I know it's been a while since I last posted, but things have been chaotic around here. I have a new job, my son is now in middle school, and I'm just trying to breathe and not let my house turn into a pit.
I'm back with new ways to save. I'm also going to be adding my journeys through getting my son to try new foods (he's pretty picky), and some book reviews. I'm really getting into books about how to do things your self, like making soda or re purposing items for your house. This blog is going to become more lifestyle oriented, but I will still be throwing in my tips on how to get the most for the least.
Come join the Zen! I think it will be a fun journey that we can all take together.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Saturday, March 10, 2012
It's birthday time!
Yep, it's coming up on my birthday. No, you don't need to know how old I am. I don't tend to dread my birthday each year, I am too focused on what is going to show up in both e-mail and my snail mail box. It is the month of FREEBIES!!! How is that possible? Let me show you the ways....
The first step starts about 2 to 6 months before your birthday. Go to EVERY site for EVERY restaurant, coffee shop, clothing store, and anything else you can think of and sign up for their e-mail lists. Most places that have e-mail lists ask for birthdate, and sometimes an anniversary or other significant date. That means that sometime in the month of your birthday, you will receive an e-mail or a postcard with an offer for your birthday. These offers can range from a free appetizer with an entree purchase, a free entree, a buy one get one free offer, a free dessert, a dollar amount off your purchase, or another offer. So far, I have gotten a free single scoop cone with purchase at Friendly's, a free appetizer with entree purchase at Carrabba's, a free one topping medium pizza at Hungry Howie's, a free grande beverage at Bigby, a $10 off coupon at Victoria's Secret card, and a $10 off coupon at the Express.
The second step is to read the fine print on ALL of your offers. You need to know what conditions have to be met to get your offer. Sometimes they have very limited dates that you can redeem in. Merchandise coupons tend to have restrictions on what you can and can't buy with the card. Sometimes the free item has to come from a certain part of the menu or can't exceed a certain value. Also, I have gotten pizza coupons that require you to pick up your pizza instead of having it delivered. If needed, go through the fine print and highlight the conditions so you don't forget them, or you can ask about them before you start making your purchase.
The third step is to keep your eyes open to maximize your purchases. Here's an example from what I've done so far with this year's freebies. As I said above, I received a $10 off a $10 purchase or more from both Express and Victoria's Secret. I discovered a few years back that the cards you receive from them in snail mail can be used twice - once online and once in the store. However, you do need to make your online purchase FIRST, because the stores take the card from you when you make the in-store purchase. So I found a 5 panties for $15 offer on the Express website, and got a clearance sweater from Victoria's Secret's website for $16.99. $10 off covered the shipping and handling and some off the purchase price. Not bad. Then I went to the stores and got a 5 panties for $26 deal at Victoria's Secret and a nice $19.90 top from Express. I also got the $10 off of those. Best guess, I probably spent about $40 for well over $150 worth of items. My kind of savings.
Long ago I decided that even as I get older, I can really look forward to my birthday because I can really clean up in the freebie department. By the time all my coupons are in, I can probably eat lunch or dinner free for at least a week and a half and get a nice amount of items free or greatly discounted from stores. I end up feeling a bit spoiled by all of it, but I will take it and enjoy a month of stuff just for me. Hope you have fun getting ready for your next birthday!
The first step starts about 2 to 6 months before your birthday. Go to EVERY site for EVERY restaurant, coffee shop, clothing store, and anything else you can think of and sign up for their e-mail lists. Most places that have e-mail lists ask for birthdate, and sometimes an anniversary or other significant date. That means that sometime in the month of your birthday, you will receive an e-mail or a postcard with an offer for your birthday. These offers can range from a free appetizer with an entree purchase, a free entree, a buy one get one free offer, a free dessert, a dollar amount off your purchase, or another offer. So far, I have gotten a free single scoop cone with purchase at Friendly's, a free appetizer with entree purchase at Carrabba's, a free one topping medium pizza at Hungry Howie's, a free grande beverage at Bigby, a $10 off coupon at Victoria's Secret card, and a $10 off coupon at the Express.
The second step is to read the fine print on ALL of your offers. You need to know what conditions have to be met to get your offer. Sometimes they have very limited dates that you can redeem in. Merchandise coupons tend to have restrictions on what you can and can't buy with the card. Sometimes the free item has to come from a certain part of the menu or can't exceed a certain value. Also, I have gotten pizza coupons that require you to pick up your pizza instead of having it delivered. If needed, go through the fine print and highlight the conditions so you don't forget them, or you can ask about them before you start making your purchase.
