Confessions of a Former Coupon Snob

I guess for me it started when I was in high school.  My very first job was at a Food Lion supermarket.  I can remember how agitated I would get when these women, with stacks of unorganized paper clippings, would come into my line and attempt to sort through them as I tried to move them along swiftly.  Registers back then weren’t like the nice ones we see now days.  I would have to check the journal tape continuously to ensure that none of their coupons were missed or otherwise face a tongue lashing. The pressure was only multiplied with their usual three plus, screaming kids in the cart and my growing line.  Needless to say, that job didn’t last very long.  At any rate, I think that is where my preconceived notions began.

The thought of using coupons never occurred to me when I was in college.  Of course, I would use the occasional a Express or The Limited discount or promo but, that was different. Fast forward a few years and my first daughter was born.  I tried to pay attention to who had the best deals on Pampers, etc. but just going to Sam’s Club or BJ’s and buying in bulk felt like the best option.  I was a career woman and I did not see myself investing the time or energy into couponing.  I also secretly believed that they were for people who couldn’t afford to pay regular price.  I think it was working in retail management that helped me form that idea.  I became frustrated with people trying to haggle, reproduce coupons and so much more.  Honestly, my mood would change when someone presented a coupon.  I was a coupon snob.

Fast forward to 2007. Our second daughter was born.  My husband and I made the well meaning, albeit unplanned decision to become a one income family. Almost simultaneously gas prices were rising and the recession was crowning.  How were we going to maintain our lifestyle and all the luxuries we enjoyed with one income?  We had savings so it did not seem to be an immediate concern.  Then, our 2nd daughter suddenly took ill when she was 8 months old.  She was hospitalized for nearly a month (we were over two hours from home).  My husband did not work the entire time she was in the hospital so we were living off of our savings.  Then came the hospital bills!  Thank God for good health insurance.

At the beginning of every year we all make resolutions and 2008 wasn’t any different.  However, my resolution was.  I was committed to half-price living.  I decided I would enjoy all of the things that I used to for half-price.  We needed to rebuild our savings and figure out how this new lifestyle was really going to work out.  It started with diapers.  I enjoyed finding those $5.00 off Huggies coupons.  Then the baby wipes and other ancillary product coupons began to attract my attention.  Before I knew it I had progressed on to coupons for baby food and so much more.  I began to track how much I saved and I began to challenge myself to save more on the next shopping trip.  Eventually, I was saving over $40 a visit with in-store promotions and coupons combined.

However, I wasn’t completely cured of my stereotypical opinions of coupon users.  I just felt like I was an exception to the rule.  I refused to fumble through an envelope of coupons in the checkout line as my daughters wiggled in frustration with the whole ordeal.  My solution, I created myself a little nifty little binder to organize my coupons.  I began searching the internet and I found women that saved so much they took European vacations–on one income!  Boy, was I motivated and I was certainly cured!  I now consider myself a pro.

The rewards have been great.  We have saved a lot although we are far from frugal,. We have continued to tithe.  As a matter of fact, we actually increased our giving.  I get kind of excited about the Sunday paper in anticipation of the savings folded inside its pages.  The beginning of the month ushers in the new online printable coupons and I just can’t wait.  The moral of the story: never judge a book by its cover.  I wasted a great deal of money and time doing so.  But hey, when you know better do better.

Share your thoughts!

Qhemet Biologic’s Amla & Olive Heavy Cream

http://www.qhemetbiologics.com/  8oz./ $16.50

Product Description

Our nourishingly rich blend of old world oils, organic herbs and natural humectants leaves coarse, dry and brittle hair extra soft, healthy and supple!

Key Ingredients: Our ultra thick cream contains Amla, Brahmi and African Aloe, premium Afro-Indian botanicals used for thousands of years to nourish the scalp and strengthen and condition hair. MSM sulfur nurtures follicles and encourages healthy hair growth, Mediterranean Olive Oil delivers emollience and lubricity while Vegetable Glycerin and pure African Castor Oil lends sheen, softness and intense moisture.

Does not contain mineral oil, lanolin, proteins, silicones, artificial fragrances, dyes or parabens.

100% Vegan

Has a natural, light citrus scent.

 A perfect all-in-one for moisturizing and softening afro’s, coils, curls, pony puffs, two strand twists, braids, cornrows, fades, chemical and color processes, softening new growth and restoring softness and elasticity to dry brittle ends. Also helps weigh down kinks and coils.

