Coupons

Definitions to understand this blog:

Extreme couponing- Extreme couponing is a show focused on shoppers who make extensive and focused use of coupons to save money while accumulating large quantities of goods.
Double coupon- If a coupon is for 99 cents off of an item or less, the grocery store will double this automatically once it is scanned. ie. a coupon for 75c off of a bag of chips can be double for $1.50 off of the bag of chips.

If you haven't been watching the channel TLC, then you may not have heard of the new craze "extreme couponing". Some of the couponers will gather a cart or 2 or 3 FULL of groceries. Each item is usually purchased in larger quantities because the couponer has pre-cut 10x each coupon and waited until the store has the items on sale as well as when they offer "double-couponing" and have extra savings with the store's shopper's card. This takes a lot of planning, organizing, collecting coupons in bulk and math.... lots of math. The contents of their card can be up to $3000 but once the savings are added up their bill comes very close to $0 or spot on OR sometimes they even get paid by the store for their purchases. The items purchased go towards "stock piles" with shelves full of soap, toothpaste, toiletpaper, vitamins etc.

I am not at the point of extreme couponing because it seems a little too complicated for me. Growing up, my mom would usually find some coupons and savings that made it so she would get the $8 razors for -10cents.... the store would pay her 10 cents for each razor she got and each of her daughters got sweet razors. Still, this is a bit complicated for me but I do know how to cut and save coupons. Each Sunday there are coupon fliers in the Sunday paper as well as weekly circulars for local grocery stores. I flip through the coupons and cut out ones that are for items I want, even if I don't need them at the exact moment (cereal, crackers, Perdue chicken, shampoo...). Each week I look at the different grocery store circulars and see if anything I have a coupon for is also on sale. Coupons usually don't expire for 1month-1year so I can wait until things are on sale AND I have a coupon for them. Certain stores have double-coupons every week while others offer double coupons once in a while and will advertise so on their circular.



Steps to save:
1) have a mini file folder ($1 at Target or Dollar Store) so you can separate frozen food, snacks, cleaning products, bath & body products
2) each Sunday, clip coupons for products you like or would like to try. If you do no subscribe to the paper, drop into a coffee shop. People purchase the paper to read with their coffee then often leave it in the magazine basket when they are finished and it may be a free paper for you :) (Or even ask the coffee shop if Monday morning you can have any Sunday papers that are going to be discarded/recycled.)
3) sort coupons in file folder
4) research grocery circulars (Most have them online if a paper is not accessible) and circle anything that is on sale and has a coupon.
5) make a grocery list with items you need to purchase, which store it is on sale and paperclip coupons you will use to save money.


P.S. If you learn how to extreme coupon, let me in on how so I can start a stock pile of my own. Thank you and ENJOY SAVING!

Saving early on

Groupon, LivingSocial and Eversave are wonderful new tools to help save money. The way these websites make money by keeping approximately half the money the customer pays for the coupon. So, for example, an $80 massage could be purchased by the consumer for $40 and then the coupon website and the retailer would split the $40. That is, the retailer gives a massage valued at $80 and gets approximately $20 from the coupon website for it. The consumer gets the massage, in this example for $40.

There are many reasons to purchase these 50%-90% discounted deals in your area as well as areas you visit or know people in. Each website will email you the main deal of the day but if you click on the email there are side deals on the side bar (usually deals that are from earlier in the week that did not sell out). Here are some reasons to subscribe to these daily coupon websites...

Gifts-
PROBLEM: It is Christmas and you wanna get that perfect gift for your sister that doesn't have room for one more thing in her apartment and has a very particular taste in clothing. Everything is wicked expensive or stores are just too crowded.
SOLUTION: Subscribe to one or all of these coupon websites NOW. Then when you see one that makes you think of your sister, purchase it. Check the expiration date and often it is a full year from when you purchase it.

PROBLEM: Your cousin lives in Dallas, TX and mailing him a gift gets costly.
SOLUTION: Subscribe to Groupon, LivingSocial or Eversave for Dallas and wait for a good coupon to come in then purchase. You can email this to them or mail it.

