We are looking very seriously at moving to the farm! I have know things are changing for a couple of years and had a feeling... well now it looks very likely.
I hope I will have much more on this soon. But imagine.... I could plant an orchard, big veggie garden...
Chloe's Easter decor.
Over at A Working Pantry Vicky has written about the weekly savings she makes from using coupons, special offers from stores and free offers she gets from signing up to things... I am always amazed. If I was in the US I would be doing the exact same thing! But many people don't apparently...
Chloe has this old embroidery on her wall.
I love it!
I have heard arguments that some people don't coupon as it often does not apply to fresh fruit, veggies etc. but to me everyone uses toothpaste, shampoo, soap and things and even if you didn't these things would be wonderful to store for emergencies, bartering, gifts... Also I have seen Vicky get things like a free microwave! She has had a free designer jumper (sweater) and amazing things she can use for gifts.
This is the first in a series and I hope it helps many of you who are in the US to learn new ways to build your pantry and save. For those of us here in Australia I hope we can help each other work out ways to do our own version... accumulating Flybuys and stocking our pantries with these dollars and big specials and other offers we come by. It all helps.
Over to Vicky....
Savings and Resources a revisit...
Revisiting is something I have to do, making sure the budget is in check and we are doing our best and not overlooking things. Since circumstances can change from year to year with some being better than others it is always good to have a revisit of things to make sure we are maximizing the best we can. Before I continue I will give an example because it helps keep in mind that even the smallest things add up when we have a goal we want to reach, to stay ahead, or on even keel and not get behind or to get ahead. Since needs, incomes and lifestyles are vastly different it naturally wouldn't be the same for all of us, but determining if there are things we can possibly change or look at differently is something we can all do. So the example I am giving today is a couple that I know. The husband makes $800-$1800 a week and they have a tiny house in disrepair that isn't paid for, no savings, no retirement, no pantry, not even nice vehicles to show for that kind of income, pretty much nothing except TV's and a big cell phone bill and I am often asked or hinted to about things they can use like dish soap, toothpaste or food.
Truly when you have a goal we can use what's available to us to get ahead a bit or at least hang onto some of the bank dollars even if it's just a few dollars at a time. Sometimes they just happen to be things others toss out! Some things have changed since I started, but I will include them as examples anyway. The biggest thing is to try and get the most BANG for your BUCK!
I have collected Kellogg's, Huggies, Pampers and Coke points that others tossed out or saved for me and got gift cards and kids books from these. Now that the programs have changed not as much, but at one time I did really great and again it all adds up.
Hence my revisit, but it has been my experience that even if we lose one way we can pick up another. The savings may not be as big or it may be bigger. Always check junk mail, what stores are in your area and even online deals that are legit can net
big savings!
So first Kmart and Sears are part of a Shop Your Way program. Recently they have been sending me great offers like $10 off $15 in grocery etc. or some are just freecash that I spend on whatever I want so I have added toilet paper, vinegar, bottled water, household items like towels and picture frames, emergency supplies and items for the gift trunk. The ads and games pay for the offers they send and I pay attention to other shoppers and they don't seem to shop like I do.
Next I don't really shop at Kohl's, but a few times a year they send a $10 gift in the mail. And I found a few that others threw in the trash. I think it's a good way to add to the gift trunk. Give me free money and I will find something LOL! So here are candles that were 2 for $10 so with the gift cards from the mail and being thrown out I got 4 free for the gift trunk. And the towel they are sitting on is one of a set from Bed Bath and Beyond. I used points I earned from Kelloggs which were mostly thrown out by others for a gift card and a $5 coupon which ended up giving me $15 to use. The most bang for my buck!
Some deals are luck giving the volume of online traffic, but some are worth checking into if you know there is an actual store matching the offer. So here White House Black Market offered $50 plus free shipping. The catch was the order had to equal exactly $50 for some reason. I browsed and found these tops and my total was zero! I like promotions because you get to try new brands, I haven't ordered, but I referred someone else who I knew would love the items and she spent a lot. So win for WHBM and win for me. I have more to come because really looking at everything and revisiting is how we best see if we missed something we could use one way or another.....
XOXO
Vicky
Thank you Vicky! Why would people throw out $10 vouchers?! Not Vicky!
