More coupons sites and not paying for coupons

Have you ever paid for a coupon that you could get for free?  It is not recommended and was featured on Good Morning America during the weekend of July 15 about people in Arizona being arrested for producing and selling counterfeit coupons.

A quick search this weekend of “coupons” on Ebay had more than 71,000 results.  As I scrolled down, I saw many coupons from the Sunday coupon inserts, as well as other coupons that are free like the one I received recently from Kohl’s for a percentage off a purchase during a particular time period.  Although I found many valid coupons, but by the time you add the cost of the coupon (some were Buy It Now, others were part of an auction), shipping fees, and the amount of time necessary for the transaction to conclude, you could either be paying too much for the coupon or it could be expired.

There are also counterfeit coupons advertised on web sites like Ebay.  Just like counterfeit money, some are better reproductions than others.  If you are caught using a counterfeit coupon, you could be subject to arrest for fraud.  Contact authorities if someone asks you to sell or buy these coupons, as they are illegal.

My discussion here does not include legitimate coupons that you pay for, like the promotional booklets that schools and athletic associations sell as fund raisers.  These are coupons that are available for free, some by purchasing a product and mailing in your receipt or others that are available online.  For additional information, go to the Coupon Information Corporation at www.couponinformationcenter.com.  They have more tips and articles about couponing.

Some legitimate web sites where you can obtain coupons, sign up for freebies (many are sample size, but allow you to try a product), or even obtain codes for discounts (most to purchase items online) are:

     retailmenot.com – codes for web sites

     couponcabin.com

     couponnetwork.com

Remember, be careful of offers that seem “too good to be true.”   Be a friend and share this with your friends.

 

Some couponing mistakes and more ideas

There are so many things to remember when you start couponing.  You will learn through trial and error.  What one couponer does may not work for you, so adapt to your needs and organizational abilities.  There are also many ways to gather and organize coupons, but one of the biggest mistakes we all make is forgetting to use your coupons.

There are different systems for storing coupons, determine which way you want to keep yours.  It could be in a 3”x5” index card box; a 3-ring binder with sleeves used for baseball or postcards; an envelope; or some other method.  Some people like to set their coupons up based upon the layout of the grocery store they shop the most often.  I use a zippered coupon holder I purchased many years ago (possibly from Current) and divide my coupons into categories based upon 6 major categories (there are 6 sections):

•             Baking/Pasta/Condiments
•             Cleaning/Laundry/Paper Products
•             Health and Beauty/Pet Supplies
•             Breakfast/Snacks/Beverages
•             Misc. – this includes coupons for batteries, restaurants, and other
•             Dairy/Frozen/Meats

Each week, I cut coupons and place them in the appropriate section.  At least once a month I pull out the expired coupons (I have noticed the expiration date appears to come faster as many expire within a month).  As I review the sale ads and make my list, I pull the appropriate coupons and place an “*” on the right side of my shopping list.  I also list the sale price with initials for the store so that I can get a good deal.  For example my list might look like:

                       Ice cream  W 3.00  OD 2.99                                   *
                       Paper towels OD 1.19  R 1.09                                *
                       Yogurt R .33  W .39

After coupons that have expired I believe the second mistake we make is forgetting to take your coupons with you.  Why spend all the time to cut, organize, and create your lists if you do not use them?  In a way, this is a trick question.  At times, the coupon may not be the best deal.

Carefully look at the size and quantity on the coupon and determine if the deal using the coupon will save you money.  There are many store brand items that I purchase because we like them more than the name brand not only for the price, but for the quality.  Sometimes using a coupon because you have it is not a deal.  Coupon inserts are designed to appeal to the general population, not you specifically, which means that you won’t use all the coupons in each insert.  Yes, that $2 coupon off some random product is a great deal, but is it something you want and will use?  Don’t pay for something you don’t actually want, no matter the bargain.

Coupons can be found everywhere.  Not only are they delivered to your home in the Sunday newspaper (none on Labor Day weekend due to the holiday - here is the insert schedule for the year www.sundaycouponpreview.com/2012- sunday-coupon-insert-schedule); they come in your mailbox in the format of Valpak (also online at www.valpak.com/coupons/home) and publications like Clipper Magazine (also online at www.couponclipper.com); they can be found in some stores at their customer service desk or on their bulletin board; and are on the Internet including store web sites (Target - www.target.com/coupons); and sites specifically designed for coupon users.

Here are just a few sites I either use or have checked out:

•             coupons.com
•             shopathome.com 
•             couponmom.com

Please feel free to share unique places you have found coupons or your favorite place to get that deal.  In a few weeks, I will continue with more ideas on where to find coupons, including one key tip about coupons that are not free.

I did not get to write a blog entry for the middle of August.  I promise the second part of the coupon blog will be done for September.

Thanks to a friend Marilyn Motley, here is something that is FREE and is all around the country on Saturday, September 29, 2012.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/

Type in your zip code and you will receive a map view.  Click on the orange pins and the museum name will appear.