The third step is to keep your eyes open to maximize your purchases. Here's an example from what I've done so far with this year's freebies. As I said above, I received a $10 off a $10 purchase or more from both Express and Victoria's Secret. I discovered a few years back that the cards you receive from them in snail mail can be used twice - once online and once in the store. However, you do need to make your online purchase FIRST, because the stores take the card from you when you make the in-store purchase. So I found a 5 panties for $15 offer on the Express website, and got a clearance sweater from Victoria's Secret's website for $16.99. $10 off covered the shipping and handling and some off the purchase price. Not bad. Then I went to the stores and got a 5 panties for $26 deal at Victoria's Secret and a nice $19.90 top from Express. I also got the $10 off of those. Best guess, I probably spent about $40 for well over $150 worth of items. My kind of savings.
Long ago I decided that even as I get older, I can really look forward to my birthday because I can really clean up in the freebie department. By the time all my coupons are in, I can probably eat lunch or dinner free for at least a week and a half and get a nice amount of items free or greatly discounted from stores. I end up feeling a bit spoiled by all of it, but I will take it and enjoy a month of stuff just for me. Hope you have fun getting ready for your next birthday!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Gifting on the cheap
Sorry it's been so long between posts. Life is crazy, and it just gets crazier as the holidays near. Everyone is out looking for the perfect gifts to give, but a lot of people are strapped because of the economy. Freebies are harder to come by, so why not fill out your gifting with some home made gifts. There are recipes out there for everything from cocoa mix to spiced nuts. My favorite gift to give is home made marshmallows. Really, home made marshmallows. People still give me funny looks when I hand them some, but taste changes their tune soon enough. I've been getting requests from local friends for the recipe, so I'm going to post it here and put some of my own variations and tips and tricks at the end.
This recipe originally came from Family Circle magazine.
Peppermint Marshmallows
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup crushed candy canes or mint candies
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Into a small bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cornstarch. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. Coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sift 2 tablespoons of the sugar-cornstarch mixture into the pan, tilting to coat sides. Leave any excess in the pan.
2. Place 2/3 cup water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften 5 minutes.
3. In a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat sugar, corn syrup, candy cane pieces and salt over medium heat about 7 minutes until sugar and candy are dissolved, stirring occasionally. Strain into bowl with gelatin.
4. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 10 to 15 minutes. Spread into prepared pan and smooth top. Dust with 2 tablespoons of the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
5. Lift marshmallow from pan using foil. With a wet knife, cut into 6 squares. Spread remaining sugar-cornstarch mixture onto a baking sheet. Invert marshmallow block onto sheet; cut each square in 9 pieces. Toss marshmallows in sugar-cornstarch mixture, and set on a pan to set an additional hour. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature.
Tips and Tricks
-Set EVERYTHING out before you turn on the heat under the pan with the sugar/syrup/candy mixture. Once that pan is on, you aren't going anywhere until it is melted.
-Try to work near a sink. When you go to strain the sugar mixture into the bowl with the gelatin, turn your faucet on hot and let it run. You will want to put the saucepan, strainer, and stirring utensil under that water as soon as you are done with them so the sugar won't turn into a rock.
-Use room temperature water for the gelatin. If the water is too cold, the sugar can harden before you start beating it.
-When you go to cut the marshmallow, dip your knife in COLD tap water before each cut. Otherwise your knife will stick and your cuts won't be as nice.
-You can forgo the cornstarch if you want to. Just be VERY liberal in your use of confectioners' sugar on your foil and on the marshmallows.
-If you are nervous about working with hot sugar and being sure that you are at the right stage, you can use a candy thermometer and heat the mixture until you are at soft ball stage (about 240 degrees). I eyeball it. The surface of the sugar should be bubbling briskly, and when you pull out your stirring utensil the sugar should be a nice liquid with no signs of any granular sugar left.
Variations
Wintergreen- substitute hard wintergreen candies for the candy canes. If you can find wintergreen candy canes, use those so that they impart a nice pale green color to the marshmallows.
Cinnamon- substitute hard cinnamon candies for the candy canes. I used the Brach's cinnamon candies that are the same size as Starlight mints. I'm sure you could use red hots also.
Caramel- substitute HARD caramels for the candy canes. I used Werther's. They will not come out quite as fluffy as any of the others, but the texture is still good.
Vanilla-substitute 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the candy canes, and in the last couple minutes of beating add 1 Tbsp of good vanilla extract.
Corn-free-This is a multi-step alteration. First, you will need to take granulated sugar and blitz it in a food processor to make your own confectioners' sugar, unless you know a brand of confectioners' sugar that doesn't use corn starch in it. Second, you will need to get either a rice syrup or a cane sugar syrup like Lyle's Golden Syrup to use instead of the corn syrup. Last, any flavoring or candy you use needs to be checked to make sure that corn syrup or corn alcohol are not ingredients.
