No cost ideas, stories and more to bring the family together & save some money.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Organizing Tip of the Day - From Martha Stewart
Had to share this, for anyone who might be having a party. Kids and adults!
Martha Stewart - Organizing Tip of the Day
Martha Stewart - Organizing Tip of the Day
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Is Extreme Couponing Affecting How Stores Accept Coupons?
You knew it wouldn't be long before stores had to make changes to their current coupon policy. I have always been a coupon user but never to the
extent that the people on the popular TV show Extreme Couponing go to. I admire the people on TLC's popular reality show, where they are spending 40 hours a week cutting coupons to get $1000.00 worth of groceries for dollars, but this practice might be causing more harm than good in the real world. Here is an example of extreme couponing from a post I did earlier in the month.
On the retail front, some big retailers -- wary of couponing copycats -- are pushing back on former coupon allowances for ordinary shoppers. The problem, stores are coming across people who are not playing fair, those people who are trying to get $600.00 of groceries for $1.00 are really going to extremes. Stores are finding that people are copying coupons, which is not valid. And people across the country have been reporting that their Sunday paper that is delivered to them is missing the coupon inserts. And thefts at the corner coin operated newspaper racks are up.
• At Rite Aid, shoppers can no longer combine buy-one-get-one-free coupons or promotions -- a strategy that, in the past, allowed customers to get two free items. The chain is also limiting the number of coupons a shopper can use per item to four, as long as there is enough stock. Before, the store accepted "multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items."
• Target now forbids "stacking," the act of combining manufacturer and store buy-one-get-one-free coupons, in order to receive both items for free.
Across the country Frys / Kroger stores have a great policy on accepting all competitor coupons. This really is a great deal, you can present those $5.00 or $10.00 off your order from other stores and use multiple coupons. That savings is huge, but to be honest I have been worried that soon that policy would vanish because of the increased use of coupons. Everytime I go shopping I always double check the Frys policy to make sure nothing has changed since my last visit.
Below are some major grocery stores, and links to their coupon policy.
Remember always check the coupon policy before shopping at a store, and to be safe, print it out and bring it with you.
Safeway
Albertsons
Frys/Krogers
Walmart
Winn-Dixie
Costco. While I am not a member of Costco I was curious as to what their policy is on coupons. Since there is no information anywhere on their website about coupon use, I wanted to get a response directly from Costco. And here it is:
Dear Joe,
We appreciate you taking the time to email Costco Wholesale.
Costco Wholesale does not accept general manufacturer coupons. We have our own coupons and promotional offers, which are distributed to members in the mail and at our locations at various times throughout the year.
We are able to offer consistently low prices because our buyers negotiate the best deals with our vendors. Manufacturers often will simply ‘load’ the cost of a coupon program into the original pricing of their product. We will not permit our vendors or buyers to do this since there is no advantage to the member.
Thank you for your interest and please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.
Thank you,
Costco Wholesale Corporation
On the retail front, some big retailers -- wary of couponing copycats -- are pushing back on former coupon allowances for ordinary shoppers. The problem, stores are coming across people who are not playing fair, those people who are trying to get $600.00 of groceries for $1.00 are really going to extremes. Stores are finding that people are copying coupons, which is not valid. And people across the country have been reporting that their Sunday paper that is delivered to them is missing the coupon inserts. And thefts at the corner coin operated newspaper racks are up.
• At Rite Aid, shoppers can no longer combine buy-one-get-one-free coupons or promotions -- a strategy that, in the past, allowed customers to get two free items. The chain is also limiting the number of coupons a shopper can use per item to four, as long as there is enough stock. Before, the store accepted "multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items."
• Target now forbids "stacking," the act of combining manufacturer and store buy-one-get-one-free coupons, in order to receive both items for free.
Across the country Frys / Kroger stores have a great policy on accepting all competitor coupons. This really is a great deal, you can present those $5.00 or $10.00 off your order from other stores and use multiple coupons. That savings is huge, but to be honest I have been worried that soon that policy would vanish because of the increased use of coupons. Everytime I go shopping I always double check the Frys policy to make sure nothing has changed since my last visit.
Below are some major grocery stores, and links to their coupon policy.