I have a beautiful day and I will pop into a couple of op shops on the way to the farm. Andy is home and set up with a stocked fridge!
I hope your week is going well. I think I will have a lot to report on the weekend!
How do you stock your pantry and gift cupboard using vouchers, coupons, special offers etc? It this is something you want to get better at then learn along with Vicky in her series.
xxxx
Revisiting is something I have to do, making sure the budget is in check and we are doing our best and not overlooking things. Since circumstances can change from year to year with some being better than others it is always good to have a revisit of things to make sure we are maximizing the best we can. Before I continue I will give an example because it helps keep in mind that even the smallest things add up when we have a goal we want to reach, to stay ahead, or on even keel and not get behind or to get ahead. Since needs, incomes and lifestyles are vastly different it naturally wouldn't be the same for all of us, but determining if there are things we can possibly change or look at differently is something we can all do. So the example I am giving today is a couple that I know. The husband makes $800-$1800 a week and they have a tiny house in disrepair that isn't paid for, no savings, no retirement, no pantry, not even nice vehicles to show for that kind of income, pretty much nothing except TV's and a big cell phone bill and I am often asked or hinted to about things they can use like dish soap, toothpaste or food.
Truly when you have a goal we can use what's available to us to get ahead a bit or at least hang onto some of the bank dollars even if it's just a few dollars at a time. Sometimes they just happen to be things others toss out! Some things have changed since I started, but I will include them as examples anyway. The biggest thing is to try and get the most BANG for your BUCK!
I have collected Kellogg's, Huggies, Pampers and Coke points that others tossed out or saved for me and got gift cards and kids books from these. Now that the programs have changed not as much, but at one time I did really great and again it all adds up.
Hence my revisit, but it has been my experience that even if we lose one way we can pick up another. The savings may not be as big or it may be bigger. Always check junk mail, what stores are in your area and even online deals that are legit can net
big savings!
So first Kmart and Sears are part of a Shop Your Way program. Recently they have been sending me great offers like $10 off $15 in grocery etc. or some are just freecash that I spend on whatever I want so I have added toilet paper, vinegar, bottled water, household items like towels and picture frames, emergency supplies and items for the gift trunk. The ads and games pay for the offers they send and I pay attention to other shoppers and they don't seem to shop like I do.
Next I don't really shop at Kohl's, but a few times a year they send a $10 gift in the mail. And I found a few that others threw in the trash. I think it's a good way to add to the gift trunk. Give me free money and I will find something LOL! So here are candles that were 2 for $10 so with the gift cards from the mail and being thrown out I got 4 free for the gift trunk. And the towel they are sitting on is one of a set from Bed Bath and Beyond. I used points I earned from Kelloggs which were mostly thrown out by others for a gift card and a $5 coupon which ended up giving me $15 to use. The most bang for my buck!
Some deals are luck giving the volume of online traffic, but some are worth checking into if you know there is an actual store matching the offer. So here White House Black Market offered $50 plus free shipping. The catch was the order had to equal exactly $50 for some reason. I browsed and found these tops and my total was zero! I like promotions because you get to try new brands, I haven't ordered, but I referred someone else who I knew would love the items and she spent a lot. So win for WHBM and win for me. I have more to come because really looking at everything and revisiting is how we best see if we missed something we could use one way or another.....
XOXO
Vicky
Thank you Vicky! Why would people throw out $10 vouchers?! Not Vicky!
I have a beautiful day and I will pop into a couple of op shops on the way to the farm. Andy is home and set up with a stocked fridge!
I hope your week is going well. I think I will have a lot to report on the weekend!
How do you stock your pantry and gift cupboard using vouchers, coupons, special offers etc? It this is something you want to get better at then learn along with Vicky in her series.