Chocolate - Start off like you are making vanilla marshmallows. When you are nearing the end of your beating time, bring 4 Tbsp. of water to JUST bubbling, then add to a bowl containing 4 Tbsp. good quality cocoa powder. Mix to dissolve the cocoa in the water. Add the cocoa liquid all at once at then end of your beating time, and continue to beat JUST UNTIL they are combined. If you beat too long, the cocoa fats will make the marshmallow start to fall.
These are just the variations I have tried over the last few years. I'm planning new things to try when I'm not under the gun for gifts. Have fun, experiment, and let me know what wacky flavors you come up with!
This recipe originally came from Family Circle magazine.
Peppermint Marshmallows
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup crushed candy canes or mint candies
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Into a small bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cornstarch. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. Coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sift 2 tablespoons of the sugar-cornstarch mixture into the pan, tilting to coat sides. Leave any excess in the pan.
2. Place 2/3 cup water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften 5 minutes.
3. In a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat sugar, corn syrup, candy cane pieces and salt over medium heat about 7 minutes until sugar and candy are dissolved, stirring occasionally. Strain into bowl with gelatin.
4. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 10 to 15 minutes. Spread into prepared pan and smooth top. Dust with 2 tablespoons of the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
5. Lift marshmallow from pan using foil. With a wet knife, cut into 6 squares. Spread remaining sugar-cornstarch mixture onto a baking sheet. Invert marshmallow block onto sheet; cut each square in 9 pieces. Toss marshmallows in sugar-cornstarch mixture, and set on a pan to set an additional hour. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature.
Tips and Tricks
-Set EVERYTHING out before you turn on the heat under the pan with the sugar/syrup/candy mixture. Once that pan is on, you aren't going anywhere until it is melted.
-Try to work near a sink. When you go to strain the sugar mixture into the bowl with the gelatin, turn your faucet on hot and let it run. You will want to put the saucepan, strainer, and stirring utensil under that water as soon as you are done with them so the sugar won't turn into a rock.
-Use room temperature water for the gelatin. If the water is too cold, the sugar can harden before you start beating it.
-When you go to cut the marshmallow, dip your knife in COLD tap water before each cut. Otherwise your knife will stick and your cuts won't be as nice.
-You can forgo the cornstarch if you want to. Just be VERY liberal in your use of confectioners' sugar on your foil and on the marshmallows.
-If you are nervous about working with hot sugar and being sure that you are at the right stage, you can use a candy thermometer and heat the mixture until you are at soft ball stage (about 240 degrees). I eyeball it. The surface of the sugar should be bubbling briskly, and when you pull out your stirring utensil the sugar should be a nice liquid with no signs of any granular sugar left.
Variations
Wintergreen- substitute hard wintergreen candies for the candy canes. If you can find wintergreen candy canes, use those so that they impart a nice pale green color to the marshmallows.
Cinnamon- substitute hard cinnamon candies for the candy canes. I used the Brach's cinnamon candies that are the same size as Starlight mints. I'm sure you could use red hots also.
Caramel- substitute HARD caramels for the candy canes. I used Werther's. They will not come out quite as fluffy as any of the others, but the texture is still good.
Vanilla-substitute 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the candy canes, and in the last couple minutes of beating add 1 Tbsp of good vanilla extract.
Corn-free-This is a multi-step alteration. First, you will need to take granulated sugar and blitz it in a food processor to make your own confectioners' sugar, unless you know a brand of confectioners' sugar that doesn't use corn starch in it. Second, you will need to get either a rice syrup or a cane sugar syrup like Lyle's Golden Syrup to use instead of the corn syrup. Last, any flavoring or candy you use needs to be checked to make sure that corn syrup or corn alcohol are not ingredients.
Chocolate - Start off like you are making vanilla marshmallows. When you are nearing the end of your beating time, bring 4 Tbsp. of water to JUST bubbling, then add to a bowl containing 4 Tbsp. good quality cocoa powder. Mix to dissolve the cocoa in the water. Add the cocoa liquid all at once at then end of your beating time, and continue to beat JUST UNTIL they are combined. If you beat too long, the cocoa fats will make the marshmallow start to fall.
These are just the variations I have tried over the last few years. I'm planning new things to try when I'm not under the gun for gifts. Have fun, experiment, and let me know what wacky flavors you come up with!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
When extreme is too extreme
I've been watching Extreme Couponing lately, and have come to the conclusion that some of these people are too extreme. If you haven't seen the show, it's about people who can spend upwards of 60 hours a week getting ready for a shopping trip by researching prices and clipping coupons to pay as little as possible at the grocery checkout. After watching about 10 of the shows, here's what I have noticed that would NEVER work for me or my family.