Remember always check the coupon policy before shopping at a store, and to be safe, print it out and bring it with you.
Safeway
Albertsons
Frys/Krogers
Walmart
Winn-Dixie
Costco. While I am not a member of Costco I was curious as to what their policy is on coupons. Since there is no information anywhere on their website about coupon use, I wanted to get a response directly from Costco. And here it is:
Dear Joe,
We appreciate you taking the time to email Costco Wholesale.
Costco Wholesale does not accept general manufacturer coupons. We have our own coupons and promotional offers, which are distributed to members in the mail and at our locations at various times throughout the year.
We are able to offer consistently low prices because our buyers negotiate the best deals with our vendors. Manufacturers often will simply ‘load’ the cost of a coupon program into the original pricing of their product. We will not permit our vendors or buyers to do this since there is no advantage to the member.
Thank you for your interest and please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.
Thank you,
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Saturday, June 25, 2011
What to do? Maybe a talent show or movie night...
Summer is here and kids are already enjoying their summer break. So they have probably already come to you saying they are bored. I grew up in California and summers were nice, maybe on a hot day it was 90, but the evenings were cool. Here is a great idea for kids and families to enjoy the nice summer evenings (unless of course you live in Arizona like we do).
Backyard Movie or Talent Show
The idea is the same. You set up rows or chairs with an aisle down the center, just like in the movie theaters. Or if you have a nice lawn lay
out some old blankets. Set up a card table or even some boxes and make that your snack table. Maybe bake cookies or serve popcorn and lemonade.
If you are showing a backyard movie its pretty easy. Check with your friends or family have a projector you can borrow. They hook right up to DVD players. Hang a white bed sheet in the backyard, the sheet becomes your movie screen.
You could keep the white sheet up and use as a backdrop for the talent show. You would be surprised as to who would participate in a talent show. Maybe the kids, your 80 year old neighbor and even the dog. I grew up holding talent shows on my street and they were so much fun (and yes I can laugh at the pictures that exist of me in the talent shows, even this one in all pink).
What we would do is go door to door and leave a flyer at each house in our neighborhood. The flyer would state we were having a talent show and anyone who would like to watch or participate could do so on a particular date and time. It was so much fun, and talent shows turned into lip sync and actual plays. There is always something to do during the summer, help your kids bring out their creative side.
More fun summer ideas all summer, check back often and follow our twitter feed to stay up to date.
Backyard Movie or Talent Show
The idea is the same. You set up rows or chairs with an aisle down the center, just like in the movie theaters. Or if you have a nice lawn lay
out some old blankets. Set up a card table or even some boxes and make that your snack table. Maybe bake cookies or serve popcorn and lemonade.
If you are showing a backyard movie its pretty easy. Check with your friends or family have a projector you can borrow. They hook right up to DVD players. Hang a white bed sheet in the backyard, the sheet becomes your movie screen.
You could keep the white sheet up and use as a backdrop for the talent show. You would be surprised as to who would participate in a talent show. Maybe the kids, your 80 year old neighbor and even the dog. I grew up holding talent shows on my street and they were so much fun (and yes I can laugh at the pictures that exist of me in the talent shows, even this one in all pink).
What we would do is go door to door and leave a flyer at each house in our neighborhood. The flyer would state we were having a talent show and anyone who would like to watch or participate could do so on a particular date and time. It was so much fun, and talent shows turned into lip sync and actual plays. There is always something to do during the summer, help your kids bring out their creative side.
More fun summer ideas all summer, check back often and follow our twitter feed to stay up to date.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Father's Day Gift
This is the gift my daughter made me for Father's Day! This hobby she loves is called Decoden. It's a complicated but really beautiful way to craft. You can go into your local craft store or check online for info on decoden.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Make a Bee Catcher...For Free!
It's bee season. They are everywhere. Most people will buy sprays, which are not great to have around if you have children in your household. Or the other alternative is to run from them like a crazy person. I have a great suggestion that my grandma told me about when my daughter was first born and we had a huge bee problem in our backyard. In fact my grandma still uses this method to keep the bees away.