Use as a: 

Soothing and regenerative scalp butter

Post-shampoo conditioner

Overnight Deep Treatment

Moisturizing daily leave-in

Replenishing body butter

My Experience:  I absolutely LOVE this product!  I have thick, 4b hair (see Andre Walker’s hair classification system) and this product has been a staple for me.  I use this product on my hair, (along with a styling product) while it is wet and do two strand twists.  Also, I may divide it in sections and just use it as a leave-in.  There are so many uses for this product!  My hair dries very, very soft and well hydrated.  The moisture lasts for days!  It doesn’t give the hair a lot of shine, but I remedy that by applying coconut oil to seal the moisture or mixing it with Olive & Honey Hydrating Balm.

With it being handmade product, the ship time is a little longer.  Especially for those of you who are used to getting things in 3-5 days.  When I have called to get information about my order, they have been very timely in responding.  That made waiting a little easier.  They offer promotions a couple of times a year so I try to get mulitples of what I use and maybe try something new. 

All in all, it is an excellent item to try.  If you don’t want to purchase a full-size jar, they also sell sample sizes.

How To Set Your Christmas Budget

I know this may be late, but this is very useful information in preparing and shopping for the holidays.  Be enlightened!

Step By Step Guide for Making Your Christmas Budget

1. Make a long list of everyone to whom you want to give a Christmas gift.

Be sure to include the following groups of people:

• Family – aunts, uncles, children, spouse, cousins, siblings, grandparents, and even the stray dog your brother-in-law adopted.  Include everyone you WANT to give a gift to.
• Co-workers – partners, bosses, co-workers, support staff
• Church friends – Bible school teachers, church staff, grandparent figures
• Community friends – neighbors, fellow volunteers, clerk at the grocery store
• Those who provide services – paperboy, mail man, pizza delivery boy, yard worker, pool cleaner, teachers
• Anyone else – feeling jovial?  Put them on the list.

2. Determine how much you can afford to spend on Christmas.

This calculation can be relatively simple.  How much money can you save between now and December 25th? How many of those dollars are you willing to dedicate towards Christmas gifts?

Christmas Spending Rule:

How much you can afford to spend must be an amount you save in CASH.  This is not an ‘if-I-were-rich-I-would-budget-this’ list. This is how much you actually have to give for Christmas.  If the number is low, that is fine.  Christmas is not about financially crippling yourself so someone can have a pair of socks that will go in the trash before January. Christmas is about expressing love and appreciation.  Both of which can be done without money.  Christmas can be enjoyed without money.  Be sure that your budget is reasonable in relationship to your income.  This can be done by making sure your total amount fits within recommended budget percentages.

3. Prioritize your list from step #1.  Make it a short list.

If married, before prioritizing the list, pray that God will give you the patience to work together – not against each other.

You might want to cut out your Great Aunt Sally, but your wife has given her a gift every year for two decades.  She might want to remove a business partner who doesn’t deserve anything, but you want to grease that relationship.  This process could be painful, so prayerfully get on the same page before you start.

At this stage you are just going to separate each name into three groups – paid gift, made gift, no gift. Since you know how much you can afford to give you will have a better sense of how many people can be on your paid gift list.  Knowing your time, available you can limit your made gift list. The others – no gift, but perhaps a Christmas card.

4. Assign and complete necessary preparations.

Paid Gift List:

Beside each name on the paid gift list, assign a budgeted amount.  For example, dad might get $50 and cousin Steve $25.  Be sure that total does not exceed the amount in Step #2.  The only rule here is you cannot overspend that amount on that person.  Here are 8 tips to save money on your Christmas shopping.

Made Gift List:

What will you make?  Cookies and other Christmas treats are a great idea for close friends, neighbors, and colleagues.  For family, a customized card with a picture of the kids will suffice.  Need some guidance?  Here is a list of 50 Personalized Christmas Gift Ideas.

No Gift:

If they made it on your first list you might just send them a personalized card.

Merry Christmas Uncle Joe.  We just wanted to let you know that you are a special part of our family.  Thanks for all the time and attention you give to our kids.  We’re blessed to have an uncle like you.

5. Make the budget work.

Don’t spend more than you budgeted.

If your budget is tight, you will need to capitalize on a free valuable resource – CREATIVITY.  Creativity must be combined with another necessary ingredient – TIME.