1. They get a lot of items the we would NEVER eat - By this I mean that they get a lot of pre-packaged foods, soft drinks, candy, and other things that rarely if ever enter my house. We've made a commitment to healthy eating. We are big into reading the nutrition information on the labels of any packaged food we eat, and we get a lot of fresh produce. If we ate, for example, lots of ramen or soda (I wish I'd thought of couponing in college), we could eat for free a lot. We are WAY too picky for that, and I am not buying something we don't like or isn't healthy just because I can get it for free.
2. They are not overly particular about brands - Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it makes things difficult in my house. We try to buy items made from recycled materials, organic, and natural products, so there aren't always the best coupon opportunities available. We won't compromise on these items at all, so it makes it a bit trickier.
3. They are buying items that they have no current use for - There was a woman who had a year's worth of diapers, and SHE ISN'T PREGNANT AND HAS NO KIDS!!!!! She was keeping them in her stockpile, just sitting in her basement!!! Now, if I could score some freebie deals on diapers, I would get as many as I could and take them straight to my local women's shelter. I do not have the storage space in my house for stuff like that. I get what I need for my family.
4. They have stores that have more lenient rules for coupons - In our area, we rarely if ever have days where the stores will round all coupons up to $1.00. One chain of stores will only double one coupon for an item, even if you have multiple coupons with different denominations. This means that we just can't get the level of savings you see in some of these shows. Plus, we are in a small market, so there isn't as much push from the chains to give the best deals. My sister-in-law lives in the Phoenix area, and she can regularly get at least 50% off her grocery bill because her market is so competitive.
Now, not all of the extreme couponers are super extreme. The ones that I admire are the ones who fill their stockpile room for free, then give 90% away to charities and the troops. That has made me rethink how I shop and I am going to set aside some room to gather freebies to give to the local food bank and women's shelters. I think this is a great way to give to others, and all it requires is some of your time.
Yeah, it's great that these people can get out of a store with a $400 order for under $4, but it requires more of my time and way more compromises than I am willing to make. More power to them, but I think you can still get significant savings without being this extreme.
1. They get a lot of items the we would NEVER eat - By this I mean that they get a lot of pre-packaged foods, soft drinks, candy, and other things that rarely if ever enter my house. We've made a commitment to healthy eating. We are big into reading the nutrition information on the labels of any packaged food we eat, and we get a lot of fresh produce. If we ate, for example, lots of ramen or soda (I wish I'd thought of couponing in college), we could eat for free a lot. We are WAY too picky for that, and I am not buying something we don't like or isn't healthy just because I can get it for free.
2. They are not overly particular about brands - Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it makes things difficult in my house. We try to buy items made from recycled materials, organic, and natural products, so there aren't always the best coupon opportunities available. We won't compromise on these items at all, so it makes it a bit trickier.
3. They are buying items that they have no current use for - There was a woman who had a year's worth of diapers, and SHE ISN'T PREGNANT AND HAS NO KIDS!!!!! She was keeping them in her stockpile, just sitting in her basement!!! Now, if I could score some freebie deals on diapers, I would get as many as I could and take them straight to my local women's shelter. I do not have the storage space in my house for stuff like that. I get what I need for my family.
4. They have stores that have more lenient rules for coupons - In our area, we rarely if ever have days where the stores will round all coupons up to $1.00. One chain of stores will only double one coupon for an item, even if you have multiple coupons with different denominations. This means that we just can't get the level of savings you see in some of these shows. Plus, we are in a small market, so there isn't as much push from the chains to give the best deals. My sister-in-law lives in the Phoenix area, and she can regularly get at least 50% off her grocery bill because her market is so competitive.
Now, not all of the extreme couponers are super extreme. The ones that I admire are the ones who fill their stockpile room for free, then give 90% away to charities and the troops. That has made me rethink how I shop and I am going to set aside some room to gather freebies to give to the local food bank and women's shelters. I think this is a great way to give to others, and all it requires is some of your time.
Yeah, it's great that these people can get out of a store with a $400 order for under $4, but it requires more of my time and way more compromises than I am willing to make. More power to them, but I think you can still get significant savings without being this extreme.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Who knew being opinionated could pay?
How many times have you received one of those surveys at the bottom of your receipt after you went shopping at the store? It just seems like extra work for a chance at a gift certificate sometimes, doesn't it? Well, did you know that answering surveys can sometimes be pretty lucrative? I've been getting tons of stuff just for filling out surveys online for quite a while now. Here are some of the different way surveys work now, and the best ways to use them to your advantage.