Items you will need:
1 Empty 2 Liter Soda Bottle
About 12-16 inches of rope or chain
1 Pair of scissors
Dish Soap
Water
Meat (more about that later)
First remove any labels from the 2 Liter Soda Bottle. Take the scissors and cut a hole about 3 inches by 3 inches right in the middle of the bottle. Then on the other side of the bottle but another hole 3 inches by 3 inches. Now remove the cap from the two liter bottle. A good pair of scissors will work just fine, but if you have a drill around the house you can use that as well. If you are using scissors press down right in the middle of the lid with the scissors till a small hole appears. The caps are not that strong and a pair of scissors will work just fine. You don't want a huge hole, just big enough to pull the rope or chain through.
You can use whatever you have around the house for the next part, I used a small chain (they can be purchased at your local home improvement store for about $1.00) I pulled the chain through the cap and brought it down to where the two hole are in the two liter bottle. See the picture.
Use a pair of pliers and open the last chain that is hanging in front of the hole, open it enough so that it resembles a hook. The cap should screw back on just fine. The rest of the chain is what you will use to hang from a tree or your house. If the chain feels like it is moving a lot from the bottle cap (because of the hold you created to get the chain to go through) take the bottle cap off and either tie a piece of string to the chain inside the cap so that the chain can't move.
Next add 2-4 drops of dish soap to the bottom of the 2 liter bottle. Then fill it up with a 1/2 cup of water. Next you want to hang a piece of meat to that hook you created. The meat will hang right in the middle of the two holes that you cut out. You can use any kind of meat. Leftovers from dinner, piece of hot dog, etc. The bees are attracted to the meat, but once they fly into the container to get to the meat, they become trapped in the soapy water.
A good rule is, when you have about a dozen bees empty the soapy water in the trash and start over with a new piece of meat and fresh soapy water. Yes, this does kill the bees. But think about how much safer it is for
the family. No more dead bees on the lawn or patio so that people step on them. And you don't have to worry about the toxic spray around the children in your family. This is a great free way to get rid of bees in your backyard.
If you have any questions on how to put this together, email me joe7807@gmail.com or @greetingstogo.
Items you will need:
1 Empty 2 Liter Soda Bottle
About 12-16 inches of rope or chain
1 Pair of scissors
Dish Soap
Water
Meat (more about that later)
First remove any labels from the 2 Liter Soda Bottle. Take the scissors and cut a hole about 3 inches by 3 inches right in the middle of the bottle. Then on the other side of the bottle but another hole 3 inches by 3 inches. Now remove the cap from the two liter bottle. A good pair of scissors will work just fine, but if you have a drill around the house you can use that as well. If you are using scissors press down right in the middle of the lid with the scissors till a small hole appears. The caps are not that strong and a pair of scissors will work just fine. You don't want a huge hole, just big enough to pull the rope or chain through.
You can use whatever you have around the house for the next part, I used a small chain (they can be purchased at your local home improvement store for about $1.00) I pulled the chain through the cap and brought it down to where the two hole are in the two liter bottle. See the picture.
Use a pair of pliers and open the last chain that is hanging in front of the hole, open it enough so that it resembles a hook. The cap should screw back on just fine. The rest of the chain is what you will use to hang from a tree or your house. If the chain feels like it is moving a lot from the bottle cap (because of the hold you created to get the chain to go through) take the bottle cap off and either tie a piece of string to the chain inside the cap so that the chain can't move.
Next add 2-4 drops of dish soap to the bottom of the 2 liter bottle. Then fill it up with a 1/2 cup of water. Next you want to hang a piece of meat to that hook you created. The meat will hang right in the middle of the two holes that you cut out. You can use any kind of meat. Leftovers from dinner, piece of hot dog, etc. The bees are attracted to the meat, but once they fly into the container to get to the meat, they become trapped in the soapy water.
A good rule is, when you have about a dozen bees empty the soapy water in the trash and start over with a new piece of meat and fresh soapy water. Yes, this does kill the bees. But think about how much safer it is for
the family. No more dead bees on the lawn or patio so that people step on them. And you don't have to worry about the toxic spray around the children in your family. This is a great free way to get rid of bees in your backyard.
If you have any questions on how to put this together, email me joe7807@gmail.com or @greetingstogo.
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