August was my last time to post?! Sigh. This, my friends, is what computer problems does to one who has no idea how to fix said computer problems. We started having difficulty with the internet and slow loading of pages in the fall. So blogging was too difficult to do with all the problems we had. Loading pictures would take hours if not DAYS and seriously, who wants to go through all that frustration?? Not only that, but Blake has grown so much in those ensuing months that it was hard to find the time to sit down and pound out a post when plenty of other things were crying for my attention. But computer is fixed, baby's schedule (and mine) is a bit more predictable and manageable, which means its blogging time!
I definitely need to post some updated pictures since the last time was when he was around 6 months old and he is now almost 10 months...but I want to talk a little bit about what is sparking my interest these days...couponing! I've heard of those Super-Couponing Queens (yes they do deserve the capitalization) that pay pennies or NOTHING for brand name items and how they slash their grocery bill by 30-60% and wondered "how do they do that??" I've tried to look at the weekly sales and compare my coupons that I, painstakingly, clip to see where I can save the most money but it is always overwhelming and time-consuming to sit down and do it. Definitely not something I want to waste my valuable time for if it only saves me .50 cents here and a dollar there. Where's the great savings in that? I had no idea where to start or even knew which internet sites would give me the best tips and tricks of the trade. The terminology of stacking coupons, doubling, and HOW to do it was completely lost on me and just confused me, leaving me sitting on my living room floor with ads and coupons scattered about and me throwing my hands up in disgust. Until...
One of my friends casually mentioned that she had attended a free couponing class at the local library and how she learned so much in how to get started. My eyes just about bugged out of my head as she told me some of the crazy deals this Couponing Queen gets by doing what Couponing Queens do. I was thrilled! "A class where they teach you these things," just what I needed! My friend told me she would keep an eye out for when the next lecture would be held and would inform me of the dates. Score! So, last night was quite possibly one of my most thrilling nights in the most recent months as I had attended my first ever couponing class. My friend, being true to her word, let me know of the upcoming lecture and signed me up. How gracious and kind of her! I expected maybe 20-40 people to be there, imagine my surprise as I walked into a large conference room that had 150-200 attendees! People of all ages, young and old, male and female, new mothers, career women, grandparents, all buzzing with the excitement of learning the secrets of couponing. I met another friend there and slid into the seat next to her, pen and paper in hand ready to take as many notes as I could in learning how to keep money in my pocket.
Facts, pictures, money saved, tips, definitions, getting things for FREE, instant 30-40% savings, brand name items, jaw-droppers, etc... for two hours we sat in our seats mesmerized and amazed at how much money we too! could be saving. When it was over, I looked to my friend and she had the same glassy-eyed stare that I did, we were overwhelmed by all the information but excited to get out there and to do some shopping! What a great class!
So now I have a better grasp on how all this is supposed to go down. I have my internet sites that match up my weekly sales to coupons to tell me the best deals (no work for me!), I have my couponing sites that I can print coupons, and most of all I have the basic knowledge on how to do this. I have what I need to get started! It'll take me a while to get the hang of this, it will definitely be challenging, but also fun.
Since I'm brand-new to this, it'll take me a while to understand it all but when I do I'll try my best to share what I know and to share the amazing deals that I find just like my sister Sunny and her friend are doing. Here's to happy couponing shopping!!
9 comments:
YAY! It is about time you're back. Sorry you had such awful computer problems. OK, Cheri just told me about a coupon blog site that is local to you so it should help you more than some of the others. http://www.coupongeek.net/ And if you want, you can also become a fan of coupon geek on FB. I hope it helps you score some deals!
How awesome that your library offers free classes like that! You had a huge class, wow. I bet there are a lot more people interested in couponing since prices are so high and the economy is so bad. I hope we all learn to save money together. :)
Wow, that sounds awesome! Makes me wish I had gone too! You'll just have to tell me how it all works. :)
That's aweome! (And that you're back, too, is awesome! We've missed you guys!) I'm going online right now to see if I can find a coupon class. I've been cutting coupons for the last couple of months and at most I've been able to save is $2-3 bucks a week. Not much in the grand scheme of things.
Well, I just need to say: hooray for you! Sounds like you'll be able to beat the game. And definitely check out those Walgreens Register Rewards!
I can't find local coupon classes. Awwweee, geeeeee....Any recommendations? I checked out Coupon Geek the other day and it looks pretty cool. It took me an hour this morning to come through the flyers and all I got were 2 manufacturer's coupons. I must be doing something wrong.
Pam, you get your coupons through the Sunday paper with the coupon inserts inside. The LA Times is best from what I've learned for people in CA. Local papers have coupons but their coupon values can be less than the major metropolitan papers.
Then you can also print coupons from coupons.com, redplum.com and smartsource.com. There are lots of blogs you can read to find out all the specials and deals. http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ and coupongeek.net So many of the blogs share their information with each other so you only need to read a couple to know what to do.
Your best bet for savings is to start shopping at the drug stores, like CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens. You can get items for free or nearly free if you pair up store coupons and sales with manufacturer's coupons. Of course, there are only a few things each week you can do that with. Each store has its own system. It takes time to figure out each one! I got 2 Airwick I-motion air fresheners for free yesterday by pairing a sale at Rite Aid (50% off, normal price 9.99) with $5 off coupons I got in the paper. Made the items free! I actually buy 2 Sunday LA Times each week so I can get more items when I shop. Hope that helps a little!
You're back...Now where'dja go?
They taught you about the rebate programs at Walgreens and Staples, right? I was using coupons on the Free After Rebate Stuff at Walgreens and actually MAKING money! I didn't pay a penny for shampoo, deodorant, or toothpaste for 8 years. It's not quite as great now that they do the Register Rewards instead of the Rebate Booklet, but you can still get some good stuff. For a while I was buying computer software at Staples (Free After Rebate) and then selling them on ebay and making a profit. The coupon games can be hard work, but it can definitely save you some serious money. Have fun!
Hey April! Sunny told me about your coupon classes!! How fun! You'll be a "Coupon Queen" before you know it!! ;)
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