First are those surveys at the bottom of your receipt. Most of the time they are for a chance to win a gift certificate. The big thing to check on those is how many times in a month/quarter you are allowed to enter. Some companies, it is 3 times a month, some it is 4 times a quarter. The surveys typically are pretty easy to fill out, and help the stores determine how they are doing in customer service. I know, you aren't guaranteed anything, but a chance at a $5000 Target gift card is incentive enough for me. Now when you go to restaurants, you can get pretty quick gratification on their surveys. Most of the time, if you fill out the survey (phone or e-mail), you get a code or printable coupon for free food or money off your next meal there. The only drawback on those is that you have to fill them out within a couple days of your trip, and the reward is typically only good for a month or less. Hey, free food is free food, so I fill them out even if I'm not planning on going back for a while.
The second, and the one I use the most, are the online survey sites like www.mysurvey.com, amongst others. Now, I put the disclaimer here, READ ALL THE FINE PRINT. For a reliable site, you should NEVER have to give out anything more than your mailing information and basic demographics, and they should NEVER require you to pay them money to take their surveys. These sites will e-mail you when they have a survey ready for you. Those surveys will earn you "points" or "survey dollars" or something like that that you bank for rewards. Some sites' points expire after a few years, and some let you keep building them up as long as you want (again, read the fine print), so keep that in mind when looking at the rewards. The rewards for these sites can include anything from merchandise, checks, and gift certificates.
Now these survey sites have all kinds of surveys. The surveys can last for anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. I've had ones about political opinions, heath issues, food, beverage, toys, restaurants, and just about anything else you could imagine. Now some I won't participate in because I find the information to sensitive. I don't do financial service surveys because I feel that giving ANYONE my financial information (besides a range of total household income) is asking for trouble. I've gotten offers to gain points by sending in credit card offers and paperwork about changes in my credit card terms, and I have TURNED THEM DOWN FLAT. I don't take chances on credit theft. I also never take them up on programs that want to install software on my PC to watch my browsing patterns. I think that is an invasion of privacy and a chance at letting a virus onto my PC. Sometimes the surveys can seem silly (how does the commercial make you feel), and sometimes they can be repetitive. The surveys I like the most are the product surveys. These are the ones where after an initial screening survey, I get offered the chance to try a product and then fill out a follow up survey. These are so fun! I've gotten cat food, skin cream, frozen dinners, snack food, and other stuff. I love trying out new products for free, and then letting the companies know what I think of them. Plus, I get to bank more reward points.
Now here's the fun part. Sometimes you can piggy back your survey rewards with some other savings I've talked about in earlier entries. In the past, I have cashed in rewards for gift certificates for sites that work with www.mypoints.com. That way I can earn points for MyPoints while I am spending my rewards. Essentially, earning rewards points with the results of other rewards points! Hey, I'll work it for all I can get for free.
Again, I caution you to read the terms of usage for ANY survey site that you sign up with. That being said, these kinds of sites are fun to participate in and can lead to some nice rewards. Just today I cashed in enough points for a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate (the free shipping point on their site). Free shipping, plus my items, and I only ended up paying $3.62 to cover the overlap and tax. Not bad for a few hours work over 4-6 months.
First are those surveys at the bottom of your receipt. Most of the time they are for a chance to win a gift certificate. The big thing to check on those is how many times in a month/quarter you are allowed to enter. Some companies, it is 3 times a month, some it is 4 times a quarter. The surveys typically are pretty easy to fill out, and help the stores determine how they are doing in customer service. I know, you aren't guaranteed anything, but a chance at a $5000 Target gift card is incentive enough for me. Now when you go to restaurants, you can get pretty quick gratification on their surveys. Most of the time, if you fill out the survey (phone or e-mail), you get a code or printable coupon for free food or money off your next meal there. The only drawback on those is that you have to fill them out within a couple days of your trip, and the reward is typically only good for a month or less. Hey, free food is free food, so I fill them out even if I'm not planning on going back for a while.
The second, and the one I use the most, are the online survey sites like www.mysurvey.com, amongst others. Now, I put the disclaimer here, READ ALL THE FINE PRINT. For a reliable site, you should NEVER have to give out anything more than your mailing information and basic demographics, and they should NEVER require you to pay them money to take their surveys. These sites will e-mail you when they have a survey ready for you. Those surveys will earn you "points" or "survey dollars" or something like that that you bank for rewards. Some sites' points expire after a few years, and some let you keep building them up as long as you want (again, read the fine print), so keep that in mind when looking at the rewards. The rewards for these sites can include anything from merchandise, checks, and gift certificates.
