Daily Dose of Thrifty

Do You Get Rain Checks? You Should!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Cassie on November 10, 2011

Have you ever asked for a rain check?  Do you ask every time that you can?  Well,  you really, really should!

But first, some of you may be asking…..”What is a rain check?”

A rain check is a voucher that extends the sale price of an item for you, so that you can return to the store on a different day, even after the sale ends and get that same item for the previous sale price.   What this means is that if your local grocery has ran out of an item that was on sale that week, you ask for this rain check and you can still get this same sale price in the future.

For example, let’s say that Cheerios are on sale for $2 this week.  You go to the store only to find them out of stock – instead of leaving sad and disappointed – head to the checkout or the customer service and ask for a rain check!  You can then return a couple of weeks from today and take your rain check into the store, find the Cheerios that were on sale for $2 but are now back up to $4 a box.  But at checkout, you hand over your rain check and they will adjust the price back down to $2.

It is not just the grocery store though! Many other stores also offer rain checks for items they sold out of and you were not able to get from clothing, electronics and more!

Why should I ask for a rain check?

Sales, saving money, and using coupons are becoming an increasingly popular activity for many households.  This means that there are many more people going after the same sale items from something small to even larger items.   This also means that those items disappear off the shelves very quickly or even very early on in the sale. So for this reason, rain checks are becoming even more increasingly necessary too!

For us, we are a big family! Running to the store at the drop of a bucket to grab the latest hot deal is just not going to happen; it makes saving money way too stressful! Instead, we go when it is convenient for us and if they happen to be out, then we will get our rain checks so that we can still get the same deal later on!

Another important reason to ask for rain checks is so that the stores themselves know that they are not keeping up with demand in hopes that they will increase their stock of sale items.  Honestly, the stores do not want to have to give out rain checks.  It hurts their bottom line as they cannot get those same items for the same discount that they did for the bulk order cost that they got for the sale! But many stores do not realize the impact their low stock  on consumers or not keeping up with demand has unless there is something to alert them – like issuing dozens of rain checks on the same item.

So the benefit is not just short-term gain, but potentially a long-term gain if the stores in your area are keeping better stock because of it!

The process:

The process of retrieving a rain check is very simple.  The hardest part is remembering to ask for one! We make a note on our shopping list to help us remember when we are in the store.  Or if you have coupons that you intended to use with that sale item, your left over coupons will give you the reminder!

Once you are at the checkout, just simply say, “You were out of this item, may I please get a rain check?”  The cashier is usually the one that writes up your rain check (some stores like Target do it all electronically!).  Then simply slip your rain check in your coupon binder/organizer with the coupons that go with it for you to use the next time you are in the store.

When they fill-out the rain check, they will ask you how many you want.  We recommend asking for them to write down a larger quantity, at least the amount equal to the number of coupons you have – and maybe a couple of more.  Some items already have a limit – so ask for the maximum quantity allowed for the sale to be written on your rain check. By doing this, you keep your options open.  When you actually redeem your rain check, you are not required to by the exact amount listed on your rain check.  So if you ask for 10 of something on your rain check, but then when you return, you decide you only want 5, then you can get just 5.  But by asking for a larger quantity, you prevent the opposite from happening where you ask for 5, then when you return to the store, you really wished you could have gotten 10!

Do rain checks have expiration date?

This answer is going to vary greatly from store to store and area to area.  In our area, most all of our stores do have an expiration date that is 2 weeks, 30 days and 90 days out. This means that we have to “redeem” our rain check before then.   However, this is a fairly recent change in our area, as we used to not have any expiration dates and so today there are still many stores and areas nationwide where the rain checks have no expiration dates.  Just learn the policies at your local stores (knowing that they too can change at any time!)

Can I Use Coupons with the Rain Check?

Absolutely! It is not any different than when you buy the item on sale and then use coupons! It is the same thing.  The only exception would be if the store themselves had a policy against it – but we have never ran into that, but we cannot say for sure nationwide at every local store.

So the next question you could be asking yourself is “what if my coupon expires before the item is back in-stock for me to redeem my rain check?”  This is a tough question and one that will happen on occasion.   If your rain check has no expiration date, then just hang on to it as the coupons for that item will most likely come out again soon, so then you can redeem your rain check with the coupons.

If your rain check has an expiration date and you think that there is a very good likely hood that your coupons will expire or that other coupons will not come out before your rain check expires, then you can raise this concern with customer service manager.  Honestly, they will probably not be able to do anything, but there have been a couple of times for us that there was an item we really wanted, it was gone and our coupons were expiring soon.  We explained to the Customer Service Manager our dilemma and they allowed us to “pre-pay” so that we can use our coupons! We just kept our receipt (with special notations and signature by the manager) and then returned to the store when they were back in stock.  We tell you this trick, but this is a very new and rare approach to couponing when an item is out of stock, but it is worth trying for an item you really want!

See more Money Saving Tips

Photo Credit

{ 2 comments }

Alex & Cassie

Guest Post: Cloth Diapering 101

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Alex on November 8, 2011

Cloth diapering is a great option for parents looking for frugal ways to care for their baby. I used cloth diapers for my first three babies, and have used paper for my last three. Overall, while paper has an edge on convenience, I prefer cloth. I love the simple and the natural, and I hate feeling like I am wasting anything!

The world of cloth diapering is, however, less simple than it used to be. There are many, many options available! To start, cloth diapers can be broken down into two main categories: diaper services and home washing.

A diaper service is a laundry facility that will, on a weekly basis, come to your home and deliver the desired number of clean, prefold diapers. They pick up the week’s soiled diapers, which do not require any rinsing or special care. (You do, however, need to purchase and wash your own covers. They typically run between $8.00 – $15.00, and four or five will serve. They are not difficult to wash and only occasionally become very messy.) A monthly fee is charged, which varies considerably by region, but is generally comparable to paper diapering in cost for a single child in diapers. There are two major savings involved with a diaper service: 1) cloth diapered babies tend to diaper train significantly earlier than babies who wear paper, because the child can feel the wetness and develops self-awareness about the whole process more quickly. 2) I loved this one: if you have two (or more if you are so blessed!) children in diapers at the same time, you save a ton of money. Diaper services usually charge a flat fee which covers delivery and washing, plus a few cents on each diaper that you order. So, if you add a new baby to your account, your monthly diaper bill will only go up by literally a few dollars. A good place to start for more info on diaper services is http://www.diapernet.org/.

Then there is home washing – this is where it can get complicated. There are a lot of options out there; you can go with a good quality flat prefold diaper, used with a hook-and-loop closure cover like you would use for diaper service diapers, or there are dozens of newer systems out there that might be a little more expensive to get started with, but are more convenient. Some of these, like bumGenius, are one-size deals that will fit your baby from 7-35 lbs, so while the initial layout is a little higher with these, you do not have to buy progressively larger sizes like you do with the flat diapers and covers. Your toddler can wear the same size diapers as your newborn.

Regardless of which style you choose, you’ll have to wash them. While baby is exclusively breastfed, there is no rinsing needed, but once solids or formula are introduced, the diapers need to be rinsed before being tossed in the diaper pail. This job can be made easier with some convenience items such as a diaper sprayer, but can also be accomplished with a dedicated spatula and a swish in the toilet. Most people wash their diapers several times a week, investing an hour or so of their time. Washed properly, your diapers will not smell bad and they will not usually cause a rash. The extra work pays off – even considering the initial outlay and the ongoing expense of washing, this is by far the least expensive way to diaper a baby. The savings over the years one child spends in diapers can easily hit four figures – and then, you can reuse the diapers for your next child, and often resell them when you are done.

One of the best places to get started washing your own diapers is Cotton Babies. I have also had good experiences with Green Mountain Diapers. For even more information, including very detailed cost breakdowns, visit Green Baby Guide.

Some of you may be now wondering, “Why, if she loves cloth diapers so much, doesn’t she currently use them??” Ahhh…long story. There are a lot of factors that go into deciding which diaper system to use: cost, convenience, time, environmental concerns, personal preference, spouse’s preference, baby’s preference (in terms of rash issues – some babies rash with paper and not with cloth, some vice versa). Hopefully I have helped you consider which might be the best fit for you!

