the issue, but usually a coupon might not go through because of a computer or human error. It's your job to watch for those errors and point them out. Sometimes you misread the coupon and didn't fulfill the requirements, it's ok, it happens to everyone. Sometimes it has to do with the order the coupons were rung up in. Sometimes coupons (especially cat food for some reason) don't like to ring up at all, no matter what. Sometimes the cashier misses one or forgets to scan a double coupon twice.
If something doesn't work out how you expected-either because of the coupon or the price, ask the cashier to take it off your order. It doesn't make any difference to them and no one will think any less of you (if they do, their opinion doesn't matter anyway). It's your money. Spend it how you want.
By the time you've made your list, found the coupons, picked up the items, and seen them rung up, you should know what you bought. Look over your receipt. Is it right? Make sure. The statistic on incorrect receipts is amazingly higher than you think it would be. If you have issues, take it to the customer service desk immediately. Don't make a big fuss, just ask questions.
Don't argue with the cashier or manager. It's not worth the time and energy. If it's a big deal to you, have the item(s) removed from you bill or have the whole order refunded if it's that bad. If there are one or two small things that are in the store's favor this time, realize next time, there will probably be one or two small things in your favor. Pick your battles, don't stress over unnecessary stuff. Enjoy your savings and be proud of yourself.
How to Organize Coupons-at home
You've probably now found you love getting that final number on your grocery receipt. You enjoy coming home and sharing (bragging) about how well you did at the store. But when you've had a busy week and not been able to clip or organize those coupons from Sunday and it's Saturday night and tomorrow you're going to get your Sunday papers and now you've got two weeks or more piled up, it can be overwhelming. Sometimes you can call in help and sometimes you can't. Here are some tips to help you whether you've been in that spot or you're just starting out.
Every person is different and not everyone uses their coupons or shops in the same way. If you need to cut down on the amount of time you spend couponing or you're just starting and you don't want to make this be your full-time job, you can go with the filing method.
Because of the matchup websites, you really don't need to clip any coupons unless you're going to use them. All you need to do is set up a filing system. The number of papers you receive will determine the container you need. If you only get 2 papers a week, you can probably fit them in an expandable folder with divisions in it ($4-$25). If you get 6 or more papers per week, you're probably better off with a file storage box/tote or a desk drawer with hanging folders, either way, use hanging folders. To keep the amount of space needed as small as you can, thumb through the inserts, if you have the time, and remove the store fliers and pages without coupons you don't need. Write the date of the newspaper really big on the front page of the insert (VERY IMPORTANT). Do the same with store coupon booklets. Then file them by date in your system. The matchup site will tell you the date and insert in which you'll find the coupons you need. Then you just clip them when you need them. If you need to find a coupon, use the coupon database on the matchup site, most of them have one. For other coupons like blinkies and internet coupons, you can use a small accordion file like a normal coupon sorter and file them by product. Just keep that container inside your larger one up front somewhere.
I like having a binder with the coupons organized in it. So, I clip 2 paper's worth of inserts each week and file any other inserts in a filing system by date. When I'm clipping, to make things more expedient, I put two inserts together at a time, sorting the pages and matching them up to create 1 SmartSource or Red Plum with two of each page. Then I cut both pages out simultaneously. As I'm cutting, I sort them into folders (1 folder for each category (meat, personal care, cold, dry goods, etc). Because they're in envelopes by category, if I'm interrupted, I can put them down and not worry about pets and kids disturbing them and when I'm ready to put them in my binder, I can do one category at a time without having to flip back and forth all of the time. Also, by sorting them into envelopes as I'm cutting, if I don't have time to file them all immediately, I can still find the coupon if I need it and if I don't get to it before the next paper, I can just add more coupons to the envelope and put them all in my binder at the same time later.
If you don't have time to clip at all, but want to, just file the insert for now and clip them when you have time. Just make sure you put the date on the front of the insert. Then you'll have them and be able to find what you need when you need it and you won't have to go through an enormous stack of coupons to find the needle in the haystack. When you have to spend 30 minutes looking for a 30 cent coupon, it's really easy to get discouraged.
As far a categories goes, you'll find what works best for you. Some people sort them by expiration date, others by grocery aisle in their primary store. I have my sorted by type of product in a general category and then broken down further within that category by having pages devoted to specific products. For example, I have a "personal care" category, within that category, I have a page for body wash/bar soap, a page for deodorant, a couple pages for shaving products, several pages for dental care (I tried sorting mouthwash, toothpaste, and toothbrushes separately, but many coupons are for more than one of those things, so it wasn't possible), etc. My general categories are beverages, cleaners-dish, cleaners-laundry, cleaners-other, personal care, general merchandise-paper, general merchandise-pets, general merchandise-air fresheners, general merchandise-batteries, general merchandise-other, Food-dry goods, Food-cereal, Food-canned goods, Food-dairy, Food-cold, Food-meat, Store $X/$XX coupons, Non-grocery, and Restaurant.