Now these survey sites have all kinds of surveys. The surveys can last for anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. I've had ones about political opinions, heath issues, food, beverage, toys, restaurants, and just about anything else you could imagine. Now some I won't participate in because I find the information to sensitive. I don't do financial service surveys because I feel that giving ANYONE my financial information (besides a range of total household income) is asking for trouble. I've gotten offers to gain points by sending in credit card offers and paperwork about changes in my credit card terms, and I have TURNED THEM DOWN FLAT. I don't take chances on credit theft. I also never take them up on programs that want to install software on my PC to watch my browsing patterns. I think that is an invasion of privacy and a chance at letting a virus onto my PC. Sometimes the surveys can seem silly (how does the commercial make you feel), and sometimes they can be repetitive. The surveys I like the most are the product surveys. These are the ones where after an initial screening survey, I get offered the chance to try a product and then fill out a follow up survey. These are so fun! I've gotten cat food, skin cream, frozen dinners, snack food, and other stuff. I love trying out new products for free, and then letting the companies know what I think of them. Plus, I get to bank more reward points.
Now here's the fun part. Sometimes you can piggy back your survey rewards with some other savings I've talked about in earlier entries. In the past, I have cashed in rewards for gift certificates for sites that work with www.mypoints.com. That way I can earn points for MyPoints while I am spending my rewards. Essentially, earning rewards points with the results of other rewards points! Hey, I'll work it for all I can get for free.
Again, I caution you to read the terms of usage for ANY survey site that you sign up with. That being said, these kinds of sites are fun to participate in and can lead to some nice rewards. Just today I cashed in enough points for a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate (the free shipping point on their site). Free shipping, plus my items, and I only ended up paying $3.62 to cover the overlap and tax. Not bad for a few hours work over 4-6 months.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
'Tis the season for an empty wallet....
Yes, it is the season for a wallet that appears cavernously empty and credit cards that are screaming for mercy. At least it is for most people. I've been doing my best to end up with stockings full of freebies or under $1 items, and gifts that cost me at least half of the MSRP. Sounds impossible? Read and learn, my friends.
Let's start with the stockings. Starting around September or October, I start scouring every freebie page I can find. I find freebies for coffee, tea, snacks, stickers, cookbooks, and anything else that someone I know might like, and request them all. Then I start going out to any website for anything that my friends or family might like, and get on all the mailing lists. That way I am set up for any freebies they may put on their site. This year, I added Facebook to this routine. I became a fan of any product or company that I like their stuff, and kept checking for any freebies. I've gotten some interesting stuff so far (I can't say what because my family and friends read the blog), and boy are some people going to be surprised. I also keep an eye out for $1 deals everywhere I go. My local Avon lady has an open house in late November every year, so I can stock up on hand cream, lip balm, shower get, and anything else I can think of for under $1 each. I also scour the $1 section of any store I go to.
The 50% off gifts is a little harder to do, but very possible. I start in September again, and check the clearance area of every store I go to each time I shop. I've found the coolest stuff in the Halloween clearance area. If I've got coupons, I use those on the clearance items to get even more off the price. I have never been turned off by "accidentally" opened Lego boxes in the clearance area. After starting to build the kit, if a piece is found missing, I just call Lego's help line and tell them the kit number and what pieces are missing, and they replace them no problem or cost (as long as it is a recent kit). Then I start combing the internet. I find EVERY coupon I can. I search for printable coupons to take to stores, and get books, jewelry, clothes, and toys way cheap. I search for coupon codes, and stack as many as possible on WAY discounted items online all the way up to early December. I also hit any discount or bargain store in my area for odd-ball stuff. I've found weird stuff in my local grocery store, like REALLY cheap books or Food Network videos in the clearance area.
The best cheap gifts tend to come with the "gift with purchase" deals. You buy one item, and get something else for free, and you can gift any or all for cheap. Here's an example I can use because my dear mother-in-law doesn't read this blog (Anyone who knows her that tells her is in HUGE trouble). I've been wanting a waffle maker for a long time, but hadn't had the time or money to get one. One day, while scouring freebie sites, I found a code for Gevalia coffee where you could get a waffle maker and an insulated coffee mug when you bought 4 boxes of coffee or tea for $20. I got 2 boxes of decaf, ground, gourmet coffee for my mother-in-law, two teas for the household, and got the waffle maker (that turned out to be a Cuisinart) and the coffee mug for my mother-in-law. Not a bad deal. I also keep a look out to see if Hallmark is giving a free ornament if you purchase 2 (I almost always buy 2 ornaments every year anyway, so free gift for someone). Bath and Body Works sends out coupons for a free item under $13 with any purchase of $10 or more. Buy a bunch of travel size things to get to $10, choose your freebie according to your coupon, and you've got little gifts for any occasion ready at a moment's notice. Just keep your eye out for clever ways to make any of these available coupons or offers work FOR you.