Desiree is a homeschooling mom of 6, wife to Mark, and blogs about homemaking and homeschooling in faith at Diligence Without Fear.

A note from The Thrifty Couple: Please be watching our site as we have shared some amazing deals on cloth diapering products in the past and will continue to do so as we find them to help you save more.  Be watching our Baby Deals!

Photo Credit: Thank you to Green Parenthood for the use of the photo.

{ 2 comments }

Alex & Cassie

PerkStreet Financial Rewards You With an Amazing 2% Cash Back Debit Card as Recommended by Dave Ramsey

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Alex on November 5, 2011

Earlier this year Cassie noticed that Dave Ramsey referred to PerkStreet FinancialSM as a financial services company that made a lot of sense – they offer a FREE checking account with a debit card that rewards you for using their card (the normal verbiage: non-PIN transactions of course).  From his recommendation we thought we would check them out – and we have been very happy users since.  We love they were founded to help families live debt-free by rewarding them for making smart spending choices and avoiding credit card debt and big banking fees.

First if you’ve been following the news, you know a lot of banking customers (us ourselves) are up in arms over the number of fees that banks are charging to use their debit cards.  Wells Fargo, Chase & SunTrust all charge somewhere in the range from $3-5 monthly just for using some of their debit cards.  The latest, Bank of America made the announcement they would charge a monthly $5 fee for the same.  If I understand correctly, they heard their customers loud and clear (or many ex-customers, that is) and have recently taken back that charge.  If nothing else, you can sense the winds of additional bank fees – as demonstrated by the Bank Transfer Day – a day dedicated for users to leave their current banks and transfer fully to a credit union solely because of bank fees for debit card use.

Here’s where the awesome part comes in – PerkStreet Financial offers their checking account and debit card without any maintenance fees and instead rewards you to use their debit card (on all non-PIN purchases) – and you can keep your current bank account!  Here’s what they say about themselves:

It’s an FDIC insured checking account that gives you more debit card rewards than any other account in America. When you use your PerkStreet Financial Debit MasterCard® without entering a PIN, you earn free coffee, music or 2% cash back, plus up to 5% cash back in popular categories.

So as you can tell, what’s amazing with PerkStreet Financial is that you can get 2% cash back just for using your card and making purchases you would normally make every day compared to our current bank that only offers 0.25% back – a HUGE difference!  PerkStreet Financial also states their average customer receives back $601 per year in perks – which means about a $50 card per month.  And yes, that’s one of our rewards cards above!

First, its free and easy to open an account.  Just click on this link to PerkStreet Financial and after you get to their site just click on the button below (you can’t miss it :) ) to apply for an account – and as they have said before, it only takes a few minutes to fill out!

After they approve and create your account they will notify you and you can start using them for your purchases!

So here’s the nitty and the gritty:

  • Earn 2% cash back on all non-PIN debit card purchases for 3 months (90 days)
  • After 90 days, earn 2% cash back on every non-PIN purchases when your balance is $5,000 or more or earn 1% cash back for balances below $5,000. Either way, you won’t find another bank in America that gives you more rewards on debit .
  • Get 5% PowerPerks at rotating monthly categories and merchants (this month on movie and local bakery purchases)
  • No credit check. No annual fee. It’s free to get and free to use.

Finally, we’ll share with you more in the future on how you can maximize your perk rewards, but when you request your rewards you can receive them as assorted gift cards or – our favorite – CASH (in the form of a card as you see above).  We love taking those perks and paying some of our bills online.  How great it is to see our monthly budget reduced (even if just a little bit) just because we earned cash back spending wisely!

Click here to sign up today!

The PerkStreet FinancialSM Debit MasterCard® is issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to license from MasterCard International Incorporated.

{ 2 comments }

Alex & Cassie

Introducing our Seven Year Old Marketer

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Alex on October 27, 2011

We wanted to introduce you to one of the staff members for our site – The Thrifty Couple.  We pay her a lot – she earns full room and board and all the hugs and kisses we can give her.  You might say that we treat her as our own daughter.  Its because she is!

Just last week we were headed home from running a few errands when our oldest (now seven) noticed a few vehicles with vinyl lettering on their back window.  She asked why we hadn’t placed our logo and website on the back of our van.  She continued her reasoning that if our van had our logo on the back window that EVERYONE would want to come to our site.  Thanks to her it now is.

As we mentioned in our article on starting your own snow removal company you might remember we discussed developing a family-based economic.  Its great how our oldest is coming up with ideas such as the one here, our six year old is a budding photographer (she just inherited our camera) and so on!  Each family member participates in everything we do – and we LOVE it!  We are trying to raise some ants (referencing Proverbs 6:6-11) as opposed to the sluggard – teaching our children to work hard, learn that money doesn’t grow on trees and that hard work is necessary to reap later and make it through the lean times.

Oh yes – if you see us on the road please honk  – we would love to say hello!

{ 0 comments }

Alex & Cassie

Sharing All Your Favorite Holiday Preparation Tips

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Alex on October 26, 2011

Are you surprised to see a Christmas tree on one of our posts?  I know – we’re a bit crazy – but we also know that to get ready for the holidays means preparing early and having a plan.  And if you remember from our giveaway just over a week ago, you all gave us some amazing tips on how to do just that!  Plus, we mentioned we would list them all for you in a future post (this one) to let you have easy access to all your tips.  And they were amazing!

Get yourself your favorite hot beverage, wrap yourself in a blanket and turn on some of your favorite Christmas carols for ambiance then get ready to read and learn some great tips to help you get ready for this holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Years.  And remember its never too early to start planning for the holidays!

Thank you to everyone that gave us your best tips – Enjoy!

Alicia

If your making a lot of food for a crowd, start pies and other deserts the night before. Make good use of your microwave for veggies, and use the oven and those oven bags for your meats, they cook quick and stay moist! OH and if you use aluminum tray for cooking, dont cut the turkey in it, you have a chance of cutting through it and having a giant turkey mess that will take days to fully clean up! Oh and dont stress about the holidays, enjoy the company you have and take deeps breaths when you feel the stress coming!

Allicia

Start picking up gifts here and there starting around September. You’ll find lots of things that are on sale or clearance that your friends and family would want for gifts.

amanda

I shop black friday (yep I’m crazy) and win giveaways!

amber

i prepare for the holidays by buying presents all year round so that I don’t have to shop in the crazy holiday crowds

Andrea

We love to have lots of Christmas cookies around the holidays, but with three little kids it can be hard to find the time to bake all the kinds that I would like. So I like to have cookie swaps. Invite some friends and each person bakes and brings a dozen cookies with a copy of the recipe for each person, including themselves. It’s a fun evening to get together and everyone goes home with an assortment of cookies. I freeze mine and can pull them out throughout the season as we have company over. I usually have plenty and am able to send a platter with my husband to work too. The rest of my baking doesn’t feel as rushed and I can really involve my kids in the fun.

Andrea

Grab several friends and do a holiday sweet swap. I usually do one with my Mom, Mother in Law, and both Sisters in Law. We all make a huge batch of one thing then we swap with one another. I can make peanut butter fudge in the morning and by the evening I’ll have Peanut Butter Fudge, cookies, Peanut Butter balls, Bourbon Balls, and Banana Bread! This way you don’t have to buy a ton of different ingredients you just have to buy for your one recipe. We LOVE doing this.

Angel

I buy presents a little at a time as the year goes on…then when unexpected birthday parties, showers, or weddings come up…I am ready to go…not to mention I make gift baskets for friends who I know will use the HBA stuff I get free or cheap during the year :)

Angie

I love giving homemade goodies as gifts but the time it takes to mix and bake everything is crazy! I usually make candies way ahead of time and then freeze them (they last a really long time if you have them sealed in a zipper bag). I also prep my cookie doughs ahead of time and freeze those as well. They last at least three months if kept sealed in the freezer. Then all I have to do is defrost them in the fridge and bake them as needed, so there are always fresh cookies somewhere in my house (my father-in-law can vouch for this, haha!). I also start my shopping in July or August. It’s a great time to get clearance deals on summer stuff.

Anna

Shop year round for Christmas gift. That way you can take advantage of sales.