Extreme Couponing

Have you ever watched the show, Extreme Couponing?  It is on the HGTV network, and shows people who spend lots of time clipping and organizing the coupons, then pouring over the sale ads to see who has the best sales on items that match their coupons.  Then they take friends or family with them in at least one vehicle, sometimes with a trailer or oversize van to stuff with all they purchase.

I have been disturbed by three major points with the premise of the show:

1.       How stores can allow stacking of coupons (using more than one coupon on the same item)?  I have checked local stores and none in my area allow this occurrence.

2.      Do these people eat meats and fresh produce?  Their shopping carts rarely have any of these foods in them since they do not have coupons for them.

3.      How can anyone ever make the space to store and in some cases, even use the massive quantities of items they redeem with coupons?  One episode had a college aged male getting free female hygiene items.  He had no idea what the product was for and had no one planned to give them to.

In the end, their goal is to spend as little money as possible on the stock pile after spending hours collecting these items in multiple carts.

Having a friend who works in the grocery industry; the thought of coupons makes those working in the grocery industry cringe.  They hate them because they create too much work, that they actually lose money because of all of the man hours they put into redeeming coupons.  But if they do not accept coupons, they lose customers – it’s a love hate relationship that they must accept.

Some points to know about me:

1.      I am a coupon clipper, only cutting ones for items our family will use.

2.      The stores where I shop do not allow stacking of coupons, so I do not stock pile large quantities of coupons.

3.      I do spend time each week reviewing the sale ads, whether from the newspaper or online.

4.      I purchase generic items when possible, with few exceptions.  If I try the generic option and do not like it, I am willing to spend the extra money on a name brand.

The quickest place to get coupons for food, health and beauty, and cleaning coupons is the Sunday newspaper.  Yes, you pay for the Sunday newspaper, but this is just one of the many features of the newspaper.  Major coupon inserts from the Sunday newspapers include:

¨      Redplum – coupons are also available at Redplum.com

¨      Smartsource – coupons area also available at Smartsource.com        

¨      Proctor and Gamble - pgeveryday.com –web site only shows you what coupons will be in newspaper and in which ones by entering your zip code, however, they offer quarterly free samples of items such as shampoo

After you cut the coupons you plan to use, share the coupon inserts with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.  If someone has a cat and you do not, offer them those coupons.  Our church recently began a coupon pantry, where someone cuts the coupons and places them in two small labeled plastic mini filing drawers.

In my next installment, I will continue the topic of coupons with more options on where to locate coupons.

Saving by Gardening

Thank you for all who encourage me in my writing of this blog.  I have enjoyed sharing ideas on ways to live a thrifty lifestyle.  Not all deal with saving money, as some may save you time which can equally be important.

To those who have left private messages on Facebook, I would appreciate you leaving your input here in the comment area so that others can also see it.  That is another part of my intention of this blog, for my followers to share ideas with each other.  The topic of this blog will allow you to do just that – share a recipe.  Read on …

It is a wonderful time of the year, as the abundance of summer produce is available, possibly from your own garden or at local produce stands and farmers markets.  My garden is starting to produce wonderfully fresh items including different varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, and fresh herbs.  We like to eat healthy, and knowing that we can grow our own vegetables and herbs makes it easier.

If you haven’t started a garden, plan one for next year if space allows.  Otherwise, stop by farm markets or produce stands.  Not only will you be supporting a local home business, but you will be purchasing foods grown near where you live that are fresh.

Many people blanch and freeze corn on the cob or can produce like green beans.  Personally, I have never tried either of these methods, but have frozen other produce both in raw and in a processed form.

Before doing so, follow safety tips to make sure the food will be safe to eat.  Libraries are a great place to be educated and locate recipes.  There are also many good web sites with proper safety preparation information and recipes.  Personally, I like http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/food-preservation.

A few summers ago, the overabundance of tomatoes and jalapeno peppers gave me the idea to make my own salsa, which freezes well.  After defrosting it, all I have to do is drain off some of the liquid and it tastes great.

Never having grown zucchini, a few years ago I had no idea that 4 plants would produce more than we could eat.  I gave many of them away and sought out recipes using it.  Did you know it could be used in baking with chocolate – YUM!

Now it’s your turn to share.  Please post one of your favorite recipes using locally grown summer produce.  I’ll start with one I discovered last year using zucchini and I added carrots to,  If shredded enough you might be able to get your children to eat their vegetables without knowing it!

---------------

Carrot and Zucchini Meatloaf

Meatloaf

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup either chopped or shredded carrot

2 cups shredded zucchini (1 large or 2 small)

1/3 cup plain bread crumbs

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef

Topping
    1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

·         Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix all meat loaf ingredients until well blended.

·         Press mixture into an ungreased 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate. Bake 35 minutes.

·         Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all topping ingredients.

·         Remove meat loaf from oven; pour off drippings. Spread topping over loaf. Return to oven; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until thoroughly cooked in center and meat thermometer reads 160°F. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Photographic Memories

Memories are made, time marches on, and things change.  We look back and wonder where the first six months of 2012 have gone.  As we reminisce, we may also wonder how other years have passed so quickly.