Time + Creativity = Awesome Valuable Christmas Presents for a Lower Price

How do you set your Christmas budget?  How soon do you start saving money for Christmas?

Source:  http://www.christianpf.com/how-to-make-a-christmas-budget/

Andrea’s Beau

While reading a blog devoted to hair care, I ran across the company Andrea’s Beau.  She specializes in hair ornaments for women and girls and I was blown away by her beautiful creations.  Her intricate, detailed handywork would be a treasure for anyone desiring that special piece for that special occassion.  With a background deeply rooted in fashion, it was only natural for Andrea to fall in love with color, textures, and fabrics.  Here is the company’s mission:

Our primary goal is to create irresistibly pretty accessories for girls and women.

Andrea’s Beau products are handmade in the United States by a team of remarkable women who love the idea that their creations adorn girls and women throughout the world. Our flexible work schedules allow these women to balance their professional and private lives. We don’t outsource because we believe that the personal connection each of us feels toward our beautiful products fosters a joyful atmosphere in the workplace, results in superior workmanship, and elevates our brand.

Our goal is also to ensure that we reach excellence in customer service, environmental practices, and charitable acts. We measure our success by our own smiles at the end of a work day and by the outpouring of laudatory comments we receive from our customers.

                                        

                                     

 

 

                                                   

Andrea’s Beau products can be purchased online or you may be able to find her products locally by searching at www.andreasbeau.com.

“Exquisite ribbon, a silk flower, beaded trim, a passementerie tassel… each inspires me to create ornaments that delight not only the wearer, but all who see her. If my designs evoke a delighted ‘ahhh!,’ I’m happy.”
— Andrea

Donate Your Dress

As you know this is prom season for many high school students.  On average, families spend around $1000 for this once in a lifetime experience.  With many families having to tighten up on their budget, the prospect of preparing for the prom can be very overwhelming.  There are ways to help.  Many of us have been in weddings and have evening wear sitting in our closets that will never wear again.  There is an organization called Donate Your Dress that helps underpriviledged teens.  Here is more information:

DonateMyDress.org is the first national campaign designed to encourage girls around the country to donate their prom and special occasion dresses to those who cannot afford to finance the costly experience of going to their prom, sweet 16, quinceañera or formal on their own. The site features a directory of local dress drive organizations across the U.S. that will enable girls to easily find out where in their local markets they can donate a dress or receive one. In addition, DonateMyDress.org contains information on upcoming local events, a photo gallery of real girls donating and receiving dresses, as well as links to content on prom and quinceañera planning, hair and makeup tips, and other worthy causes.

DonateMyDress.org is part of the Hearst Teen Network, which includes the industry’s leading teen brands — CosmoGIRL!, Seventeen and TEEN — as well as MisQuinceMag.com, MyPromStyle.com, eCRUSH.com and eSPIN.com. With more than three million monthly unique visitors, the Hearst Teen Network is one of the top 10 ranked entertainment news web sites, according to ComScore Media Metrix.

Princess and the Frog

Finally, we have the full trailer for Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, which features their first African-American princess!  Sure, they gave us the Shana and Thes Proud Family with Penny Proud to pacify us but, she was not a princess.  So, I’m sure many of you share the same sentiments that I did when I initially began to hear rumors that they were finally going to have a princess my daughters could relate to.  I pondered the many storylines the rumors reported.  Some of them made me angry and other made me laugh at how trivial many people believe African-American culture is.  Nevertheless, right now I plan to support this film because I would like to see more like it.

Disney estimates they will make a ton of revenue from the Tiana dolls, manufactured by Mattel.  They are hoping she will help carry them through tough times.  In addition, Mattel has plans to launch their first complete line of African-American dolls.  The So in Style Dolls will launch in the fall, just in time for the holiday shopping season.  Reportedly, the line differs from its previous releases of African-American toys.  The new line is set to have more realistic features like fuller lips, different noses, and complexions, etc.

Recession Busting Tips: Pt. 2

1.  Pack your lunch. Think about it, if you spend $5.oo a day on just lunch and an average work week is 5 days, that’s $25.00 a week, $100.00 a month!  What can you be doing with that money?  It’s alright to treat yourself, but it can be expensive doing it every day.

2.  Use your leftovers. It makes a great lunch the next day and it saves time, as well as, money.

3.  Carpool. If you have someone who works in the same area, rotate carpooling duties.  This is a tried and true way of saving on gas and giving your car a break.