Anna

Use your calendar to block out a few days that will be spent on time to shop or prepare your house for company. Once the holiday activities start, you can get caught short of time and end up harried!

Now is the time to stock up on food staples that you know you are going to need for those holiday meals, and tape and ribbons and bows and anything else that you can get a head start on. You will beat the crowds, too!

April

Get your shopping done early so you can enjoy the holiday season and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Ashley

Use Swagbucks to redeem Amazon gift cards to help pay for Christmas. It doesn’t take long to accumulate points and with Amazon’s already low prices, you’re sure to score some great deals.

Ashley

I make all my casseroles, snack foods and cold desserts the day or two before everyone arrives, that way I have more time to spend with my family. Which is what the hollidays are about!!

Ashley

Take long deep breaths…. just kidding. This year I’m hosting Thanksgiving and instead of buying everything I need all at once, I’m gradually stocking up on sale items each week.

Bernadette

I start “collecting” things whenever I see a great sale. For instance – when Target and Walmart drop their toy prices, I stockpile. And, whenever I get a great deal on H&B products, I stock up. Then, I put all my great finds in a closet and when I’m ready to begin sorting for friends and family, it makes the task a lot more fun. It’s like having my own department store closet, if you will. I also use large wicker baskets to hold freebies that I get in the mail and probably won’t use myself. I attach these little items to the top of the gift box under the bow or put in a little Christmas stocking then attach it to the gift box.

Brenda

Make all your Christmas cookies on one day (my mom and I always do this the day after Thanksgiving – after morning shopping). Keep the cookies in the freezer and you are set to go if you need to make up a plate as a small gift last minute.

Camiele

My tip would be to pack a few days in advance. That way when I remember something I forgot, I still have time to put it in my bag instead of remembering that I forgot something when I get to my destination!

Camilla

Make an EXACT budget and list ahead of time. Way ahead of time. Like, save part of your tax refund in an account especially for Christmas, and decide who you’ll buy for and what your price point is for each person. Then, at the end of summer, determine gifts for each person if possible and start looking out for items in your price point! Last year we sent out xmas cards, bought gifts for ourselves and our two children, and ALL of our large families, and only spent $300. Challenge yourselves!

camilla

I earn gift cards with Swagbucks, My Points etc. A lot of blogs let you know about really good sells around the holidays. Last year I bought 2 pairs of jeans from Target for 13.00$. You can get really good buys online@ free shipping with codes.

Candice

I would probably just say plan ahead….long before you think you should start shopping. I try to start buying Christmas presents in Oct. or sooner, so I can really save. Swagbucks helps a lot too!

Carrie

Don’t get stuck on one specific gift if you don’t have to. Know your recipients likes and find something for them that is a great deal.

Casey

i prepare for the holidays by entering tons of giveaways to help save money, or win christmas gifts… also i save a little more money every week!

Casherie

I try to clean ahead of time. I do a deep clean in October and inventory my stock pile of gifts from the rest of the year. I also buy the gift certificates from city deals and eversave, plum district, etc. and keep the current ones in my email so I can print and give. This was I spend less but give more.

Catie

I actually Christmas shop year round as I find great deals on things. I also buy my wrapping paper/bows/ribbons the days after Christmas when it gets marked down to really cheap. By the time Christmas season rolls around, I have everything I need!

Charity

Think outside the box! This is your first line of defense when it comes to all things holiday. Nothing is set in stone and your kids will be thankful that mommy managed to stay sane even if she cut a few corners to do so.

Chelsey

Start shopping EARLY!

Cheryl

Prepare in advance, have your veggies and other things you can prepare early ready. I also have family bring snacks we can set out while waiting. Shares the expense and I don’t spend all my time in the kitchen trying to make a whole meal.

Cheryl

I have a “present” closet, and all through the year, I take advantage of clearance sales on toys,electronics, household, jewelry, and beauty products. I buy these items at bargain prices and put them in my ” present closet”. That way, the process of buying presents is a little less stressful, because most of my shopping is done before Christmas and I bought them at discount prices. This is also great for birthdays throughout the year!

Courtney

Plan ahead yes. Also do as much shopping on black friday as you can!

Courtney

Plan ahead yes. Also do as much shopping on black friday as you can!

Cynthia

When we make holiday meals we make our stuffing in muffin tins. Everyone’s favorite part is the crunch stuff, so now everyone gets some of it!

Dahbou

It seems every year I promise myself to prepare earlier and usually don’t. But this year will be different! My tip (and goal) this year is to start making Christmas cookies and baked goods a few weeks earlier than last year. Freezing the cookies/desserts will make the holidays so much less stressful because I won’t have to bake at the last minute like I did last year. “Bake and freeze” is my new mantra and my holiday tip.

danielle

http://www.debtguru.com/free-holiday-how-to-booklet —-this will be my 4th year using it! You write everyone you are buying for in—and brain storm the gift ideas and a budget for each person :D

I get one of these every year and it helps cut out the head ache – and i stick to it!!!

Dave

My family is scattered around several distant states. I want to make sure I get something that my young grandaughters really want and like, so ,I just send checks to permit the purchase of the items. This also saves paper and trees and takes a burden off the Post Office and usually makes everyone VERY HAPPY at the lowest possible pricing.

Deanne

This year I started Christmas shopping in about March. I have watched for deals and sales on items my teenagers are interested in. I am just about done . When I do go out and shop, I go with a list of things and stick with it and don’t impulse buy, that is how you overspend. I have been able to get alot more for my money by starting early and not waiting til the last minute.

Debbie

My favorite way to prepare for the holidays, Christmas specifically, is to shop on Black Friday. I try to get as much Christmas shopping done before December, that way I can really enjoy the holidays. :)

Desiree

For extended family, each year I choose one or two themes for homemade gifts – it might be fleece blankets made with fleece purchased 50% off the day after Thanksgiving, or photo gifts with all the great photo deals you guys pass along. Sometimes I make salves and lotions for everyone, or cooking mixes. I try to make sure the items are personalized in some way, but doing it this way saves both time and money as I can purchase supplies for all the projects when I find a good sale, and have everything I need on hand.

Diane

Deviled Eggs are a big treat around the holiday time of the year. We have found a tip that makes the egg shells just fall off. After your eggs have bolied long enough, set your hot pan in one side of your sink, have ice water in a large bowl setting on the other side of the sink dip out 2-3 hot eggs into the ice cold water, crack the eggs and the shells practically fall off. Continue this process until all eggs are peeled. Place in a covered dish in the refrigerator and they will be ready to be prepared later. Also have a WalMart bag to throw the egg shells in.
Thanks!

domestic

My best tip: keep it simple.

Erin

Lists. Lists help me stay organized – I get this from my dad! But don’t get too bogged down with sticking to the list. Perfect example, my dad use to make lists for everything. One vacation he actually scheduled “3:00-3:15 – fun”…

Gay

I keep my Christmas card list in a word document so that I can just pull it up when Iwant to send cards. During the year I can easliy make changes or add new addresses. I also try to get the cards out early before all the busyness of the holiday starts. i buy the cards at the end of the season and save for the next year.You can find great bargains!

Hayley

As a college student, I start shopping for christmas gifts all year round. Also after every season I buy the clearance items so that I’ll have more decorations for when the season comes around the following year. It saves me a lot of money and allows more money for my tuition. I also watch for food sales that are non-perishable or that I can easily freeze.

Heather

I like to try and prepare and plan ahead so I can have time to relax and enjoy the season. I enjoy reading several new Christmas books, as well as the Bible’s story of the nativity and Two From Galilee!

Heather

Our family uses pillow-cases to wrap holiday gifts in. They can then be re-used on the bed or for wrapping next year’s gift to a family member.
Eco-friendly and inexpensive.

heather

We put away a small amount every single paycheck throughout the year so that when things go on sale or when its time to buy we have money set aside for that specific reason.

J

I take a day off from work two weeks or so before Christmas. That gives me time to do last minute shopping or gift wrapping before we start our holiday traveling. If everything’s done, it gives me a whole day to read, drink hot cocoa, and rest up for the big rush.

Jaimee

Normally, I am so on top of things, but this year with a little one, I’ll be lucky to throw a wreath on the door!!

Jamie

I like to start buying gifts as early as possible that way I’m spending a little here and there over a few months instead of one big chunk of money all at the same time.