xxxx
Vicky and Annabel, this is a great lesson. So often $5, or $10 seems insignificant, but bit by bit, those $5 and $10 coupons add up. I've mentioned this before but here's my best tip. Join the loyalty programmes at the supermarkets and stores. They all have them now. Most have a system of points that you exchange for goods or a discount. Then ONLY use the points/discount dollars/buying dollars to purchase goods that are significantly discounted. For example we have FlyBuys attached to Coles here, which is one of the big supermarket chains. I use my FlyBuys card at any linked store or garage, and accumulate points. It usually amounts to around $10 a week in points value, once I've shopped and bought fuel, and bits and pieces like socks or other essentials at KMart who are a Flybuys partner. It's not hard to accumulate that value is what I'm saying. Then I have alerts in my phone to tell me when my most expensive grocery items are on special. There is a cycle to the specials, you know. I then convert my FlyBuys points to shopping dollars, and ONLY use them to buy 1/2 price specials, or items on Clearance. Usually it's Colgate Optic White Toothpaste, Dishwasher tablets, dog food, toilet rolls, luxury or boxed chocolates for gifting, or the more expensive baking and cooking ingredients. But recently there was a bin of cosmetics on Clearance, and my daughter and I got nearly $250 worth of nail strengthener, mascara, lip wands, lipsticks, foundation, and eyeliners for $25. Seriously. This week I've accumulated $28 in FlyBuys dollars. I've checked the half price catalogue, and I'll be using that to stock up on Olive Oil, Name brand Peanut Butter, Rice, Coffee Bags, Teabags and Almond Milk. These are all items we use a lot of (Husband takes the Coffee Bags to work...cheaper than buying coffees!), and by doing this, I've added $56 in value, to my pantry for nothing. I mean nothing. Free. If someone stood outside the supermarket and said, 'Here's $56 to spend on whatever you want', you wouldn't say no, would you? Annabel, you put me on to the idea of only buying half price or heavily discounted items with your 'free' dollars or gift vouchers. It's such a brilliant idea. Once you get into a rhythm with it, you can have a fantastic stockpile, whether it be essentials, luxury items or a combination of both for FREE. Crazy not to, I say! Great post, and one close to my heart...can you tell? Lol! Love, Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteMimi,
DeleteNow that's how you get the most band for your buck! That is exactly what I say about coupons if someone would say here let me pay for part of your purchases would you refuse? This will be a part of my series so I hope you like it! Doubling our money is a good way to build things up and keep them stocked. I hope you have a great week!
XOXO
Vicky
Mimi, could you please tell me how you set up alerts on the item on special? I only shop monthly or so and miss out on a lot of sepcials.
DeleteThank you
Wow Mimi this is so good for the Australian girls thank you so much! It is a great lesson. And also to me... I do not get the alerts on the phone ... so Im with Kelly... I need to find out how you do this!
DeleteYour $56 of additions for NOTHING is a great example. That is a lot. Really it is huge. Thank you for being so wonderfully helpful. With love, Annabel.xxx
Thanks Annabel, Vicky and Kelly. I set up my own alerts, so you just use your calendar on your phone. Do you have a Smartphone? On my own phone, you go to the Calendar App, and tap on the plus sign to add a new event. You then type in 'Check specials and buy Colgate Optic this week half price', then my app has an alert option. It asks for a first and second alert, so I remind myself a week ahead, so I remember to check the catalogues online, then the day before I shop, so I remember to add that item to my list. It then has an option to repeat the alert at the bottom of the screen, so I say repeat weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, whatever. And that's it. A one time setup. It sounds complicated, but it really isn't. You can also obviously do this with a diary or wall or desk calendar or on your desktop computer if you use Cortana, or any of the other voice activated reminder and alert systems. I add to those alerts, a reminder to convert my points to FlyBuys dollars, as you have to do that online before you shop, and it takes about 30 minutes for the FlyBuys dollars to be loaded onto your FlyBuys card. Then you swipe the FlyBuys card at the checkout BEFORE you pay with cash, or your normal card, and use a PIN Number just as you would with any other card, and it subtracts the amount loaded onto your FlyBuys card, from the total. Do that as a separate transaction so you get the feeling of getting those items for 'free' if you like. That's a bit of fun. You do have to set the pin number up online first too. Sorry, that's all a bit of a shemozzle in terms of information gathering, but if you just go to the FlyBuys website, or ring them, it should be pretty clear. Noting the specials on your calendar is obviously the first step. And making sure you're regularly converting the points to 'dollars' is important too. I didn't mention that of course because we used FlyBuys dollars to purchase those makeup items, we actually scored $250 worth of cosmetics for FREE. You honestly cannot go wrong with this. Love, Mimi xxx
DeleteDear Annabel and Vicky,
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, as always. Thanks for sharing.
