I figure it may be time to let a little about me be known on here. I am a wife of five years as of yesterday and a mother to 3 boys ages 4 and under. I am 25 years old and currently live in Danville Virginia.
I graduated high school in 2002 6 weeks after turning 17 and then went to Pensacola Christian College where I majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Missions. It was in my freshman year there when I met my husband to be and it wasn't till almost 4 years later that we eloped. We were both married at the age of 20 and I had and still have plans on finishing my degree. He started boot camp for he Navy right after we began dating in January of 2005 and was stationed in GooseCreek/Charleston Sc when we eloped in January of 2006. Our oldest, N, was born October 2006 just 9 months and 2 days later, a surprise blessing from God. He was followed by C in Dec of 2007 while we were still in SC. It was shortly after he was born that my husband encouraged me to attend the only play group I went to on base. It was there I met one of my best friends Sarah. She has deffinitely been a tool in the hand of God in our lives even to this day. She too is a military wife and was expecting her 3rd when we met. She is the one who taught me what I am hoping to pass on to many many others. Our 3rd child J was born in July of 2009 while living in Alabama after a brief period of Jeremy working for a nuclear plant in Wisconsin. We are young and learning many things as we go, but Lord willing we will learn well and not have to repeat some of it, and maybe even help others.
I am starting homeschool this fall with the older 2 boys.I am sure that will be quite fun lol. Also I enjoy my hobbies of reading, sewing, cross stitching, embrodery, quilting and baking. I am hoping to be able to put in a garden this year and do a lot more fresh vegetables for the family. I also am a cloth diapering, baby-wearing mamma and make and sell ring-slings with personalized burp cloths.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Where to find coupons
Coupons may seem difficult to find when you have not really couponed before. The easiest place to find them would be your local newspaper. Sunday papers come with all the adds in the middle but before you hold it out over the trash can and shake it out stop one second and look. There are actually coupons in there too. They are called inserts. On any Sunday you can see several, Proctor and Gamble, Red Plum, Smart Source and sometimes there may be 2 of one in there. KEEP THESE! These clip and sort and put them in your binder. The second place to find them is in your circulars that are mailed to your home. These normally are ft food coupons and ones for the car but they are great when your car has an unexpected need for repair :)
Finally there are online coupons. These can be printed out and taken in to the store and used as a normal coupon in most stores. Sometimes online coupons are manufacturer coupons (ones that start with the number 5 or 9 ) and other times they are store coupons (ones that start with any number other than a 5 or 9, 4 is a popular one). When printing out these coupons, most times you can print a total of 2 per computer in the house of each coupon. There are a few that you can print more of but not many. Also not all stores will accept an online coupon, this is up to each individual store. When printing out the coupons though, make sure the entire thing is visible. This helps the cashiers out and can cut down on a lot of problems at the registers.
Finally there are online coupons. These can be printed out and taken in to the store and used as a normal coupon in most stores. Sometimes online coupons are manufacturer coupons (ones that start with the number 5 or 9 ) and other times they are store coupons (ones that start with any number other than a 5 or 9, 4 is a popular one). When printing out these coupons, most times you can print a total of 2 per computer in the house of each coupon. There are a few that you can print more of but not many. Also not all stores will accept an online coupon, this is up to each individual store. When printing out the coupons though, make sure the entire thing is visible. This helps the cashiers out and can cut down on a lot of problems at the registers.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Organizing Your Coupons
BINDERS:
There are different methods of organizing coupons. Many manufacturers now are making coupon holders and sorters. These tend to be on the small side and are fine for those who want to use the occasional coupons. You can also pick up any size of three ring binders at walmart or just about anywhere else. These work too but you have to be careful not to accidentally grab it upside down or papers will fall out. What I use is a 3 ring binder that zips shut. It has an outside pocket to store my stores rewards program cards in (will explain more about these later) and a pocket inside for my pens my shopping list and my scissors.
SORTERS:
I personally use baseball card holders to keep my coupons sorted out. You can put the matching ones facing out and another set in the back facing the other way so that your binder literally becomes a book that you can flip through. There are 9 slots to a page and so each page can hold 18 sets of coupons. They come with 3 holes in the edge already which makes it easy to slip into the Binder. Here is a link to the ones that I use, but I bought mine at a baseball store. These are a little bit more expensive than the others but they are built sturdier and will last longer than the cheaper ones do.
PAGE DIVIDERS:
Simple packs of page dividers that you can write on and catagorize your coupons in your binder under work great. I have tried the ones where you insert the paper with the heading into it and the paper falls out too fast and then you have to remember what that catagory was....not fun in the store with kids lol. Depending on how many sections you break your coupons down into will determine how many packs you have to purchase. They come in packs up to 8 normally. I will say that the more catagories you break your coupons up into the harder it can get to put one in the "right catagory". Do not try to alphabetize your coupons....this will lead to misery and a lot more work than can be imagined. I do have my main catagories in the binder alphabetized to make finding that section of coupons easier, if I have mine open to fridge and need something from freezer i flip up one but if i need something from "baby" i know to flip towards the front.