Yeah, I still get some stuff full price. Hey, you can't find a coupon for everything! But my goal always is to see how much I can get for the least amount of money. If I have to purchase without a coupon, I try to make sure that my money benefits more people than just me. An example is that I purchase most of my holiday books through my son's Scholastic book order or at the book fair that the school holds in December. That way the money benefits the school. Or I try to buy from brands or stores that are having fundraising days for different charities.
By doing all my shopping this way, I tend to be mostly done by Black Friday, with just a few things to pick up on Cyber Monday with all my coupon codes. Hey, this is the time to enjoy the season with your family, not witness the local mall become "the maul". Have a wonderful holiday season all, and stay sane!!!
Let's start with the stockings. Starting around September or October, I start scouring every freebie page I can find. I find freebies for coffee, tea, snacks, stickers, cookbooks, and anything else that someone I know might like, and request them all. Then I start going out to any website for anything that my friends or family might like, and get on all the mailing lists. That way I am set up for any freebies they may put on their site. This year, I added Facebook to this routine. I became a fan of any product or company that I like their stuff, and kept checking for any freebies. I've gotten some interesting stuff so far (I can't say what because my family and friends read the blog), and boy are some people going to be surprised. I also keep an eye out for $1 deals everywhere I go. My local Avon lady has an open house in late November every year, so I can stock up on hand cream, lip balm, shower get, and anything else I can think of for under $1 each. I also scour the $1 section of any store I go to.
The 50% off gifts is a little harder to do, but very possible. I start in September again, and check the clearance area of every store I go to each time I shop. I've found the coolest stuff in the Halloween clearance area. If I've got coupons, I use those on the clearance items to get even more off the price. I have never been turned off by "accidentally" opened Lego boxes in the clearance area. After starting to build the kit, if a piece is found missing, I just call Lego's help line and tell them the kit number and what pieces are missing, and they replace them no problem or cost (as long as it is a recent kit). Then I start combing the internet. I find EVERY coupon I can. I search for printable coupons to take to stores, and get books, jewelry, clothes, and toys way cheap. I search for coupon codes, and stack as many as possible on WAY discounted items online all the way up to early December. I also hit any discount or bargain store in my area for odd-ball stuff. I've found weird stuff in my local grocery store, like REALLY cheap books or Food Network videos in the clearance area.
The best cheap gifts tend to come with the "gift with purchase" deals. You buy one item, and get something else for free, and you can gift any or all for cheap. Here's an example I can use because my dear mother-in-law doesn't read this blog (Anyone who knows her that tells her is in HUGE trouble). I've been wanting a waffle maker for a long time, but hadn't had the time or money to get one. One day, while scouring freebie sites, I found a code for Gevalia coffee where you could get a waffle maker and an insulated coffee mug when you bought 4 boxes of coffee or tea for $20. I got 2 boxes of decaf, ground, gourmet coffee for my mother-in-law, two teas for the household, and got the waffle maker (that turned out to be a Cuisinart) and the coffee mug for my mother-in-law. Not a bad deal. I also keep a look out to see if Hallmark is giving a free ornament if you purchase 2 (I almost always buy 2 ornaments every year anyway, so free gift for someone). Bath and Body Works sends out coupons for a free item under $13 with any purchase of $10 or more. Buy a bunch of travel size things to get to $10, choose your freebie according to your coupon, and you've got little gifts for any occasion ready at a moment's notice. Just keep your eye out for clever ways to make any of these available coupons or offers work FOR you.
Yeah, I still get some stuff full price. Hey, you can't find a coupon for everything! But my goal always is to see how much I can get for the least amount of money. If I have to purchase without a coupon, I try to make sure that my money benefits more people than just me. An example is that I purchase most of my holiday books through my son's Scholastic book order or at the book fair that the school holds in December. That way the money benefits the school. Or I try to buy from brands or stores that are having fundraising days for different charities.
By doing all my shopping this way, I tend to be mostly done by Black Friday, with just a few things to pick up on Cyber Monday with all my coupon codes. Hey, this is the time to enjoy the season with your family, not witness the local mall become "the maul". Have a wonderful holiday season all, and stay sane!!!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Eco equals expensive...?
How many times have you been in a store and walked by a display of "ecofriendly" or "organic" products and wondered if they are really worth the price? They all cost more than your normal brands, and it's hard to be sure if they really are more ecofriendly than your regular products. How can you balance your desire for being better to the environment with your desire to stay on a budget? Here's how.
First, you need to prioritize what you are willing to pay more for. This varies from person to person. My family, for example, buys organic for most of my son's food. We get organic milk, oatmeal, crackers, and mac and cheese. We made these decisions after reading a lot of articles about hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics, and decided that these were the best items to insist on organic. When it comes to cleaners, we've bought everything organic/ecofriendly since before our son was born.