Love and hugs,
Glenda
Thank you Vicky and Annabel what a wonderful subject and post that gives us all food for thought (pun intended) :).
ReplyDeleteA couple of ways we save on everything in our home is -
- We check prices online at the various shops in our country town for anything that we need and buy it wherever it is cheapest or alternatively online.
- Through our roadside assist club (RACQ) we order grocery gift cards (they have them for both Coles and Woolworths) which give us 5% off the purchase price of them and the groceries we buy. We couple this with 25% - mostly 50% off specials giving us 55% off those specials on items we usually buy.
- There is a seller on eBay called woolworthssupermarkets that sells e-vouchers in around January, February and again in October and November each year and we get a $350 e-voucher for $300 that gives us 16.66% discount on the groceries we use that never come on special mostly being the basic staple items and that entitles us to free delivery as well.
- Agree also on the becoming members of rewards cards in the supermarkets as we get $10 off our groceries when we earn certain points and we also take advantage of double points offers that they send us in the mail.
- For gifts I mostly make them myself or purchase items throughout the year that I see at end of season sales or after holiday sales.
- I also look at secondhand op shops for items we need that are a lot cheaper there.
- For things we need for the home in the way of homewares I try and upcycle fabric from worn out clothing, doona covers etc and make things for both home and to sell on the internet to bring in extra income.
- We buy all clothing at end of season sales or in op shops mostly our wardrobes consist of items that cost $1 - $5.
- When out of our country town to the city going to functions we take our empty fuel jerry cans in the car with us and buy fuel up to 30c per litre cheaper than here which saves quite a lot. We also take advantage of our 4c per litre vouchers on our rewards cards to get cheaper fuel as well.
Just some I can think of now and hope this helps others with ideas on how to save money.
Sewingcreations15.
Dear Annabel, Vicky and beautiful bluebirds,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great topic:
I recently received a $5 gift voucher from my favourite clothing store and I have a month in total to use it. I am going to use it to purchase a gift to put in my gift baskets in my white cupboard . I might buy a lingerie wash bag or a pair of earrings or a scarf , each of these items should only cost me $5 out of my pocket for at least a $10 gift .
I regularly earn $10 worth of flybuys points ( mimi has so nicely explained about flybuys above.) . The next $10 worth of flybuys points I redeem I will use to buy a gift por to buy ingredients to make my famous ( among our family and friends) choc chip biscuits/ cookies for a gift.
At Christmas time last year I used flybuys points to buy a few gifts and some gifts for charity wish trees. I also used some vouchers I had to buy two small gifts which ended up free yes free and if I bought them in shops they would be $12 per gift easily so I made a good savings on those two gifts.
I recently used $10 worth of flybuys points to buy a big bag of chocolates which were already on special and I got another grocery item too , both items cost me nothing .the chocolates were for a gift .
I am always on the lookout for special offers, ways to earn flybuys points without much extra effort or expense and ways to earn rewards points.
Thank you for a beautiful blog Annabel and Vicky .
Just a quick update from me , my sight is improving from my bad eye and the operation has been successful as I have sight back but not fully yet.
Love Barb W
Barb W, I am so thrilled that your sight is improving and that the operation was successful
DeleteLove :Lorraine
Dear Barb, It is so good to have you back! You have been greatly missed. Anything with eyes is just awful. Frightening I think. I am so glad your eye is improving. I know these things can be slow and you have to go along gently.
DeleteI also think these small vouchers can add a lot to the gift cupboard! Well worth it.
I have been doing the Flybuys too and the vouchers to gain extra points in certain weeks etc. When they arrive in the mail I stick them into my diary for the right week. Which reminds me... I need to do that today for the new week. This has really boosted my points heaps.
Then when I use it for Coles cash I spend it very carefully on great buys, markdowns and specials... and at least double the value. Last year I had $70 to spend which I turned into about $150 of stuff for my pantry!
Thank you so much for sharing what you do. With much love Annabel.xxx ps have a really good new week.
Barb W I am so pleased to hear that your operation went well and you are on the mend. So lovely to hear from you.
DeleteBarb it is so wonderful to hear from you! You have been missed!
DeleteXOXO
Vicky
Dear Annabel and Vicky,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post!
Chloe's Easter decor is beautiful! I love her embroidered piece, as well.