Out of Town Guests-
PROBLEM: You want to show of your area's finest attractions and restaurants but don't want to spend so much money that you can only order water and crackers.
SOLUTION: Wait for a coupon to come to your email that is for a nice restaurant or fun event and purchase it and keep it on hand for when guests do arrive

Date Nights-
PROBLEM: When you and your honey-bunny finally get time off of work together you have to figure out where you want to go and how to save money at the same time.
SOLUTION: Buy a coupon for something that will interest both of you and keep it handy.
ie. I saw a coupon for a $50 gift certificate for a Brazilian BBQ (where they shave the meat at your table and you eat unlimited amounts of food) for 50% off. I spent $25 and kept it in my glove box and one night when we both had off and were craving a nice sit-down dinner we used the coupon.

TIP: If you hate getting daily emails that clutter your mailbox, set up a separate email account just for the coupons (and other things that require your email )to be sent to.

Today's deals on Groupon, Eversave and LivingSocial in Boston:
$39 for two personal horseback riding lessons and a grooming tutorial ($139 value-68% off)
$39 for 1 hour deep-tissue or swedish (or combo of both). ($80 value-51% off)
$12 bikini wax ($25 value) or $27 for Brazilian wax ($55 value)
$10 for pizza, wings and soda at Anthony's hand-crafted pizza ($20 value-50% off)
$223 for 2-night weekday stay at a historical VT inn, 2 passes to Ben & Jerry's ice cream tour, 2 passes to Cabot visitor center and cheese factory, daily breakfast for 2, nightly appetizer at River House restaurant and a bottle of wine. ($446 value-50% off)

I know that not many people (if anyone) ever reads this because I don't really keep up with it. I want to have more a focus and I think I found my new passion. Being thrifty is a gift I got from my mom. I want to focus my blog on how to be a smart shopper and how to save wisely. If I can do it, anyone can. I currently have a little under $90,000 in debt from school loans that I have to pay back and two part time jobs that barely pay all of my bills. So let me share with you things I learn on what to do as well as what NOT to do. I'll try to have different topics such as groceries, planning events and gifts. Enjoy and if you have tips to share... I'm all ears.

Jobless

As of Tuesday I am officially jobless. This was my choice. I have been applying out in the mental health field and anywhere else that is hiring. South Bay was not for me. They did not offer reimbursement for gas or phone. They didn't offer days off until one year has been put into the job. I also had to have clients that were all across the board with age and diagnoses. It took a big toll on my mental health and it was too difficult to be fully engaged in each client's case.

Life isn't about money but money is necessary in life. I need to pay off my school bills, phone bill, insurance, rent, food and car expenses. I have a lot in savings because I have always worked.... always. Since I was 14 I worked at Orbaker's as a waitress and at some points worked 2-3 jobs at a time and was a full time student and unpaid intern. I've always saved over half of what I've made and even started investing in stock and am watching that account increase in value. I know I am okay for at least a few months and that I have options if I don't find work soon such as moving in with friends/family and paying little to no rent. There are also my student loans that I am being allowed to defer due to unemployment and lowering payments on other bills.

My viewpoint is trying to see this all as part of God's plan. I keep getting pulled towards this as well as away from this viewpoint. I prayed one day about when to tell South Bay that I was quitting because I hadn't found any job to replace it yet. In the prayer I asked God to make it clear by having my supervisor straight out ask me if I was planning on leaving if God wanted me to put in my notice and it wasn't one hour after I said that prayer that my supervisor asked me about my future with the company. I put in my 4 week notice that day and sent my resume out to many companies every day following that. My first day of joblessness I had to bring my car to get checked out because my "check engine" light had been on for a week. God showed me that this was all in his timing... my car could have caught fire if I kept driving it much longer. Yes this will cost more money but not as much as if I was still working and had to cancel appointments and if I would have had to go to the hospital for any injuries from the car. I also had a new car waiting for me to use it while mine is in the shop. God keeps telling me to trust Him and so far, it hasn't been hard but I know as time goes on it may be more difficult.