Jen

We usually enjoy the holidays as a family. We have 4 kids so we can have our own party without additional guests :) My daughter’s birthday is the day after Christmas and for all our kids’ birthdays, we go on a trip. So as far as feast preparation, we don’t worry about that as much. We do give gifts out to family and friends and that’s the bulk of our holiday preparation. Lucky for us, I learned to coupon and have been taking advantage of deals all through out the year. I snag a gift here and there and have a nice stash at work. The other day, I decided to clean up my stock at work and take them home. My husband was so amazed to see my truck full of stuff. I guess we’re done as far as holiday shopping goes :) Next on the list: Plan our holiday trip!

JENNIFER

Plan Plan Plan and start early! Last year so many stores sent free $ coupons that I made a point to go use them and only spend what they sent. I did receive lots of $10 off $10 last year…made for some great gifts…especially for teachers.

jennifer

I read a Christmas story every night, whether it is from the Chicken Soup Series or a chapter from a Christmas novel or a verse from the chapter of Luke. It helps relax me and remember the meaning of the season!

Jennifer

I try to start early, and I set limits for each person. I don’t go over my budget!

Jess

I love to have a small notebook in my purse of what I need to buy so when I have a few extra minutes (or dollars) I can use them wisely :)

Jessie

Start early for sure. Watch for sales online and in-store so you learn the bottom line.

Jodi

I start shopping the day after Christmas, lol! I keep a gift box in my closet, alot of it will get used as birthday gifts throughout the year, but come Christmas time I am soooo happy. Another tip is use all the samples I get as stocking stuffers!

joy

I start putting money aside months in advance and I stick with my budget. I not only ask family and friends what’s on their wish list but I listen to see if anyone ever hints at what they are wishing and hoping for. When I find a great deal on a gift I know I was plannning on getting I get it. Layaway is always something I do as well and I just make sure every year I have a list of gifts and the stores I need to hit up and if there is a coupon or a sale I make sure to take full advantage of it. I try not to go crazy because in the end it’s not about the presents it’s about the people in your life that matter most and the time you spend with them. :)

Julia

I work best with lists. I keep a notebook at the computer with me and make different lists for all of the different tasks that need to be done. Whenever I’m working and something comes to mind that needs to get done I write it down right away.

Julie

Prizes I win from contests I use as Christmas presents…saves me money and I have fun entering them
thanks

Kara

My husband and I are using are rewards points that we’ve accumulated from our credit card for Christmas this year. We have a Chase freedom card and pay the balance off every month. We have over $700. I also use our swag buck and his bonus checks so that we are not spending any “real” money.

kasey

Start two weeks ago!! For once I actually am starting early, and I feel way more relaxed and able to make good choices :)

Kathy

Contribute a little money from your paycheck to a Christmas fund throughout the year. The HR company my employer uses does this for me, so around Thanksgiving I get a check to spend on everyone’s gifts. This sure beats having to take money out of the budget all at once.

Katie

Not waiting til the last minute to shop so you can enjoy your time.

Katie

Shop Amazon early and compare prices on http://camelcamelcamel.com/ Sometimes an item will go on sale on Amazon right around Christmastime so you would want to wait to buy it, for example this toy is currently $14.95 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Soothe-Seahorse/dp/B000W3XEQM/ref=sr_1_4?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1318621900&sr=1-4. But when you look it up on Camelcamelcamel you can see that the price has historically dropped to just $8 each December for the past two years.
Other items may show that they normally go up in price closer to the holidays, for example, this camera: http://camelcamelcamel.com/Nikon-Digital-Camera-18-55mm-3-5-5-6G/product/B0009GZANC. Check the site and know when to snag the best deal!

katklaw777

Best tip…
buy thru out the year at sales, thrift stores, garage sales etc.
I have a special closet I keep all my gifts in so they don’t get lost and I can see whaat I have at a glance.
I buy baskets to fill and use coupons to get free samples and good buys on beauty supplies to put in them.
If you can buying after xmas for next year is very cost effective too!

Kay

I have joined swagbucks and have over $200.00 in Amazon gift cards. I am now starting to watch sales on Amazon and using my gift cards

Kay

I started a list in July of what I needed to get or do for Christmas. I take that list once per week and look to see if I have a coupon for something so that I can go ahead and start marking off items from my list. It really helps because I start thinking and planning way ahead. It makes Christmas not as stressful.

Kimberly

I try to have 80% of my gifts bought and wrapped by Nov.1. Then I can relax and buy the other 20% during the big holiday saies!

Kimberly

Hands down… the very best preparation is buying after Christmas novelties for pennies…. then the next Thanksgiving, I wrap them and bring them to the big family Thanksgiving dinner and tell my nieces and nephews and my own children that I Have thought about them all year. They are soo excited to get an unexpected gift and it kicks off the Christmas season for me.

Kristin

Like many others have said we shop year round for Christmas and birthdays. As we see things on sale that remind us of someone we pick them up and mark them off our list. We try to plan in the summer as well and we come up with things the kids can make for teachers and others. The girls love doing the crafts all summer and then our gifts are done long before Christmas and it is something from the heart, handcrafted from us!

Kristina

I have 4 small kids and all have birthdays in December and January… on TOP of Christmas. And I host Thanksgiving. So my best preparation tip is to prepare all year long. I pick up gifts here and there as I see great deals the boys will like and I stock up on shelf stable items that I will use when I host Thanksgiving and Christmas. That way I can enjoy the holidays, too, and keep my stress-level and pocketbook in check.

Kristy

We split up all the work in our family, so no one person is doing too much.

Krystal

Make a budget and stick to it.
Money envelopes are awesome for Holidays. Write each persons name on a envelope and insert the budgeted amount of money in each.
In the end one kid might have more gifts than another though you spent the same and I think its a good lesson for kids…some things cost more hence less gifts.
Last year I bought so much even in budget that we saved a rubbermaid full for Easter and Birthdays ( and still have some left for this Christmas!)
I shop sales..bogo sales, online deals, Targets big sale etc.
Also Swagbucks ( amazon gift cards) have been a awesome way to stretch my Christmas budget.

Latonya

For dinners, I always hold myself to the main course for holiday dinners and but to ease some of the cooking pressures, i usually task out some side dishes for others to bring.

Lauren

The way i best prep for the holidays is to just STAY ORGANIZED! Make lists and keep track of what you’ve spent and who you’ve bought for. I have to do this-or it’s way too easy to overspend.

LB

I have my mom and my brother’s family over for Christmas Eve brunch every year. With large extended families, we get invited to multiple Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners and don’t always attend the same ones. This way, we always get to see each other and spend time as a family.

Leslie

I stick with a couple of survey sites and always cash out for Amazon gift cards. I apply them to my account and try not to use that money until it’s time to buy Christmas presents. Then, all I have to do when it’s shopping time is add things to my card and use the gift card balance. I’ve got over $100 since January.

Lillian

The best way that I prepare for the holidays, particularly Christmas it to start gift shopping early, way early. I purchased a gift for the following Christmas last year at an after Christmas sale. The only problem is keeping track of gifts throughout the year and remembering what and for whom I already purchased!

Linda

Make a list of all the items that you are going to get and then be ready for the times when they go on sale or there is a coupon so you can purchase them for a fraction of the cost.

Lisa

Watch the TTC’s website for deals!

Liz

My best tip is to make lists. Lists of gifts that I need to buy, lists of the decorating that needs to be done. Lists of what I will be baking, and who it will be going to. Lists of parties that I need to attend.

Liz

I try to shop online or during off-hours to reduce the stress of dealing with crowds.

Lois

Simply to start early. Me, two people, two presents, all done. And it hardly needs to be complicated – if you know them well, you’ll know what to get. And if you don’t… well, everyone likes cookies! LOL

Lori

I start shopping in October using points, checks, gc that I have I gotten from survey sites & swagbucks to purchase gifts. I also make out my holiday cards so that those are ready to go. As things are purchased I wrap them & keep track in a notebook of what I have already & what still needs to be bought.

Lynda

I make a list and shop online wholesale.

lynn

Shop “piecemeal” here and there whenever you find a bargain, coupon, etc. It all adds up to huge savings.