Our lives are constantly changing.  Before you know it, you have graduated from high school or college.  Your children are grown, and you are a grandparent.  Maybe you are in a different point in your life and you are downsizing, moving from the home where you raised your family to a smaller, easier to manage residence.

More now than years go, we document our lives in photo.  So what have you done with your photos and other memories?

Before my parents downsized a few years ago, I had begun to gather and organize their photos and other printed memories such as marriage invitations, school graduation programs, and funeral memorial cards.  As they moved, these items seemed to multiple.  I located more in their collection that had been packed away, plus some appeared that previously belonged to both of my grandmothers.  Now the decision arose, what to do with all of these precious memories.

This began an ongoing project, where I am dividing and labeling these items.  When on sale, I went to either A.C. Moore or Michaels and purchased memory boxes in two sizes.  The 12”x12” boxes are great for oversized photos and for items like school graduation programs.  The smaller boxes can hold up to 1000 photos and come with divider cards.

Setting up three different families of boxes (different colors), I am currently pouring over thousand of photos, attempting to label a dozen or two a day.  One set of boxes is for my father’s families, another set for my mother’s, and a set for my parents life together that includes my siblings, and our families.

Since some of the photos were still in the developing envelope, I was able to easily decipher what year they were taken.  Others were not as easily identifiable.  My parents have been able to assist me with some, but there are others that could be relatives who passed long ago or they may have been family friends.  For those that neither my parents nor I could not identify, I scanned and emailed some of the photos to relatives who I knew might be able to assist me in this project.  For some I was able to gain knowledge, others remain as unknown.

After identifying who was in a picture and listing the year and in some instances only the decade, I placed them in the boxes using both the divider cards and also index cards (since there are never enough dividers) standing on end with the year listed.

What I learned from this entire project are some words of wisdom I wish to pass along to anyone who gives photos as memories.

1.      Start labeling your photos now while it’s hot outside – this is an activity that will allow you to sit and keep cool.  Also, the longer you put it off, the more memories that will be created and even forgotten as we age.  I have scanned and backed up many of these memories that I know are irreplaceable like the only know photos of some relatives.

2.      Use a storage method that is also safe for the memories.  A shoebox is a good temporary storage method, but not as safe for long time storage as are the photo memory boxes which are created to be acid free.

3.      Gather these memories in one place.  You may be surprised of what is found in drawers, basements, and attics.  Memories may be damaged due to extreme temperature changes, light, mold, and other environmental factors.

4.      Using a photo safe labeling pencil or pen, identify on the back of your photo the who, what, where, when, and why of the picture.  Do not use a ball point pen, nor write on the front of the photo, nor attach a label as even permanent ones lose their “stickiness” many years later and fall off the photo.

5.      If you give photo Christmas cards; consider putting the year and names on it in the order that the people are standing.

6.      Consider assisting your parents or older relatives in doing this type of a project, because one day you may be the individual who inherits the family treasurers.

As someone who has loved genealogy and putting together the pieces of my family tree, I have come across photos that I never knew existed of relatives who I never met because they passed before I was born.  These organized and labeled treasurers along with my printed family history are a legacy that I can pass down to my niece and nephews.

Photo Developing

There are many web sites where you can preserve your memories in digital format.  You can have your photos printed at many locations both at a store or online.  Some of the places to consider are:  warehouse stores (BJs, Sams Club, and Costco); drug stores (CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgrens); department/chain stores (Boscovs, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart); and with locations that are only online (Shutterfly, Snapfish, and Kodak Gallery).  Some allow you to upload your photos and have the order print out at their location, while others allow you the option of having the finished product delivered to your home.

Other than cost, here are some things to consider when ordering photos through an online website:

Size – what do they offer - wallet, 4x6, 5x7, or another size?  Do they offer any package deals?

Finish - matte or glossy?

Processing - color, black and white, or special toning like sepia?

Paper – Kodak, Fujicolor, or another?

Enhancement - does their site allow for editing such as cropping, adjusting red eye, etc.?

Shipping and Handling - what fees are charged and what service is used to ship to your home or to their location?

Taxes - will you pay tax for in store or mail delivery?

Fees - are there any hidden or membership fees?

Time - how long will it take to produce and receive them?

Upload photos - individually or in a cluster?

Packaging - are the pictures mailed in a sturdy package?

Photo storage - cellulose acetate (negative), photo CD, or print containing all photos?  Will they maintain your photo library on their site?

Return policy - how do they handle photos that do not print correctly?

Photo gifts - can you order a mug, calendar, or other specialty item with your photo(s) on it?

Scrapbook pages – can you order photo pages in 7x7, 8x8, 12x12, or anther special size?

No matter what you chose to do with your photo memories - always, always, back up your photos to another location such as an eternal hard drive or to an online photo storage location.  It's a tragedy when your precious memories are lost.

Seek out special offers and sales for photos you do not need to have your photos developed immediately.  Be nice, and share your finds with your family and friends.

Where do you have your photos developed?  Recommendations are always appreciated by your fellow readers because you may know of a place where we can all save money.  Now say Cheese and take some pictures this weekend!