Tuesday, February 17, 2009

coupon swaps

i've recently seen a ton of posts online about coupons which is not surprising considering our nation's current economic situation including a post on one of my new fav blogs balancing beauty and bedlam http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com/2009/02/curing-economy-with-couponingfreebies.html with some neat tips about saving money on dairy products. scroll down far enough and you'll see my comment which i think is by far the longest big surprise since i seem to specialize in being verbose. so, it got me to thinking about some of my favorite coupon tips. i grew up with a mother who definitely used coupons. one trick i picked up from her is coupon swapping. our extended family would help her out by giving her coupons they would not be using and she would likely use either via in person or by mailing them to her. they included me in this when i went of to college by including coupons i could use mainly for hair dye since i am the only one in family who dyes her hair in letters. since then, i have gotten into the habit of coupon swapping with friends and coworkers. i usually bring in to work coupons for baby or dog products 2 things i can't use. and, if i find a coupon i see in the paper that i really want more of, i let my friends know to see if they can save for me. the internet has now made this even better. there are several sites and forums online where people can do just that. one of my favorite websites http://www.freestufftimes.com/ has a section titled coupons that lists great online coupons, but also has a coupon trading site under forums for coupon trading. i also have found that craigslist and freecycle often feature people trying to pass off coupons to people who can use them.
keys to good coupon swapping:
1.start saving and clipping all the coupons you come across. if you have something to give to others, you'll be more likely to find others willing to share. now, this does not mean printing out every online coupon, you can obviously just email or tell friends about those great ones. no need to use your ink unless they don't have access to a computer.
2. let people know as specifically as possible what you are looking for especially what brands you may prefer. for instance, while i am always on the lookout for hairdye coupons, my favorite brand is garnier.
3. swap with people who have different needs than you. i have cats and can always swap with my dog owning friends.
4. find other friends who are avid coupon clippers and make it a regular part of your plans to swap. if you and some friends who clip coupons are already planning to get together recommend you bring extra coupons to share with one another. or, make it an event. have everyone bring coupons and some food. good chance to catch up while helping you save money. who wouldn't love that.
5. don't expect something for nothing. don't horde coupons you know you'll never use when someone else can use them. if you have something to give, other people will be more likely to share.
6. organize your coupons. if you organize your coupons, it will be easier to see what you don't need and can give away. balancing beauty and bedlam showed her huge coupon notebook in her post. i use a little expando that you can purchase in any dollar store and most walmarts, targets, etc. i like it because not only was it just $1, but it easily fits into any of my purses i would take with me to the grocery/drug store.additionally, i really love the color scheme of this one; cute and practical how me.

i picked the categories i most use and changed tags for some to meet my needs. i even use index cards to separate coupons within the categories ie putting the ones i know i plan on using on a trip to the store in front of the index card. you can see the cards sticking up and my unpainted nails.
7.check out online coupon trading sites. i mentioned some above, but here are more:
when using online coupon trading sites, be sure to only list a coupon on one forum that way you don't have too many people all thinking they got lucky and found what they were looking for. and, when you do agree to send a coupon to someone else, mail it asap ie that day or the next since someone is is eagerly awaiting its arrival. hey, you would want someone else to do the same for you. if you post a coupon for trade, check your emails frequently afterwards. someone may be waiting to hear back from you. basically, its a case of do unto others as you would hope they would do unto you.
8.sometimes just bringing in coupons you can share to work or friends can get the whole coupon swapping thing going.

Monday, February 16, 2009

today's free stuff 2/16/09

free sample of malcolm's gourment hot chocolate http://www.malcolms.ca/freesample.html
free sample of airborne original orange http://www.airbornehealth.com/promotions_original.php
free printout for origins nighttime face cream http://ggpmall.com/crm/2009/!FebOffers/img/OriginsOffer.jpg
free sample viva paper towels http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid66370.aspx
free sample of huggies baby wipes http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid66000.aspx
free carefree pantiliner sample text carefree to 467467
free $20 vet visit voucher printout http://www.gettothevet.com/CouponForm.aspx
free redbox video rental code good for today M7DM23
free advanced seal crest whitening strips sample and coupon http://www.whitestrips.com/whitestrips-special-offers/
free trial pack acuvue contact lens http://www.acuvue.com/free-trial.htm?flowId=1&rc=S97&skinId=S101&promoID=CPA
free pampers baby bodysuit http://www.pampers.com/en_US/signup available with 10 points. you can use these codes to get points THRIFTYMOMMYGTG, OHAMANDAAWGTG08, WELCOME2GTG0809, DONTFORGETGTG08, WELCOMEBONUS089, HAPPYHOLIDAY089, GIVE09UNICEFGTG
free book uneven lies the story of african americans in golf from tilteist http://www.titleist.com/UnevenLies.asp?bhcp=1
free 7 day pass to bally's gymshttp://www.ballyfitness.com/get-started/guest-pass/free-guest-pass.aspx?CID=D:CW:SpecificMedia:LoveHandles:7-dayGP:Q1-2009
free $10 coupon book from betty crocker http://freecoupons.dinnermadeeasy.com/DinnerMadeEasy/Default.aspx?Source=392
free sample of remifenin natural aid for menopause symptoms http://www.enzymatictherapy.com/Remifemin/survey.aspx?surveyuid=edb60040-8026-4837-956c-67a9b8f264cf
free sample of playtex gentle guide tampons http://www.playtexgentleglide.com/Gentle_Glide_Sample.html
free $5 dillyeo gift card http://www.dillyeo.com/Dynamic.aspx?p=Store/Product&n=141