Lynsy

Starting in October, I start a word document that has a list of names of people to buy for and I start collecting links to gifts to buy for them.

Lynsy

Starting in October, I start a word document that has a list of names of people to buy for and I start collecting links to gifts to buy for them.

Madonna

Our families usually come to our house for Christmas. Since I have to wrap all of the presents while preparing everything else. Cleaning the house seems to go to the back of the list so I now hire a cleaning service to come in to do that just before the holiday.

malia

the best way to prepare for the Holidays is to START EARLY! that’s the best tip I can give. Don’t ever wait till the last minute…

Mami2jcn

Start making lists in early October and buy things slowly as you find coupons or items on sale.

Mariana

My tip is to just breathe! Sometimes we’re so caught up with if the stand underneath is dusted and if the bathroom towels smell fresh. We need to be happy and enjoy our loved ones more minutes out of the day.

Marilyn

prepare ahead and do as much as you can a few days before your holiday party is the way I do it most things taste better when the flavors marry anyway so just do a list and start a wk before and knock out the things to make ahead and just set the table :) happy holidays

Mary

Shop online, use apps on a smartphone to find great deals, price around if you can, shop early (as in the summer or fall), find out what everyone would like (even if you want it to be a surprise as for a list of 5 or 6 things and you choose what to get them) so you already know what you are buying. Shop discount stores when possible, scour newspapers for coupons (Lord and Taylor usually have a good one in NYC papers on Wednesdays, Macy’s has them all the time in the papers). Use rewards points (ie: CVS, Staples) to buy things.

Megan

My kids and I fill the house with home made decorations, home made goodies, and music. There’s so much spirit that you only need a small present or two to make the day complete. When they’re old enough I’ll let them pick out a present for each other so they can get as much joy out of giving presents as they do opening their own.

Melanie

We started making homemade gifts last year for famly members and they absolutely loved it! I think everyone already has SO much anyway and a homemade gift (esp from children) is always more meaningful.

melissa

I go to the thrift stores starting around August . This is after I have figured out the unique crafts I am going to do for Christmas presents. I look all over the web and magazines for the best crafts. The thrift stores usually have 90% of the things I use and then i get started making crafts . I get to not feel that Christmas panic and I love making crafts and I spend so mucg less.

Michelle

Budget for Christmas gifts throughout the year. Buy in advance when you can!

Michelle

Start as early as possible. Make a menu and STICK WITH IT! Make a list from the menu so you don’t run out as you are cooking. LoL. And be sure to enjoy each moment. It only comes once (or twice) a year, depending on which holidays you cook for!

monika

I start early around September and I buy baskets and antique ornaments from thrift stores. All year long I buy little gourmet items, or international sweets ( meijer has an international aisle) and little things the people on my list would love. I also started sweeps early this year and have won many presents to give away! I have to devote at least 1-2 hours a day entering, but I have won some nice things to give.
I bake the week before Christmas, I bake candy, mini pumpkin and banana breads, and cookies. I put them in tins and wrap them festively and then decorate the baskets.
I will check yard sales and garage sales all summer and fall for unique ornaments or baskets. Everyone loves these baskets. I will put fillers in there as well, like hard candies and vintage lace napkins or cloth ones that are elegant and antique to line the bottoms of the baskets. I also buy my other christmas presents or basket fillers in October and on black Friday ( the day after Thanksgiving). I will not have any debt related to Christmas. Oh! I start buying my Christmas baking supplies in August and I buy a little each month all the way until December. It is easier on my budget then to just buy it all at once! The dollar store has little bread tins to bake in and I give the baked bread in the tin as a present so it is like two presents!
There are themes you can make up for your baskets: Movie night ( gift card for movie rental or put in a movie your self, a small cuddle blanket, popcorn, soda, candy.)
Spa night: ( pedicure and manicure items, slippers, a mini bottle of wine with a cute wineglass from the dollar store with a pretty ribbon on it, an inflatable bath pillow from dollar store, some candles and a dollar store relaxation c.d.)
Chocolate Lovers: 2 mugs, cocoa mix, bag of marshmallows, chocolate everthing..
Coffee lovers: coffee mugs, starbucks g.c. , gourmet coffee , sweet rolls or coffee cake
Book worms: good book, big tea mugs, herbal tea, cookies a small fleece blanket.
You get the point~
Monika

MvP

My favorite holiday tip is one I’ve been doing for a few years now. I keep a stash of “emergency” gifts for unexpected guests. That way I am never caught unprepared. I have a box on my closet shelf that I add to all year. Some things I have include nice ornaments, gourmet non-perishable food, items that I can get on sale at a good price and that are good generic gifts, gift cards for places like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts and also toys! You never know when you’ll need a gift for a deserving kid at Christmas!

Nancy

We read a book called Jotham’s Journey to the kids throughout the month of December. It helps to set their minds and ours as to what the Christmas season is really about!

Neysa

I used to work in retail & dislike the attitudes of angry last minute shoppers, so I chose not to be one of them. I usually start in June picking up clearance items at different stores, or even on-line. Around October or November you notie the clearance items disappear so now you have to pay full price for everything. I pack them all away and after Thanksgiving I pull them all out, sort & then wrap them. Conclusion: I am finished shopping before December and don’t have to fight the crowds.

noelle

I keep a list all year long on my computer of people I buy gits for. When I see an idea or they mention something they would like I add it to the list. When it’s time to shop I have great ideas for everyone.

Renee

I do my Christmas shopping all year round! I usually finish almost all of it by the end of October so then I can just enjoy the holidays without having to be shopping in all the crowds!

Rhonda

We take this time as family time rather than a holiday. While we do take advantage of sales, which includes losts of lists and laying everything out we want to purchase. Other than that, our biggest planning is to have clean sheets on the bed so we can sleep the days away that we have off from our hard work! :)

robin

i shop all year long for the holidays/birthdays…whenever the price is right using sales, coupons, rebates, etc….i also just started using a coupon cutting service that buys the coupons i dont use and sells me the ones i do..u get credit for the ones u send in so u dont have to pay for the ones u need!

Ruth

My tip is to just relax. Try to spend more time with friends and family, and make it less about the “giving.”

Sam

Shop online and ALWAYS look for promo codes! I go to www.retailmenot.com and usually find up to date codes I can use, or just type into Google and usually find a few that work. It’s a quick way to save money!

Sena

I prepare for the holidays by buying gifts whenever I see a good deal at any time of year. That way, I don’t stress myself out with last minute shopping and spending more than my budget.

Shara

Stock up on batteries before hand! It never fails that some decorations need new batteries and of course the toys that begin trickling in around the first of December.

Sheila

Budgeting: It is good to shop early and to prepare your meal items as early as you can before the big feast. When I was working in finance I noticed everyone used up their household operation money for Christmas and shortchanged the utility companies, the landlord, the mortgage company, and some even dared to skip the car payment. Many people way overspend during the holiday season.

1st) Keep all your bills paid up and on time. If you can save enough to pay 2 months ahead on your bills such as the mortgage payment/rent or the car payment you are already putting yourself in a better safety zone.

2nd) Each month throughout the year, try to put back a small amount of money into a holiday fund. Also keep in mind, that it can be expensive to celebrate several holiday’s so close together. (Do you really need $200 worth of Halloween merchandise ? When were kids, we put together our own costumes from what we had at home). For Thanksgiving, consider doing a family “pot-luck” get together. That way the expense and the preparation time is divided up among all and you will be much less exhausted. (You can do the same for Christmas, and it will save you money)

3rd) Cut back on other expenses.
You can find the money for the holidays if you become more conscious of where you are spending it. Easy places to save include cutting back on eating out, those frequent stops at fast food drive thru’s (a biggie everyone), buying too much junk food at the grocery store (another biggie), and you can also simplify what you spend on cleaning products, as well as health and beauty items. You can save on Gasoline by planning your trips to be more efficient. (UPS drivers learn to take routes that utilize primarily right turns. This cuts down on waiting in the turning lane burning up fuel). If you have several places to go in one day, figure out the fastest and most efficient route to take, and do all of your business that you can within the same geographical area. Pick up needed groceries such as milk or bread on the way home from work instead of making a separate trip back to the store.
Also, cut down on using “shopping” or “window shopping” as a way to combat boredom.