One thing that has not been mentioned is contests. One of the grocery stores where I frequently shop often has contests. They are online and take only a moment to enter. Although I don't always win, I do win something fairly often. I also enter drawings at grand openings of stores, etc., and have won a few times. Vicky mentioned the Coke rewards. I entered a contest they had right after Christmas that did not require any points. I won 4 giftcards to Walmart for $5 each, a free pass to a theater, a free popcorn and free beverage at the movies. Not a contest, but a few weeks earlier, I was able to put in Coke codes and get 2 Amazon gift cards for $5 each. I've never won anything this big, but one of my friends once won a new car in a contest that a store was having! Several years ago, I won a hot-wheel riding toy and a free pizza party that we were able to use for our daughter's birthday party.
I would add about Kohls that they have a membership thing so you add points for every dollar spent and get $5 off when you've spent $100. They also give you $5 for your birthday.
Surveys are sometimes ways to earn free items or discounts. Kroger grocery and their affiliates will give 50 gas points for completing a survey on the receipt. 100 points equals 10 cents off on a gallon of gas.
Sometimes discounts are for specific ages or occupations, such as senior discounts, military discounts, teacher discounts and discounts on your birthday. I'm going to get off the computer now so I can get my digital and paper coupons together for a trip to the grocery tomorrow. I plan to take advantage of the once a month 10% senior discount, a $5 off $50 paper coupon received in the mail and a $2 off $40 digital coupon. They are also offering quadruple gas points on the purchase of gift cards and I want to get a couple of gift cards for places we regular shop.
Have a great trip to the farm and happy op shopping, Annabel.
Love from Arizona,
Elaine
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteNow I wish we had coupons here in Australia! Vicky does a wonderful job using her coupon/points and is very inspiring.
After a bit of blogging hiatus, I am back trying to catch up on what everyone has been up to.
I am loving this time of year and the gorgeous weather although a few days have been a bit warm to hot, especially next week! What is going on with the weather this year!?
Have a lovely time down at the farm. The country is calling you dear Annabel, you were born to be a farm girl and I am so glad that this may be coming a reality for you. Chloe sounds as though she has really settled into farm life and loving it! That is such a blessing for you and your family.
Much love to you and yours,
Love Tania xxxx
Dear Annabel and Vicky,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I am amazed too at what people will pass up, especially when very little effort is required. It also amazes me the prices people pay for things that can be bought so much cheaper! I basically pay full price for nothing and it really isn't that difficult to do if you know how to look for deals or simply wait for them. Like Mimi said, sales have cycles.
One of the ways I stack my savings is through rebates. I hope you don't mind me sharing this Annabel, but I use a cash back app called iBotta. All you do is check the app for rebates on things you want to buy and then select them on your phone. After you buy your items at the store, you just use your phone to scan your receipt and it adds cash back into your account! It is rewarded in the form of gift cards. I use this all the time. A lot of times with coupons you are not allowed to stack them on an item, but with rebates you can. For example, if I have a coupon for baby food, I will check ibotta and if there is a rebate, I will use my coupon at the store and then scan my receipt at home and get even more money back. Sometimes you end up getting the item free or even making a profit because the app is not connected to the coupon or store sales in any way! And this is good on fruits, veggies, milk, eggs, etc., not just name brand items. I use it to get an extra 15% back at the fabric store even! So I just wanted to mention that in case any of the US ladies wanted to give it a try. If you use my referral code, it gets you $10 when you redeem your first rebate (I get $5, so this is my disclaimer lol). The code is ayorbeb.
Another thing I do is I have a separate email account set up for store promotions and sales. You know, when you go to a website and it says you get 10% off your first purchase for joining their mailing list. I give them my alternate email address so I don't get flooded with junk. This way also, if the budget is tight, I won't even check on that email account so I'm not tempted by all the sales. But they are there if I need them. I do the same for rewards programs that I may not use often.
I hope you have a good time at the farm. Chloe's house is lovely and I love the embroidery on her wall.
March was just an all around rough month for me but I am enjoying the feeling of a fresh start that April has brought. I'm ready to get back in the saddle as they say. (Not literally. I couldn't ride a horse to save my life lol.) I hope everyone has a lovely week.