Don't let time and clipping discourage you from a good thing, just find a system that works for your organizational and personal lifestyle.
Every person is different and not everyone uses their coupons or shops in the same way. If you need to cut down on the amount of time you spend couponing or you're just starting and you don't want to make this be your full-time job, you can go with the filing method.
Because of the matchup websites, you really don't need to clip any coupons unless you're going to use them. All you need to do is set up a filing system. The number of papers you receive will determine the container you need. If you only get 2 papers a week, you can probably fit them in an expandable folder with divisions in it ($4-$25). If you get 6 or more papers per week, you're probably better off with a file storage box/tote or a desk drawer with hanging folders, either way, use hanging folders. To keep the amount of space needed as small as you can, thumb through the inserts, if you have the time, and remove the store fliers and pages without coupons you don't need. Write the date of the newspaper really big on the front page of the insert (VERY IMPORTANT). Do the same with store coupon booklets. Then file them by date in your system. The matchup site will tell you the date and insert in which you'll find the coupons you need. Then you just clip them when you need them. If you need to find a coupon, use the coupon database on the matchup site, most of them have one. For other coupons like blinkies and internet coupons, you can use a small accordion file like a normal coupon sorter and file them by product. Just keep that container inside your larger one up front somewhere.
I like having a binder with the coupons organized in it. So, I clip 2 paper's worth of inserts each week and file any other inserts in a filing system by date. When I'm clipping, to make things more expedient, I put two inserts together at a time, sorting the pages and matching them up to create 1 SmartSource or Red Plum with two of each page. Then I cut both pages out simultaneously. As I'm cutting, I sort them into folders (1 folder for each category (meat, personal care, cold, dry goods, etc). Because they're in envelopes by category, if I'm interrupted, I can put them down and not worry about pets and kids disturbing them and when I'm ready to put them in my binder, I can do one category at a time without having to flip back and forth all of the time. Also, by sorting them into envelopes as I'm cutting, if I don't have time to file them all immediately, I can still find the coupon if I need it and if I don't get to it before the next paper, I can just add more coupons to the envelope and put them all in my binder at the same time later.
If you don't have time to clip at all, but want to, just file the insert for now and clip them when you have time. Just make sure you put the date on the front of the insert. Then you'll have them and be able to find what you need when you need it and you won't have to go through an enormous stack of coupons to find the needle in the haystack. When you have to spend 30 minutes looking for a 30 cent coupon, it's really easy to get discouraged.
As far a categories goes, you'll find what works best for you. Some people sort them by expiration date, others by grocery aisle in their primary store. I have my sorted by type of product in a general category and then broken down further within that category by having pages devoted to specific products. For example, I have a "personal care" category, within that category, I have a page for body wash/bar soap, a page for deodorant, a couple pages for shaving products, several pages for dental care (I tried sorting mouthwash, toothpaste, and toothbrushes separately, but many coupons are for more than one of those things, so it wasn't possible), etc. My general categories are beverages, cleaners-dish, cleaners-laundry, cleaners-other, personal care, general merchandise-paper, general merchandise-pets, general merchandise-air fresheners, general merchandise-batteries, general merchandise-other, Food-dry goods, Food-cereal, Food-canned goods, Food-dairy, Food-cold, Food-meat, Store $X/$XX coupons, Non-grocery, and Restaurant.
Don't let time and clipping discourage you from a good thing, just find a system that works for your organizational and personal lifestyle.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Cheap Paper and School Supplies
Looks like the school supply sales are starting early this year, or at least it seems that way to me. Office Max has folders and pencil sharpeners for a penny and others that are cheap with their reward program. Office Depot has many items that end up being free because of their reward program.Walmart has some of their school supplies on sale already. If you cannot get to Office Max or Office Depot easily and you can get to Walmart, you can take their fliers there (or print them off the internet) and Walmart will match the prices, but they will not match reward offers. Target has free sharpies with their online coupon. Keep an eye out over the next month is when you should try and stock up on your office and school supplies this is when they're the cheapest. Also, watch for events with backpack giveaways. I know there are some scheduled for August. Keep in mind it's nice to get some of the cheap sale items and donate them to the backpack programs.
Summer's halfway over and school's around the corner.
Summer's halfway over and school's around the corner.
Baby Shower Gift Idea
Have you ever been invited to a baby shower but been short the cash to bring a nice gift or not been sure what to bring? Here's an idea for you.