4. Be sure to save money for the after Christmas sales. There are several families in our area that have Christmas AFTER Christmas. You can use the sales to buy different decorations for next year, or discounted gifts for other celebrations during the year.

5. Family crafts. Kids love to make things and they feel special when their arts and crafts are highlighted in the home. Make decorations for the Holidays out of simple inexpensive things like construction paper, aluminum foil, fabric scraps, miscellaneous junk you have stored in the house or shed. Be creative. Hand made decor items make a home feel inviting and warm. These also make nice keepsakes, even the one’s mommy and daddy made.

6. Credit cards: If you do decide to shop with the plastic, be sure you are using your lowest interest rate cards, and the cards which have a generous payment grace period (such as 10-15 days). Too often people think if they shop a particular store they must use the store cards. Store cards like JC Penney, Walmart, Kmart, Sears, and Specialty Shops, most of the time are in the 18% and higher interest rate range. Try to get a low rate Visa, or Mastercard before the holidays.

7. Start planning next year’s holidays right after Christmas. It is those last minute preparations that can be so hectic and costly.

8. Be sure to allow time for rest and recreation during the holiday season. We all need 1 day a week to just get everything off of our minds and to rest our bodies. You will feel better, think more clearer, make better judgement decisions, and have a better feeling of control.

Happy Holidays !

shelly

For the holidays, I like to collect gifts throughout the year when I see items that would be perfect. I keep a log of who I purchase for and a column of the holidays they get gifts (birthday, xmas, v-day, etc.) As I buy a gift a note what it is and check it off in the appropriate column. I hate the thought of picking up last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve or anytime after Thanksgiving. I like to pre-order items as well.

By the time December rolls around, people are in such a panic to order items that they don’t have time to read reviews and consider multiple options. I just find this way the easiest. I already have my gifts wrapped and put away in the closet.

Small

My tip is to get everyone involved. If everyone helps buy and prepare the meal, it’s less cost and stress. My family does this and everyone has fun … we’re all in the kitchen together, creating and laughing. In reality, we have more fun preparing everything together than we have actually sitting down to eat (and that’s a blast so you know the prep is tons of fun). It’s one easy way to make the holidays easier on everyone!

Soha

start scouting for sales and coupons.

Solducky

Make a list several months in advance of everyone who needs a gift, with a few ideas jotted down. Carry it with you so if you are out and find something you can compare it to the list!

Stacy

I have three tips that never, ever fail me but since I can only leave one…

My most valuable tip is to start the following year’s holiday shopping (especially Christmas) immediately after the most recent holiday. I know that often people are broke right after the holidays, but once you can get yourself on this kind of pattern, it almost flows like water, particularly when it comes to shopping for the adults or older teens in your life. Post-holiday sales offer tremendous savings and can allow you to at least get a head start on the coming year. Every year, I save hundreds on gift items, holiday decor, wrapping paper, and even canned food items that are typically used only for the holidays. If you do this every year, you may even build a handy stockpile of wrapping paper, clear tape, Christmas lights and other specialty items to use during really lean times.

Stefany

I prep for the holidays all year long by saving up rewards points & cards and cashing in on everything at the end of the year for gifts!

Sunnie

Plan ahead, use swagbucks, make homemade gifts.

susan

My best advice is to start Holiday preperations E A R L Y !
It is never to early to start:
saving (swagbucks, mypoints, irazoo, etc)
picking up great deals (using coupons, money saving blogs, clearance sales, free item offers, etc)
planning: crafts, menu, baking, wrapping, hiding (LOL) etc
and RELAXING AND ENJOYING IT ALL, because it will be over before you know it

Suzanne

I had a friend do that and I always swore I would follow the idea and never have. Thanks for reminding me to start my own closet. It’s a great idea.

Suzanne

Start the year before at the after Christmas sales.

Tami

Make lie dough now and freeze for hectic times to come.

Tammy

I watch for amazing sales throughout the year and buy some gifts early. Sometimes I end up using those gifts before Christmas (for Birthdays or Father’s Day) but for the most part, I save them for Christmas.

teachinmom

My most organized years were the years that I used the Flylady Holiday Journal from flylady.com. I stayed in control and had much less stress than usual when I followed her tips, starting early and planning ahead. She has a lot of good ideas for clutter free gifts, too!

Tina

Shop on line. Huge time saver and money saver since you probably won’t make as many impulse purchases!

Tina

I shop on line, save my time

TracyQ

I started my Christmas list, and my sister, mom, daughter, and I meet weekly to start making our Christmas gifts. We began home made tags last week, and they’re really neat! I love home made gifts and tags, etc. I have started putting aside some extra money in my gift envelope, so I can pick up any deals I see too. We may begin making Christmas cookie dough and freezing it beginning in November. Then we can bake them off when we have more time.

vickie

Seems as though we always want a sparkling clean house when the Christmas season rolls around so I try to do as much as possible a little bit at a time. For instance, maybe I could dust inside the china cabinet -a couple of weeks before. Does anyone look in there? Not sure but I’m covered if they do!

{ 2 comments }

Alex & Cassie

Introducing Our New and Improved Store Matchups – The Ones We’ve Used for Years

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Alex on October 22, 2011

We are excited to announce our new and improved grocery and drug store coupon matchup lists – with lists nationwide!  We have been using these lists ourselves for many years as we have found them to be the easiest and most efficient way to shop.  They may be a bit different than what you are used to but we really feel that once you use them you will prefer this format!

What you see above is a sample of a current list for Albertson’s in Southern California.

  • The Stock Up scale will let you know how great of a deal it is – five stars means this is a RUN DON’T WALK deal! :)
  • The items are listed with the participating varieties and sizes so you will know for sure what items to look for on the shelf
  • The sale price is before coupons
  • The coupon index will tell you where to find your coupons.  Don’t worry as the links are already provided for the printable coupons and the newspaper and other coupons are specified for you.  You will see a huge variety of coupons listed here.
  • The Bottom Line is your final price after all coupons and discounts are considered.  Please note just how low those prices are.

These are printable and customizable lists.  Just look at the top right side of the lists and click on Start and click on the items you want in your list – then shrink and print!

Finally, don’t worry if your stores aren’t listed in the dropdown.  You can look below and find many of your favorite stores with your classic matchup style.

We hope you love this new format and features.  No matter what we have provided in the past, these new lists are what we personally use.  We had to pass them on to you as we believe they are the best resource available for saving money in the grocery and drug stores!

{ 1 comment }

Alex & Cassie

Give More When You Save More: Here’s One Way We Gave for FREE Plus $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Alex on October 19, 2011

As we continue through the month of October we wanted to share with you a quick update on our status for the Stretch a Buck to Give More Giveaway challenge.  First, we want to emphasize our rationale for sharing this – we want to encourage you to think of new, creative and even thrifty ways that you can give – we want to stress When You Save More You Can Give More!

Yesterday our family had a wonderful visit to our local pregnancy care center.  We called ahead to find out if there was any way we could help – and we were excited to find out they needed help preparing for an upcoming fundraiser!  They were making gift bags for the attendees and we knew that our family had enough arms and strength to do it.  It was great – we organized ourselves to form our own production line – even our 2 year old was able to help by adding her assigned piece of candy to each bag.  :)   Our children were so excited and we all had a blast!

Not only was our family able to help with free labor (pretty cheap and thrifty way to give) but we were thankful to share with them some of the diapers we had been stocking up on plus some formula we purchased using our formula checks we had been receiving since the birth of baby Josiah just a few months ago.

TIP: If you plan on nursing and have a baby, don’t throw away those formula checks as you can use them for the small containers of formula and get them for FREE or cheap – then donate those cans to your local pregnancy center or food bank!

How is your progress on Stretching a Buck to Give More?  Remember that we also are sponsoring a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway for anyone that wants to join us!  Check out some other great ideas to give as well.

For more ideas on how to participate in our giving challenge please check our our original post in which we share giving ideas with instructions on how to enter the $25 Amazon gift card giveaway!