My brother is also jobless and has labeled this time in his life as FUNemployment. This is something I'm trying to wrap my mind around. I never relax, I never even take time to do my hair or makeup and I make up excuses why I cannot workout or eat regularly scheduled meals but now I have no excuses. I have time to do devotions, read leisurely in the tub, visit old friends, cook balanced meals and workout regularly. I am trying to see this as a blessing and still look for work and manage bills and deferments.

I'm not sure how blogs work but I wanted to share what was on my mind and where I am with this jobless thing. I also hope that when I go home and family asks "so how is the job hunt going?" I can tell them to read it on my blog so I don't have to talk about it when I am relaxing for the holidays. :)

Just say "no" to Wal-mart

Posted on my Facebook account Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 11:27am

Wal-Mart is in fact ruining America, through more aspects than the workers health benefits...watch this video if you haven't already, about an hour and a half....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925
Wal-mart - High Cost of Low Prices
http://video.google.com/videop...
What are the low prices of Walmart costing not only America, but the entire world? Uploaded for Ms. Tanner's classes.. Apr 21, 2006.

To sum up what I saw in this video... people working for pennies a day, given lectures on how to lie to health inspectors, working in slave conditions, treated with racism and sexism but nothing is done when they speak up and the worlds biggest company (and still growing) convincing their workers to apply for government assistance such as Medicaid, WIC etc... to make up for them not receiving benefits through Wal-Mart. The prices are cheap but what is that costing?

As a Christian... flip to the last 25 minutes of the video... we represent loving one another and respect but definitely NOT taking advantage of the poor and helpless in order to get a product at the lowest price. Stop going to Wal-Mart, start sharing your compassion.

Dancing with the untouchable

Posted on my Facebook account on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 4:08pm

I have always believed and told others that being a Christian is having a personal relationship with Christ. This personal relationship is what salvation is purchased with. My struggle is with the relational aspect.

Frustration comes when we define a relationship by “feelings”. Many people will leave a church service bummed because they “didn’t feel God today” or believe their spiritual life is dwindling because they haven’t “felt” God in a long time. Since when are relationships defined by feelings? Yes feelings are vital in relationships of every type but if every time a wife didn’t feel like her husband loved her she got a divorce, why the divorce rate would be astronomical… wait a minute… (I guess this is a topic for another note entirely).

Really though? When the “flames” are turning to mere ashes and the passion is non-existent people check out of relationships. They call it quits and move on to the next thing. One professor at VFCC said something along the lines of how Christians just look for the spiritual orgasm and when they don’t get it they are unsatisfied and get angry or feel like they are doing something wrong. Lyrics to a song by “This Providence” say “if loving were easy, it wouldn’t be love”. Love is sacrificial and hard work. Ask a couple that has been happily married for 50 years, they will tell you how it was challenging and doubtful time and time again but they didn’t let the feelings overcome.

The fact that feelings are how people know how to communicate is tough when we don’t understand those feelings. The problem is not being able to use rationality over our feelings without being so rational we don’t let emotions flow freely. I am one of those that when I don’t feel, I get depressed and get the impression that God is sitting with his back to me or that maybe I have my back to Him, even in prayer. This note is not one to inspire, it is one to inquire. How do you dance with an untouchable God? I am remembering a song from Elim chapel that went “Dance with me oh lover of my soul, to the song of all songs. Romance me oh lover of my soul…” I would imagine ballroom dancing with a tall handsome mysterious man of valor and charm and close my eyes and be drawn into worship. But then I get frustrated when I would go to my quiet place and sit in silence… and just sit… in silence. I would cry from not hearing God or feeling him wrap his arms around me. I still do.

I guess my inquiry is how do I get to a point of satisfaction with my personal relationship or do I ever? If I am satisfied will I stop trying so hard to embrace God’s presence? Will I, as Jars of Clay say, “give up on giving {Him} a chance to blow my mind?” I know there are areas I need to work on. I need to be more patient, I need to be more organized in setting time aside for God they way I set time to watch my shows or have lunch dates with friends, I need to sit in silence and know God is there too, even if He too is sitting in silence. We all have heard “walk the walk” or “talk the talk” but what about “be still and know”? Be STILL and KNOW, notice it isn’t “be still and feel”.