I use a container (a box bottom wrapped in gift wrap, a basket I had around the house, a gift bag-with some weight in the bottom-a rice sock will work nicely, or even a larger plastic container mom can use again) stuff it with something (shredded paper or stuffing covered with tissue paper or wrapping paper to look nice if you don't have enough tissue or easter grass) then use straws or bamboo skewers and tape coupons on them like flags, you can twist the coupons so they wrap around the "stick," then add some other items to the basket to fill it out.
You can get samples and coupons from many places, just register yourself as the expecting parent. Parents always have to buy supplies for their babies, giving them coupons is a way to help them save money on things they'll need to purchase anyway and it gives them the option to choose the brands, sizes, colors, etc they want and need so you don't have to guess.
Places to get coupons and samples:
Enfamil, Similac, Gerber, Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, Publix, WinnDixie, Food Lion, Save A Lot
Payless Shoe stores in the past has given one pair of free baby shoes per baby away if you go in and request them.
babytobee-no need to do the other offers, babiesonline-you decide what you think is a good idea to do
Have a terrific shower!
I use a container (a box bottom wrapped in gift wrap, a basket I had around the house, a gift bag-with some weight in the bottom-a rice sock will work nicely, or even a larger plastic container mom can use again) stuff it with something (shredded paper or stuffing covered with tissue paper or wrapping paper to look nice if you don't have enough tissue or easter grass) then use straws or bamboo skewers and tape coupons on them like flags, you can twist the coupons so they wrap around the "stick," then add some other items to the basket to fill it out.
You can get samples and coupons from many places, just register yourself as the expecting parent. Parents always have to buy supplies for their babies, giving them coupons is a way to help them save money on things they'll need to purchase anyway and it gives them the option to choose the brands, sizes, colors, etc they want and need so you don't have to guess.
Places to get coupons and samples:
Enfamil, Similac, Gerber, Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, Publix, WinnDixie, Food Lion, Save A Lot
Payless Shoe stores in the past has given one pair of free baby shoes per baby away if you go in and request them.
babytobee-no need to do the other offers, babiesonline-you decide what you think is a good idea to do
Have a terrific shower!
More Free Samples
Not all free samples are for exciting things, but it's always fun to see what you can get for free. Here are a few I found, thanks to AllYou.
*A Note on filling out internet forms for samples and coupons. 1st make sure you use a separate email account set up just for receiving these "junk" emails. Use your real name, in case there might be a rebate that needs to have your name on it. Use your real street address so you can receive future samples and coupons in the mail. Use a fake birthday, but one that's still close to your day in case there are bonuses sent out for birthdays, but the year doesn't matter as long as you're over 18. On any other questions, income, marital status, etc, it's up to you whether you give the correct information or not. I NEVER do the "surveys" for free items if you just do one of the following offer things. I never remember to cancel them and they're not worth my time. What you choose to do is up to you. One hint, choose one password to use in conjunction with your "junk" email for requesting samples and coupons. Choose something different than your normal passwords though.
Flexitol Foot Creme Just click on the link on the left for Free Samples and then fill out the form.
Natural Nibbles Dog Treats Click on the Free Samples sticky note on the bottom right and fill out the form.
Home Made Simple Booklet containing $35 in coupons. Just fill out the form.
Parent's Choice baby formula If you know of anyone having or that has a baby you can give this as a gift, or give it to Jeremy for his Guiness World Record food drive in September. Just choose your sample choice and fill out the form.
Jiffy Recipe Booklet When our children were in kindergarten, we found a box of Jiffy mix muffins made into mini muffins was the cheapest way to go for snack for the kids. We just baked them the night before and put them in ziploc bags and hoped they didn't get crushed. The kids and the teachers loved them and looked forward to our kids' snack days. After you request the booklet you have to confirm it in your email.
Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner Dove often has samples and coupons. Check their site once a month to find more.
Playtex Sport Tampon sample and coupon Even if you don't need/use these, you can give them to someone who does.
Purex Laundry Detergent Just fill out the form.It will give you a choice of a sample or a $1 coupon. The sample takes 12 weeks to arrive (it'll be like Christmas when you just get random free packages in the mail). If you regularly use Purex, the $1 coupon may be of more use to you. They often go BOGO at WinnDixie.
BeechNut Starter Kit The kit includes 2 jars of baby food and a coupon for a free box of cereal. If you don't need baby food, use this as a baby shower gift with coupons for other baby products or give it to a friend who has a baby or donate it to Jeremy's food drive.
Emergen-C sample. If this isn't something you use, you can donate it to Jeremy as well.
NESCAFE Tasters Choice This is an assortment of their single serve flavors. There are coupons as well. Once again, if you don't need them, Jeremy can add them to his food drive.