cupcake pull apart molds

i was telling my mom over the phone about my cupcake carrier and how much i love it. she recommended i check out the cupcake pull apart molds at pfaltzgraff that she had seen on her many visits to pfaltzgraff's outlet in williamsburg. i took a look at the website and have a link here: http://www.pfaltzgraff.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Pfaltzgraff-Site/default/Search-Show?q=cupcake+pull+apart. this is such a cute idea. how did i not know about this? these silicone molds make cupcakes or mini cakes that together make a larger object such as a wreath or train. what a perfectly cool idea for parties. i want so many of these. i looked at the target website my go to for shopping, and it has many of the same molds for the same price. from what i've read online, they can be a bit messy with extra frosting to make some of them look uniform. personally, i'm ok with getting some frosting on my fingers since i love finger licking good food.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

another day another shower

i have no children. it is not that i don't want children some day. but, my boyfriend and i haven't made the marriage step yet, nor are we in a position to pay for infertility treatment at this time. i do adore children, but having been told at 18 years old i may never be able to have my own children, baby showers tend to be bittersweet. i certainly felt a kinship with charlotte's character on sex in the city as she struggled with miranda's pregnancy especially the baby shower. i always feel a ton of apprehension and longing when a baby shower looms in my future. i suppose for this reason whenever a baby shower of a friend approaches i somehow get a pretty important task for the shower as a way of changing focus. in fact, i personally have hosted 2 showers. i also find it a bit vexing that the mother to be is always and i mean always younger than me in my life. this time around, i am blessed that my best friend's son is about to be a first time dad. my best friend has allowed me the honor of being in charge of the baby shower games. we originally discussed this last friday. i looked stuff online and added some sites to my favorites. then, i have left it at that. when i talked to her this friday, she bugged me to send her my picks. i just keep putting it off. avoiding the pain i guess.

am i the only one who does this?

for some reason whenever i'm getting ready to go out, it always seems i'm rushed. since its winter, i haven't been spending much time wearing open toe shoes and have not had a pedicure in forever. in deciding what to wear the other night, i was just drawn to wearing my red canvas peep toe wedges with rafia wedges that i had bought with my mom new year's eve and had not yet worn. i picked them up at burlington coat factory at 80% their already super low closeout price, so they were a mere $5.99. i loved the contrasting white piping and button detail. unfortunately, its not really appropriate weather. but, with this week's warm weather, i thought i could pull them off. i made this decision with a half hour left til my dear friend trav was supposed to pick me up. i could not handle going out in peep toe shoes with unpolished toes, but i was dead set i wanted to wear this fabulous shoes. check out that super cute wedge that so mimics a heel. so, i used a cheat that sadly i have used once before. i just painted my big toe and the toe directly beside it. its not like i was going to be taking off my shoes til i got home anyway. i just figured cutting out painting 2 coats on 6 toes would save me enough drying time that i would be done in time to leave. here's the way my poor toes ended up looking. i couldn't help telling my friend trav what i would done. he absolutely cracked up. but, am i really the only one who has done this?

today's free stuff 2/15/09

free redbox rental code for president's day weekend SHPNSVE2
free greenies dental chew for dog http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Freesample/?Product_ID=
free pet treat from pet steakopia http://www.petsteaktopia.com/opt-in-form.html

today's free stuff 2/14/09

free sample of salad dressing http://www.hendricksons.com/emailformV2.asp?Dept_ID=O&NavButton=0201&Main=Y
free sample of paradise island gourment popcorn https://app.expressemailmarketing.com/Survey.aspx?SFID=54160
free sample of emerson house coffee http://www.emersonhousecoffee.com/freesample.asp
free sample of yogi tea http://www.yogitea.com/Pages/FreeSamples.html
free espresso sample http://stores.italianbeandelight.com/-strse-Free-Samples/Categories.bok
free lysol toilet cleaner http://www.babykat.com/pub_off.php
free bottle opener http://bottlestrongusa.com/free-bottle-opener-2.htm
free sample econo clean cleaner http://www.econo-chem.com/webform/sendsample01.html
free sample body eclipse aromatherapy shampoo http://meditasto.com/aromatherapy.php
free sample aloe mask http://www.nailsmag.com/spaspecifics/index.aspx
free sample underjams diapers http://www.underjams.com/bedwetting-children/free_sample.php
free sample of prilosec http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=10811&iid=12-19-07_Triadpg_prilosecSamsClub
2 free ppv movies with dish network http://www.dishnetwork.com/freemovie/