{ 3 comments }

Alex & Cassie

FREE Secure and Easy Way to Manage Your Bills in One Place Online

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Alex on October 10, 2011

You probably know we receive offers on a normal basis asking us to pass them on to you.  Honestly, a majority of them just aren’t that great and we don’t bother.  But as I started looking at this one – I couldn’t quite contain my excitement!  Best of all, this high quality service is completely FREE!

Right now I have a spreadsheet to manage all of our bills.  Our bills are divided by month which means I manually log into each separate website (gas, utilities, cell phones, etc), view each bill and then update my spreadsheet.  Thankfully my browser has my login information cached for each as it would be even more of a hassle, but its still a hassle to update each balance manually – and that’s hoping that I’m logging in after the new bill has posted.

Now my life has just become simpler.  Manilla is offering a unique, easy, secure and FREE way to manage your bills in one simple place online.  Here’s the deal.

Sign up for a free account HERE (took me less than a minute).  After that, you add each account by typing the company’s name into the dropdown and enter your login information for each account – this is a one time process.  Manilla takes care of the rest:

Within seconds my account information showed up with date due, balance and my full bill was available to view.  From now on, I’ll be able to login and view all my bills from one location – and configure each account individually to notify me via email or text message prior to the due date for each bill! Plus they offer a mobile app for both Android and iPhone users to download and provide those reminders as well!  I’ll be downloading that as soon as I’m done with this post. :)

So you might be asking yourself how Manilla can offer this service for FREE.  They don’t offer ads (other than from the businesses you have in your accounts) and this is not a 30-day trial trying to lock you into a long-term commitment.  As we mentioned before when we recommended on-line bill pay through your bank and going paperless with your bill statements, companies pay a lot of money for printing paper bills and sending them out.  When you sign up for Manilla, they stop sending your paper bills so companies actually pay Manilla a small fee every month to save money.  As there are so many companies, this is offered for free to us and paid by the companies.  I did check though and Manilla states they will keep your bills for as long as you have your account – giving you 30 days to download or print your bills later if you ever decide to close your account.

In the short time that I spent researching this morning, I’ve already setup most of my accounts and configured my notification settings for each bill.  Instead of going to all my different biller’s websites, I can now go to one place and review all my account information.  Plus I can even pay a majority of my bills through Manilla as well.  I’m tickled pink (wow, that says a lot for me, doesn’t it?) and can’t believe just how easy it was to get started!

If you’re interested, use this link to sign up for your FREE account at Manilla and start importing your bills as well!

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Manilla.  Please note that my “neater-than-sliced-bread” review is all my own – I really am a believer!  Please know our continual goal is to provide you good values and save you both time and money.

{ 4 comments }

Alex & Cassie

20 Reasons You Are Not Getting the Same Results as You See on TLC Extreme Couponing

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Cassie on September 28, 2011

The new season of TLC Extreme Couponing starts tonight.  To be completely honest with you, we are not excited about it nor are we planning to watch any of the episodes.

Even this past season we only watched about three episodes as we were incredibly disappointed and quite frankly it was downright BORING! Seriously, each show was utterly predictable with the the climax of every episode as:  “Oh no, the register is going to break.  What are they going to do?”

One reason of many we don’t particularly like Extreme Couponing is its giving the real couponers and money savers a bad reputation from fellow shoppers and the stores themselves.  Before TLC Extreme Couponing, it wasn’t a big deal to take our coupon binder into the store and coupon shop with hardly any gruff from the fellow shoppers or the store employees.  Now, it is rare if we don’t get some disgusted looks, rolling eyes and a few huffs and puffs at us as we are shopping.  We have heard it many times from you and experienced ourselves that we are often treated like criminals – even when we are trying to obey all the rules.  See our rant about a recent trip to Walmart to see what we mean!

But even more importantly is the effect that TLC’s Extreme Couponing is causing on how stores are now handling coupons, couponers, and their deals.  Store policies are constantly changing and the perks we previously enjoyed are disappearing.  What I’m referring to here are the perks we used to receive from responsible and respectful coupon shopping.  This is the most sad and disappointing affect of the so-called reality show.

However, even with all the negative response, there is at least one positive in regards to this show and the world of couponing.  It has helped others understand they can actually save a significant amount of money at the store while encouraging many to take a more serious look at couponing with the ultimate result of taking those initial steps to change their family’s lives and their budgets.  But here’s the problem.  The show may get them interested in starting, but they quickly learn their results are not the same as what they see on the show.  We have heard time and again how discouraging this is to many and oftentimes prevents them from continuing.

We want to help you wade through the “reality” tape and lay out 20 reasons why you are not getting the same results as the extreme couponers.

1. They are emailing companies directly for free coupons – Many of the Extreme Couponers said it themselves “I emailed this company and they sent me FREE or very high value coupons!“  This is truly a great way to try free products, but a company is not going to continue sending you these free coupons.  If you knew you were going to be on the show, you’d probably starting sending those requests ASAP so that you collect as many free product coupons to make your results for that ONE shopping trip much better.

2. Coupon fraud and using coupons on wrong items - There was some blatant misuse of coupons with the intention of not using them on the intended products just to make the numbers look better and to be able to show the lowest prices  – but it was wrong, not real and certainly not ethical.  Savings does not and should not come from fraudulent activity.  You can see one specific Extreme Couponer who committed fraud from this Youtube video. 

3. Number of coupon inserts – We don’t all have a resource where we can literally get an unlimited amount of coupon inserts (and we have no clue how some of those Extreme Couponers are getting them). In our area, we buy the weekend newspapers to get the inserts.  Our local newspapers do not even contain the Red Plum Insert – we only get one copy in the mail each week.  Most of us run into these limitations, and if you are like us you can’t even get the inserts from friends or family either as they are all couponers too ;)

In our area, there aren’t any extra inserts easily available.  We have talked with employees at our local newspapers about this (as we would love to find a resource for a large number of inserts to pass around too!) and each one has explicitly told us that they are under contract with Smart Source and Procter and Gamble (the two companies offering inserts in our local newspapers) to only distribute inserts to paid subscribers of the newspapers.  In fact, we and many of our friends have delivered newspapers for extra money, and we were required to turn those extra Sunday papers and inserts back over to the paper.  Our numbers had to line up so they wouldn’t break their contract with Smart Source or Procter and Gamble in guaranteeing that only real subscribers were receiving the inserts.  Now we are not sure if this same rule applies across the country but it would only make sense.  So how they are getting that many inserts would sure be nice to know – but of course they are not disclosing!

4. Printing methods – We also noticed the large numbers of the same printable coupons.  In order to do this without photo copying (which is coupon fraud), they would need to have access to many, many computers as you are generally only able to print a maximum of two of each coupon from each computer.  The average person only has a small number of computers in their household, so some of these really hot high-value printable coupons would most likely only be a handful per household instead of dozens.

Again, if we were getting ready for a show like TLC Extreme Couponing, we would find access to any and all computers that we could to print as many of those hot printable coupons, but this isn’t possible for everyday lifestyle couponing.

5. Reusable bags – This isn’t playing a huge factor to their savings, but it is a contributor nonetheless! We noticed that several of the extreme couponers had dozens of reuseable bags with each of those bags taking another few cents off the total.  Its not a bad idea to use them to save money over a long period of time, but the initial investment in literally dozens and dozens of those bags at $1.00 or more each is not considered although the few dollars deducted off the end is.

6. Stacking with ecoupons – There are ecoupon resources such as Shortcuts and CellFire that have similar or even the same coupons as the paper coupons.  These are manufacturer coupons and they technically cannot be stacked. However, in some of the earlier episodes of the show the stores’ computer systems did not have a way to detect both the ecoupon and the paper coupon and was giving double discounts (we have never recommended that policy).

Probably mostly due to the popularity of Extreme Couponing, the stores computer systems have been reprogrammed to not allow both coupons to be deducted.  If an ecoupon was used, a manufacturer paper coupon cannot also be used and the register will beep alerting the cashier of a duplicate.

7. Using previously obtained catalinas – This struck us especially in a few episodes.  We noticed that many of the Extreme Couponers were using catalinas to help bring their totals lower.  What is a catalina?  It is not referring to the island or the salad dressing!  A Catalina is coupon that prints at the register.  It looks somewhat like a receipt, but skinnier and longer with thicker paper.  It is the same thing that prints at Walgreens when they have their register rewards.  Now while this is a perfectly legitimate way to save, the way that you get these is by making a previous qualified purchase and the large numbers of used catalinas cannot be a regular method of saving.