BreathRight strips I don't know how they make money on these, they're constantly giving away samples and high value coupons. Just fill out the form.
Prilosec OTC If you qualify for the free sample based on their form, you can get a free sample. Isn't it funny they give out free samples and yet it's one of the most commonly shoplifted items in the grocery store?
Free Movie from VUDU If you have a PS3, Blu Ray Player and HDTV, or Boxee, you can get 1 free trial of their movie service. After the free trial, you can rent or purchase movies. The account is free and I don't believe there are any subscription fees, so you can just watch the free movie and not do it again if you want.
FLIX Interdental Sticks I'm not sure, but this looks to be a UK company. It didn't say they wouldn't ship a sample to the states, so give it a try and see if you get a gift in your mailbox.
Miracle Whip They'll send you 2 free sample packets. Click on "Free Sample" at the top of the screen.
Fiber Choice You can click on the "free sample" button at the bottom as well as the "$2 coupon" button on the right.
Zantac 150 Just fill out the form.
I think you'll agree, that's enough samples for today. Enjoy the shower of gifts in your mailbox.
*A Note on filling out internet forms for samples and coupons. 1st make sure you use a separate email account set up just for receiving these "junk" emails. Use your real name, in case there might be a rebate that needs to have your name on it. Use your real street address so you can receive future samples and coupons in the mail. Use a fake birthday, but one that's still close to your day in case there are bonuses sent out for birthdays, but the year doesn't matter as long as you're over 18. On any other questions, income, marital status, etc, it's up to you whether you give the correct information or not. I NEVER do the "surveys" for free items if you just do one of the following offer things. I never remember to cancel them and they're not worth my time. What you choose to do is up to you. One hint, choose one password to use in conjunction with your "junk" email for requesting samples and coupons. Choose something different than your normal passwords though.
Flexitol Foot Creme Just click on the link on the left for Free Samples and then fill out the form.
Natural Nibbles Dog Treats Click on the Free Samples sticky note on the bottom right and fill out the form.
Home Made Simple Booklet containing $35 in coupons. Just fill out the form.
Parent's Choice baby formula If you know of anyone having or that has a baby you can give this as a gift, or give it to Jeremy for his Guiness World Record food drive in September. Just choose your sample choice and fill out the form.
Jiffy Recipe Booklet When our children were in kindergarten, we found a box of Jiffy mix muffins made into mini muffins was the cheapest way to go for snack for the kids. We just baked them the night before and put them in ziploc bags and hoped they didn't get crushed. The kids and the teachers loved them and looked forward to our kids' snack days. After you request the booklet you have to confirm it in your email.
Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner Dove often has samples and coupons. Check their site once a month to find more.
Playtex Sport Tampon sample and coupon Even if you don't need/use these, you can give them to someone who does.
Purex Laundry Detergent Just fill out the form.It will give you a choice of a sample or a $1 coupon. The sample takes 12 weeks to arrive (it'll be like Christmas when you just get random free packages in the mail). If you regularly use Purex, the $1 coupon may be of more use to you. They often go BOGO at WinnDixie.
BeechNut Starter Kit The kit includes 2 jars of baby food and a coupon for a free box of cereal. If you don't need baby food, use this as a baby shower gift with coupons for other baby products or give it to a friend who has a baby or donate it to Jeremy's food drive.
Emergen-C sample. If this isn't something you use, you can donate it to Jeremy as well.
NESCAFE Tasters Choice This is an assortment of their single serve flavors. There are coupons as well. Once again, if you don't need them, Jeremy can add them to his food drive.
BreathRight strips I don't know how they make money on these, they're constantly giving away samples and high value coupons. Just fill out the form.
Prilosec OTC If you qualify for the free sample based on their form, you can get a free sample. Isn't it funny they give out free samples and yet it's one of the most commonly shoplifted items in the grocery store?
Free Movie from VUDU If you have a PS3, Blu Ray Player and HDTV, or Boxee, you can get 1 free trial of their movie service. After the free trial, you can rent or purchase movies. The account is free and I don't believe there are any subscription fees, so you can just watch the free movie and not do it again if you want.
FLIX Interdental Sticks I'm not sure, but this looks to be a UK company. It didn't say they wouldn't ship a sample to the states, so give it a try and see if you get a gift in your mailbox.
Miracle Whip They'll send you 2 free sample packets. Click on "Free Sample" at the top of the screen.
Fiber Choice You can click on the "free sample" button at the bottom as well as the "$2 coupon" button on the right.
Zantac 150 Just fill out the form.
I think you'll agree, that's enough samples for today. Enjoy the shower of gifts in your mailbox.
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