With love, Kelsey
Dear Kelsey,
DeleteThank you for the info about iBotta. It sounds great! I can see it is working for you too! Well done on putting all of this into practice. Yes it takes some effort and organisation but it is clearly making a real difference to your household.
I really do hope April is a better month for you! It is good to look at it that way, as a corner or a new chapter. I do this exact same thing! With much love, Annabel.xxx
I use those Kohl's vouchers for new socks every time they come. We love Gold Toe socks but they are pricey so we bring the price down to half or less with the voucher. All our K Marts have closed up so no more great deals there.
ReplyDeleteI recently used $62 in Plenti points earned by buying gas and groceries to replace the towels in our bathroom. so...free towels! We watch for special deals to earn extra points. We have gotten free restaurant meals, gas and groceries along with the towels. I like to buy special items like good steak with the points for birthday meals and such.
We have been getting free groceries nearly every week lately and it is all good stuff. Today it was a container of Alfredo Sauce that we had loaded a digital coupon for a free one and saved $4.29. Since Lidl opened here the grocery deals are so many that we do not even need everything we could get for pennies. We often buy items with sales and coupons and pay a dime or less. Prices have dropped at all the stores because of the competition. If you are in SE USA I highly recommend southernsavers.com because she does the grocery store deals and matching coupons every week for many stores.
Other thoughts are that if I can save on staples and nonperishable items I can roll those savings into meat and produce which we nearly always buy on special. The $4.29 saved on Pasta sauce today could have purchased produce at Aldi. Lettuce 79 cents, grape tomatoes 1.29, cucumber .49, cantaloupe 1.29, and 6 bananas for that amount. That would give us salads and fruit for many days.
ReplyDeleteAnnabel and Vicky, this is such a good post! We all need to revisit our savings strategy and this is a good reminder! I look forward to future posts in this series!
ReplyDeleteI’m in the US, and while I certainly appreciate coupons, especially ones that are sent to me in the mail, I don’t feel that the cost of a Sunday paper where I can clip coupons to use at the store is worth it. Most of the coupons are for items my family cannot or does not use. I’ve tried in the past to use coupons on groceries and maybe saved a couple dollars once or twice a month, but I didn’t feel like paying $10 a month for the Sunday paper was worth saving $5 at the store. I felt like I spent more in the end anyways because I wouldn’t have bought the items in the first place. Maybe I’m just behind the times, as I haven’t tried any online couponing. Maybe that’s the way to go. My grocery store has a point system like Mimi’s, and I usually accumulate enough to get $10 off my total bill twice a month. They also double coupon values, so if/when I do have a coupon, it is doubled up to 99 cents. I like the idea to use Kohls coupons and other small store vouchers for gift items, or even smaller items needed at home. I’ve often let these go, as I didn’t know what I could get for $5-$10...and my tendency in Kohls is to spend more when I have a coupon. Thanks for the tips! I always enjoy your blog and learning from all of the wonderful women who visit and contribute.
ReplyDeleteAmy
Dear Amy, I dont think Vicky mostly buys the papers but people throw them out. Vicky's best things seem to be from reviewing products i.e. the free microwave! But little things add up to. The $10 off also can be turned into much more if its spend on sale and marked down items so I always try to double the value. This amounts to a fair bit.
DeleteThank you for your kind words! All out tips together give us a learning experience plus fellowship. With love Annabel.xxx
I am wondering about the Kellogg's point program. I have never heard of that one before. I recently got a $10 off a $50 purchase from a hardware store and plan to use that to purchase a nice Christmas gift. I don't get the good ones you talk about but I will take what I can find. As you say, every little bit helps.
ReplyDeleteIt is Kelloggs Family Rewards . com and it is easy to sign up. If you link your rewards cards they automatically add points to your account when you purchase products. Also allowing them to send you emails often gets great coupons and bonus code rewards.
DeleteHi Annabel and Vicky!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! I love the photos of Chloe's place...clearly she shares her mother's decorative flair! I am getting very excited for you and the farm scenario, Annabel!
Lots of love,
Jen in NS
I know this method works for allot of ladies, including my mom. But honestly it has not worked for me. I don't take the local paper (so very little junk mail) and I try to limit my screen time. I have found that shopping the near-by dented-can store has netted me more savings in my pantry. My gift pantry is stocked with home-made and home-baked items. We give just cash gifts to those hard to buy for.