STORE COUPONS :
Stores like Food Lion, CVS, Kmart and Kroger are really good about giving you coupons back with your receipts. I tried to keep them with my normal coupons until I found myself trying to use them at the wrong store because I wasn't paying attention. Now they sit in a baseball sleeve in the very front of my binder before my sections even begin. This way at the beginning of the trip I can see if I have any good store coupons that need to be used or that I can pare up with a manufacturers coupon.
That is all for now, this post took longer than I thought it would and was to have been up while it was still yesterday :) I am off for now, and Lord willing will post more today. It all depends on what my husband has planned for our anniversary. Happy 5 year anniversary baby.
There are different methods of organizing coupons. Many manufacturers now are making coupon holders and sorters. These tend to be on the small side and are fine for those who want to use the occasional coupons. You can also pick up any size of three ring binders at walmart or just about anywhere else. These work too but you have to be careful not to accidentally grab it upside down or papers will fall out. What I use is a 3 ring binder that zips shut. It has an outside pocket to store my stores rewards program cards in (will explain more about these later) and a pocket inside for my pens my shopping list and my scissors.
SORTERS:
I personally use baseball card holders to keep my coupons sorted out. You can put the matching ones facing out and another set in the back facing the other way so that your binder literally becomes a book that you can flip through. There are 9 slots to a page and so each page can hold 18 sets of coupons. They come with 3 holes in the edge already which makes it easy to slip into the Binder. Here is a link to the ones that I use, but I bought mine at a baseball store. These are a little bit more expensive than the others but they are built sturdier and will last longer than the cheaper ones do.
PAGE DIVIDERS:
Simple packs of page dividers that you can write on and catagorize your coupons in your binder under work great. I have tried the ones where you insert the paper with the heading into it and the paper falls out too fast and then you have to remember what that catagory was....not fun in the store with kids lol. Depending on how many sections you break your coupons down into will determine how many packs you have to purchase. They come in packs up to 8 normally. I will say that the more catagories you break your coupons up into the harder it can get to put one in the "right catagory". Do not try to alphabetize your coupons....this will lead to misery and a lot more work than can be imagined. I do have my main catagories in the binder alphabetized to make finding that section of coupons easier, if I have mine open to fridge and need something from freezer i flip up one but if i need something from "baby" i know to flip towards the front.
STORE COUPONS :
Stores like Food Lion, CVS, Kmart and Kroger are really good about giving you coupons back with your receipts. I tried to keep them with my normal coupons until I found myself trying to use them at the wrong store because I wasn't paying attention. Now they sit in a baseball sleeve in the very front of my binder before my sections even begin. This way at the beginning of the trip I can see if I have any good store coupons that need to be used or that I can pare up with a manufacturers coupon.
That is all for now, this post took longer than I thought it would and was to have been up while it was still yesterday :) I am off for now, and Lord willing will post more today. It all depends on what my husband has planned for our anniversary. Happy 5 year anniversary baby.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
I am back and Lord willing for good.
I am making this blog a priority from here on out. I have come and gone and have taught people in person and online how to coupon shop. I was taught by a good Christian friend how to be frugal and smart when our lives were at about their lowest. Now I want to pay that favor back to those who can use it. This blog for me will be a testimony a way to reach out to those who need it and a way to honor God. My sister in law is doing the same with her blog www.clippingaway.blogspot.com . I taught her as I had been taught. We are stay at home moms of 3 boys each. I will do my best to track the sales that I hear of and hope that others are willing to fill me in on ones they here of too. Right now if you come back in the next couple of days and things look different it is because she is helping overhaul my blog from GA. :) The name on the blog has changed but it is still me.
Friday, January 7, 2011
I found a blog with a giveaway and it looks like she too is a fellow couponer. If you want to check out her site follow th link bellow.
http://elle-tn.blogspot.com/2011/01/win-10-gift-card-to-olive-garden.html#comment-form
http://elle-tn.blogspot.com/2011/01/win-10-gift-card-to-olive-garden.html#comment-form
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sorry I have not been around
Things here have been a little on the crazy side lately. Some changes that I can't really say much about have been taking place. Then added to that my husband now is a business owner and it is a small business. He is a trucker and runs exclusively for Dollar General and has a 3 year contract with them. Then addded to that I have a job, it is a demanding one but one that allows me to stay home with the kids and hopefully will let me get my feet wet and if all goes as planned get my feet under me to start my own business too. That would be 2 small businesses run out of the same house. It makes me wonder if we are nuts. I have managed to score several sweet deals here lately. Right now the only places I can do real well at are Piggly Wiggly, Target, CVS and Food Lion. That is my choice option right now. For Thanksgiving we ended up with 43 pounds of turkey for $9, and paid about half price for the rest of the meal.
This week at Target I am planning on printing out their store coupon for $1/1 of Suave shampoos and conditioners since they are on sale for $0.97. Also I am eyeballing their candle deals. Last time round I ended up with about $50 worth of candles and payed $15 not too bad.
It is late or should I say early, so I need to hop off so I can get up early and finish off the last of the work needed for my job tomorrow. I will try not to be such a stranger here.
This week at Target I am planning on printing out their store coupon for $1/1 of Suave shampoos and conditioners since they are on sale for $0.97. Also I am eyeballing their candle deals. Last time round I ended up with about $50 worth of candles and payed $15 not too bad.
It is late or should I say early, so I need to hop off so I can get up early and finish off the last of the work needed for my job tomorrow. I will try not to be such a stranger here.
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