Next, how do you know what brands are best for you? You need to do research. I know, more work, but it is worth it in the end. With food, we researched the different organic standards and check the products we buy for what organic standards they meet. With ecofriendly cleaners, it gets a bit trickier. CHECK YOUR INGREDIENTS!!!! This is where you can get tricked by some of the companies. You shouldn't be able to find anything that is related to a petrochemical in the product. Some companies say that their products are ecofriendly, but really all they did was manufacture it with solar or wind power, or they use a higher recycled content container, and they charge you more because it is the ecofriendly alternative of their products. This is known as "green washing".
Now comes the savings. Once you have decided on the standards you are going to insist upon go shopping. See what brands are available in your area. More and more stores are starting their own store brand organic lines. In our area, that is Meijer and Kroger. We've found that while they are still more expensive than the regular food products, they are less expensive than the name brands, plus you can really save when they have store brand sales. Create your list of brands, and then make a list of prices of these items at each store you shop at. It's tedious at first, but you will soon know who has the best prices on what items, and (better yet) when a sale is really a good deal. Now, go home and go to the website for any name brand organic/ecofriendly products you saw and liked and sign up for their e-mail lists. Most of these companies will have printable coupons, and a few snail mail coupons. Also, if you are on their e-mail list, some will have specials if you buy directly from their website. Our favorite organic mac and cheese, Annie's Homegrown, sometimes has case sales on their website. Compare your local unit price to the unit price for the case, you may be able to save some big bucks.
I know, there are so many other organic/ecofriendly areas that I didn't cover, like clothes, sheets, and appliances. It depends on your priority levels. You can find good deals, but you have to keep in perspective the pricing. Remember, there are a lot of standards that have to be met to get certified. This tends to mean that the raw materials are in a more limited supply, and cost more to produce. I have found some product tend to be better made because of this, but again, it depends on the manufacturer. Check customer reviews to see if others have found the lifespan of the product balances out the added expense.
It's a tough balance, but you will find your level. It took us a while to figure out what products really worked, were ecofriendly, were a tasty organic alternative, and the company was as responsible as their products. Start small, make a change a month, and just keep what works. Don't drive yourself crazy, just have some fun exploring your eco-alternatives. Let me know what you find!
First, you need to prioritize what you are willing to pay more for. This varies from person to person. My family, for example, buys organic for most of my son's food. We get organic milk, oatmeal, crackers, and mac and cheese. We made these decisions after reading a lot of articles about hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics, and decided that these were the best items to insist on organic. When it comes to cleaners, we've bought everything organic/ecofriendly since before our son was born.
Next, how do you know what brands are best for you? You need to do research. I know, more work, but it is worth it in the end. With food, we researched the different organic standards and check the products we buy for what organic standards they meet. With ecofriendly cleaners, it gets a bit trickier. CHECK YOUR INGREDIENTS!!!! This is where you can get tricked by some of the companies. You shouldn't be able to find anything that is related to a petrochemical in the product. Some companies say that their products are ecofriendly, but really all they did was manufacture it with solar or wind power, or they use a higher recycled content container, and they charge you more because it is the ecofriendly alternative of their products. This is known as "green washing".
Now comes the savings. Once you have decided on the standards you are going to insist upon go shopping. See what brands are available in your area. More and more stores are starting their own store brand organic lines. In our area, that is Meijer and Kroger. We've found that while they are still more expensive than the regular food products, they are less expensive than the name brands, plus you can really save when they have store brand sales. Create your list of brands, and then make a list of prices of these items at each store you shop at. It's tedious at first, but you will soon know who has the best prices on what items, and (better yet) when a sale is really a good deal. Now, go home and go to the website for any name brand organic/ecofriendly products you saw and liked and sign up for their e-mail lists. Most of these companies will have printable coupons, and a few snail mail coupons. Also, if you are on their e-mail list, some will have specials if you buy directly from their website. Our favorite organic mac and cheese, Annie's Homegrown, sometimes has case sales on their website. Compare your local unit price to the unit price for the case, you may be able to save some big bucks.
I know, there are so many other organic/ecofriendly areas that I didn't cover, like clothes, sheets, and appliances. It depends on your priority levels. You can find good deals, but you have to keep in perspective the pricing. Remember, there are a lot of standards that have to be met to get certified. This tends to mean that the raw materials are in a more limited supply, and cost more to produce. I have found some product tend to be better made because of this, but again, it depends on the manufacturer. Check customer reviews to see if others have found the lifespan of the product balances out the added expense.
It's a tough balance, but you will find your level. It took us a while to figure out what products really worked, were ecofriendly, were a tasty organic alternative, and the company was as responsible as their products. Start small, make a change a month, and just keep what works. Don't drive yourself crazy, just have some fun exploring your eco-alternatives. Let me know what you find!
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