4.  When shopping, make a shopping list and STICK TO IT! This is a challenging area for me.  With two toddlers, I use a lot of my energy just trying to get them in the car!  Sometimes it’s hard to avoid impulse shopping (that’s an area I am working on), but preparing before you go to the store can help streamline your purchasing.  Go ahead and go thru the sales flyers and have your coupons ready, it makes for a more productive trip.

5.  Distinguish between needs and desires. We often justify our “extra” purchases by saying, “I really need this.”  But, in fact, it is something you really want.  Look at what it  takes for you to live.  Yes it is alright to enjoy some of the “extras” in life, but in moderation.  Furthermore, plan for the extras-entertainment, cosmetics, electronics, etc.,whatever it may be.  Look at what you need and what you can realistically afford.

6.  TITHE, TITHE, TITHE. “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.  “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’   “In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty.  “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.”  Malachi 3:8-12 (NIV) We must never neglect our obligation to honor God with the first fruits (10%) of our labor.  As believers, there are some bad things that God doesn’t allow to happen, because we are faithful in paying our tithes.  It may not all be monetary, but it will be what we need at that time.

Saving Money Online

Good day ladies!  I hope you are having a wonderful Monday.  I just wanted to offer to you some the sites we’ve found that will help you save money.  We are always trying to find ways to make our dollar stretch, as we know you are.  There are a number of online resources where consumers can print coupons, get rebates for certain online purchase, or receive coupon codes when purchasing online.  These sites have been used by us or they came highly recommended.

www.CouponMom.com

In addition to providing a host of printable grocery and dining coupons, the site lets you sign up to receive weekly coupon and deal alerts for any item on your shopping list. A page of sample and free trial offers yields coupons on diapers, free formula and deals on other baby and child-care essentials. 

Sample coupons: Save $5 on any Leapfrog Didj educational videogame (regularly about $30) with a print-out coupon. Expires March 28. Save $5 on one Huggies Gentle Care diapers product (regularly $14 for a 40-pack) with a print-out coupon. Expires April 12.

www.Upromise.com

Take five minutes to register your credit cards and store loyalty cards online with this free rewards program, and every purchase you make at participating retailers will earn you cash back that gets deposited into a 529 college savings plan. Link to The Children’s Place through upromise.com, for example, and 4% of your purchase will go into a 529.   It isn’t a ton of money, but think of the savings over time.  Every bit counts!  The site’s eCoupons feature lets you click on coupons to load them onto a grocery store loyalty card. Just swipe your card at checkout to redeem them.

Sample coupons: Save $5 when you buy any two 23-ounce containers of Similac baby formula (regularly $27 each) with a print-out coupon. Expires March 31. Save $1 when you buy any two boxes of Post kids cereal, like Honeycomb or Fruity Pebbles (regularly about $4 each). Expires March 31.

www.RetailMeNot.com

This free site allow consumers to access online coupon codes.  Just type in the name of the retailer and it gives you a list of current codes and those that are no good or have expired.  Readers can sign up for updates for the favorite stores.

Sample coupons: Save $10 on your next American Girl online purchase of $30 or more by using code 161357 at checkout. No expiration date noted. Get free shipping (regularly $10) on your purchase at BabyAge.com with coupon code FUNFUR3 at checkout. Expires March 31.

www.Coupons.com

This site puts you in the mind of clipping coupons in the Sunday paper (which is the “gold standard” for those faithful coupon clippers).  Chose the coupons you want and print.  Put in you zip code and coupons for local retailers are included.  Readers will have to download their software to be able to print out coupons.

Sample coupons: $20 off at H&R Block

www.CouponCabin.com

This is one of my favorites!  It combines printable coupons, coupons codes, and sales alerts in a very user friendly form.  Staffers check the validity of the coupons and it is updated 3x a day.

Old Navy Discounts

Good day ladies!  I know many of you are preparing your spring wardrobe.  Whether it  be for yourself, the husband, or the kids, you are looking for deals while remaining “fashion forward.”  Old Navy has a great resource for their coupons.  Go to www.OldNavy.com and click on www.OldNavyWeekly.com in the upper right hand corner.  It will allow you to “hunt” and click on various deals, with are constantly changing.  They vary from dollar or percentage off coupons that are to be used in the store that week.   The coupons can either be printed out or sent to the email address of your choice.  It’s just that simple!

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