Responding to God's love

Posted on my Facebook account Wednesday, November 26, 2008 at 6:18pm


I have been recently reading Henri Nouwen's book "The Only Necessary Thing" about living a prayerful life. It is compiled of his other works and has captivated my attention. The different sections hone in on different aspects such as solitude, belovedness, listening and discipline. The section I am currently working through is the one on belovedness. Here are my thoughts...

God loves us despite our actions and even our thoughts. The prodigal son returned, not with a repentant heart or a desire to be with his father but in hunger for food. This wasn't a metaphor of figure of speech. He was self-centered on getting food into his stomach for survival. His father did not require a pure heart, or a higher motivation just as God's isn't either. "His love was so total and unconditional that he simply welcomed his son home".

God's love does not require any explanation about why we are returning, He is just pleased to se us come home. So shouldn't our short, few years on this Earth be spent telling and showing God how we love him too? YES! It is vital that we care for God in the world.

Jesus came to the world as a baby, weak. He had to be taught to speak and walk, he needed humans so that he could grow. We rsepon to God's love by caring for him in his weakness. He wants to knw if we are there for him. He became vulnerable in the manger and dependent on the cross. He wants us to love him to afirm his love for us. He asked Peter, not once, not twice but three times, "Do you love me?" God gives us a lifetime to respond to that question.

Matthew 25:35-41 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'

There are numerous verses throughout scripture in the Old as well as the New Testament calling us to serve the poor, weak, widowed and unclothed. they are still in our presence every single day. We pass them on the street and look the other way, we lock our doors when they ask to wash our windshield, we smile and pretend to talk on our phone when they ask for some spare change, we judge them for how they might spend the few cents we offer them.

Deuteronomy 15:7b "...do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother...".

Time for the application:

No you can't give to all of the needy but you can decide in advance how much you will give, to whom at the beginning of each month or year. Say you decide $100 a year is your decision, purchase 10 $10 giftcards to Subway (the food place not the transportation system) and give those out with a kind word and an offer to pray. This is something they can use to get healthy food and is not likely to be traded for something else (mainly because no one will believe a poor man trying to give up a gift card that could be blank).

When I went to Elim I stayed in Astoria, Queens NYC and we did homeless ministry. One thing I learned that actually surprised me was some people we met said they would trade the food we offered for a clean, dry pair of socks any day. SOCKS! How much is a 12 pack of socks from Target or even TJ Maxx? You can even get creative and use the sock as a giftcard holder.

So maybe you don't want to talk to one of these people... there are plenty of other things you can do. Food pantries are always looking for non-perishable food. A bag of rice, some canned vegetables, a few boxes of spaghetti... It might not seem like a lot to you. In fact, you probably have a few cans of veggies or cream of mushroom soup in your cabinet that you forgot was there until this moment. Why not get a box together with a few items and drop it off at the pantry? Same as a clothing closet. Goodwill is good and the clothes are sold where the money goes toward needy people but there are some clothing closets in communities where families in need are allowed to go in with no money and walk out with a few outfits. I went to a few this summer with some families in Rochester and clean undies, new socks and matching bed sheets were far and few so much so that the volunteer behind the counter had these locked up in a cabinet.

If you want to do something instead of just give because you want to see the effect you actually are having on people, volunteer at a soup kitchen, volunteer to work at a crisis pregnancy center. This is so easy and can even benefit you! If you need a quiet place to study and already wanted to read for 3 hours... head down to one of these places (might need to call first) and just sit there. If you get antsy ask where the windex and broom are and do a little house keeping for the place.

If you are like me you might think "okay so I help one person get food in their stomach and another to have warm feet, this is not enough". Well talk to your neighbors, your library, your kids' class or your church ask them to start collecting new socks, sets of bedding they don't want anymore and this will help tons. Spread the word! They might just want to help also.

If you do decide to hand things to a person in need and offer your prayer also include a list of local churches, shelters, food pantries, soup kitchen and clothing closets. Your 5 minutes of kindness and pair of clean socks may just change someone's life. If they don't want your prayer, wait till they leave you and pray for them anyways.

When we love the poor we are loving God... that is our purpose, that is the reason God created us. Let's Love God in the world!