ReplyDeleteI am sharing this as an alternative, because I have tried so hard to get freebies through retail establishments (most of which cost too much gas to make it worth my while). Also I hope other ladies don't get discouraged when they read posts like this. It is a talent. Vicky and Mimi have a talent for this and maybe you will too. But don't be discouraged if you can't net big retail savings, save how the good Lord directs you. I mean no offense by disagreeing with this post, but there is a cost to saving in this manner.
Blessings,
Leslie
Dear Leslie,
DeleteWe have some great similar stores with dents, close to use by and best before dates and so on. I have some great success with these. No this is not discouraging at all. Locally we do not have the coupons but we do have points systems and a few store rewards type systems and I have been able to do a fair bit with those and convert the dollars to good pantry supplies or gift cupboard additions. There are lots of methods and alternatives and we also have to go by what is available locally. I am noticing Vickies biggest free items like a microwave etc have been from testing and reviewing items. I am mainly hoping that combined with all our experiences and ideas this will help others find new ways to build up the pantry/gifts cupboard and have fun along the way. I have to say I should include thrift shopping as so many times I have found amazing brand new things! I am sorry with my slow replies... I just got home from the farm today (Saturday!) with love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel and Vicky,
ReplyDeleteI really have enjoyed reading this post and all of the comments from the Bluebirds. In sharing we can learn so much from each other. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Years ago we took a course in becoming debt free and one of the topics was getting more bang for the buck. Briefly, it was having knowing what you had to spend in your budget, having the cash to pay for it immediately, but using a credit card that offered point rewards or flyer miles that could be converted to products to pay for the items and then paying off the credit card immediately when the bill came in from your funds and not accruing any interest but accruing points that could be used for products, travel, gift cards, monetary rebates. This method has worked great for us.
If you happen to be on active duty or a military veteran and have a military ID or are now or have been a first responder, certain phone companies offer a 15 percent discount on your phone, internet and cable service. This also applies to many retail establishments, grocery stores and even fabric and craft stores. It's not something they widely advertise. Just ask if they do. Hope everyone has a good weekend. We're expecting snow again with the winter that doesn't want to seem to end. Blessings, Cookie
Dear Cookie,
DeleteThank you for this info and about the discount for military and first responders etc. This could amount to a lot. I know one of our regular ladies here has a first responder husband so this could help her too.
I love the sound of the course you took. These can be wonderful. I followed along with a course some ladies were taking last year on becoming more self reliant and it included setting up a side line small business to generate a second or additional income... and I saw some of the ladies do just that and follow it through. It was really wonderful. When we learn stuff and put it into action well big things happen. Thanks so much Cookie, With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Cookie,
DeleteI'll also add that some places offer student discounts and also teacher discounts. This includes home educators, for those who homeschool.
Even in Texas when we have had our jackets put away for a good while, a cold front blew in today and it is predicted to be in the 40s tonight!
Love, Kelsey
I don't see any mention of Swagbucks here. We do Swagbucks and earn quite a lot in gift cards every month. I earned $75 in Amazon cards in March alone. My husband and I average $50-60 every month and there are dozens of choices in gift cards.
ReplyDeleteWise to move to the farm. Torah Observant believers in The Messiah are doing that in the US. New2Torah actually has a youtube channel where he turned it into a show. My best.
ReplyDeleteDear Annon, I have looked this up! Glenda frequently mentions to the word Torah whereas before I was unfamiliar and it has led me to try and learn more about Hebrews. Thank you for this info. I feel very led to move to the country and be on the land. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI use the Amazon credit card to get cash back and buy extras or treats just for paying bills or buying items we were already going to buy. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI use several of the coupons you mentioned. My sister gives me here CVS bucks when she knows she will be traveling so I always try to roll those into more bucks. Sears is always sending me free money sometimes with no additional purchase. I never pay for socks or underwear this way. My mom gets a lot of $10 coupons from JC Penny's and gives some to me as she doesn't need anything. I can always get a shirt or PJs for the kids for a dollar or two this way. I sign up for all of the store programs. I always get the free downloadable coupons from the supermarket. Even if I can't use it someone I know can. Recently I got cat treats, gave them to a co-worker. Another time I got cottage cheese, gave it to my sister. If no one wants it then the church outreach always will. Thanks for the tips.
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