For example, there could be a catalina for $5 when you buy 3 cereals.  You earn this catalina for buying those three cereals and then you can use it on your next transaction where you will see that additional $5 savings.  During many of the checkouts, we saw a large number of catalinas passed to the cashier (and the register on one episode showing several $20 coupons being deducted?!).   The only way we know to do this is by accumulating these catalinas from several previous transactions (and who knows whether or not they received deals on those initial products to earn the catalina) in the form of several dollars (potentially hundreds) in savings just from the catalinas redeemed.

8. Double coupons – Many stores do not double coupons (e.g. making a .50 coupon worth $1.00).  We do not have the privilege in our area of doubling coupons on a regular basis and many other people do not receive double coupons in their area.  This would have a HUGE affect on the results people would get (as well as the amount of free and overage items possible!).

9. Stores breaking their own policies – This somewhat goes along with point #8 (lifting the limit on the amount of double coupons for the show but sticking with the rules for everyone else), but for the publicity for the TLC Extreme Couponing show, many stores were breaking their own policies just for the sake of publicity.  There is no possibility of the regular “non-reality-TV-show-star” being able to get away with breaking the same rules.  Some of these rules include limiting the number of items you can buy, limiting the number of coupons you can double, limiting the number of coupons you can use in total, just to name a few (there can be many as each store has different policies).

10. Holding out all the good coupons for the trip – This is just an assumption on our part, but probably a pretty accurate one.  If we were preparing to go on TLC Extreme Couponing, we would hold onto all of the free product coupons, the high value coupons, etc. for this one trip.  If you have seen the show you have heard time and again every Extreme Couponer state “This is the biggest shopping trip I have ever done.”  It only makes sense that you would not have that amounts of coupons to use each week or even on a regular basis.

11. Store stock – This is really a big one.  We are not sure if you have tried to get the latest deals in your area, but our local stores are not able to keep stock. Each week there is usually a handful of deals we cannot get because the store’s shelves are just clean wiped out – especially on the items that are free, money makers or just plain cheap!  For this show, many of them admitted to arranging with the store before hand to have the stock available for the filming of the show.  We can’t all arrange with the stores to keep the stock just for each of us to come in and buy by the hoards!

12.  Purchasing coupons – There is a way that we know of where many of the Extreme Couponers are getting enough coupons to make these excessive trips. They are purchasing inserts or individual coupons from coupon-clipping services.  In some cases, there are reports that many of them spent hundreds on these coupons.  This significant expense is not calculated  in their totals.  All you see is the result of using the coupons – not the expense to obtain them.

13. Not always huge sales – There is not a rock bottom sale every week.  There are great deals very frequently and most often weekly, but to hit those huge rock bottom sales where many items come out close-to-nothing has only happened for us a few times a year.  You can see our shopping trip results that we post to see you can clearly catch great deals by running around town, but those “once in a few months sales event” are really just that!

14. Store limits – Many stores themselves have limits on how many of the same items you can buy or how many coupons you can use. Again, just like stated in point #9, many stores set their policies aside for the taping of the show.

15. Coupon limits – Some manufacturers, such as Procter and Gamble, have now placed a limit on how many of their coupons you can redeem per shopping trip.  Procter and Gamble coupons state in the fine print “limit of 4 like coupons.”

16. Not just buying for the sake of the sale – How many times during the season did you see and hear an Extreme Couponer buying large quantities of an item they don’t use or didn’t care for.  Why would they buy it?  Granted, we have and encourage buying products you might not use yourself when they are cheap to donate to those in need – which is fantastic – and some Extreme Couponers did this.  But many were buying things that they would never use and KEEP IT in their storage just for the sake of bragging about the great deals they received! But it is not a deal unless you have a use for it or will give it to someone in need.

17. No or minimal perishables – Many of the Extreme Couponers had very little or no perishable items (meats, dairy, produce, breads, etc.).  These items are a challenge to get a good deal on, but you can’t avoid buying them on a regular basis.  This will always affect your bottom line and make your savings much less when you actually include them in your transaction. As we all know, they cannot live off of what they bought!

18. Store coupon policies – Everyone is going to have a different experience just based on their local store’s policies.  Unfortunately there is not one universal approach, or set of rules or policies at each store.  You can take two identical shopping trips and end up with different results in different areas, just based on your local area.  There isn’t a way around this.  Some people live in a very coupon friendly area, where others not so much!

19. Not being able to do multiple transactions – In many of the circumstances, the Extreme Couponers were having to do multiple transactions on the same shopping trip to achieve their results (and to roll catalina coupons one after another).  Many stores will not allow multiple transactions, so in those cases, those couponers would not receive the same results!

20. Most stores do not allow overage – In addition, to the previous 19 points, one final thing that we wanted to point out, many stores do not allow an overage on a coupon.  Many of the Extreme Couponers were able to achieve their results by buying 50 or 100 of an item that was going to give them a $0.50 overage each. This gives them an extra $25 – $50 to work with by just buying that one item – most had several of these types of overages to apply to their balance.  The reality is, if your store does not allow overages then this whole concept goes out the window! You would just receive that item for free (they would either adjust the coupon value or the price of the item to make the item free instead of giving you the overage) but not having the extra amount to work with.  This would have a great affect on your results!

We didn’t want to write this post to discourage you in any way, but rather to be an encouragement to you.  How?  Well, there are real and true blessings from taking the time to use coupons for your groceries and everyday needs.  It is something that we don’t others to miss out on because they tried it and it didn’t work out as they thought it would.

Couponing as ONE way to save is a great way to meet your financial goals.  It was a contributing factor to helping us achieve debt freedom sooner.  It is just learning the right way and the REAL way to use coupons that will help you achieve those goals. As far as TLC, the only show that we will keep watching on the network is the beloved Duggar family and their  19 Kids and Counting show! We find them amusing (not boring), fun and a huge encouragement!

We are not saying that EVERY Extreme Couponer did all of the above, but many of the above points above affected each one of their results in some way as they prepared for the show.  They do not and cannot shop like this on a regular basis.  Many of them spent several months and even years to build their storage to where it is today.  We even have what we call “The Thrifty Store” in our basement, but we have built it up over time and with the limitations to couponing that we have in our area.

If you would like to learn more about the real way to coupon, we encourage you to follow these steps:

Then, you too can be THE REAL COUPONER!

{ 35 comments }

Alex & Cassie

Ways to Recycle Your Newspaper to Save Money

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

by Cassie on September 19, 2011

Many of you may get one or many newspapers for the coupon inserts.  One question that has come up time and again is – What can you do with all of that extra newspaper?  We wanted to share some ideas on what to do with all that extra paper to save you money!

1. Use newspaper as a weed barrier in your gardens: place several layers down and moisten before your mulch/bark/rock to prevent the weeds from coming through.

2.  Use it to clean stainless steel as it shines it right up with your cleaner and using the newspapers instead of a rag.

3. Ripen underripe fruit quicker by wrapping individual fruit in newspaper.

4. Stuff newspaper into stinky or musty shoes, coolers, suitcases, etc. to absorb the odors.

5. Use it for cat or dog potty training or to line litter boxes for easier disposal.

6. Clean mirrors and windows by using the newspaper instead of a rag with your cleaner.

7. Let your kids use it for cutting practice, crafts, or even to make their own paper.

8. Wrap presents with the newspaper (especially the comics!).

9. Use it as packing paper, especially if you run an eBay business or other business where shipping is needed to help reduce your costs!

10. Take a stack with you on your next camping trip to help light the campfire.

11. Use it for a floor covering while doing messy tasks around the home painting, plastering, sanding, etc.

12. Use it to keep a bed for worms (night crawlers).  Line a box with newspaper, add wet dirt, and fill with worms.  Then you can add additional layers of newspaper, wet dirt and worms.  This works great whether you use the night crawlers for your own purposes or sell them for cash.

13. Finally, store in a bin and then recycle at the local center and get money back.

Can you think of more ideas? Please share in the comments section below

{ 0 comments }

Alex & Cassie

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →