Oct. 1, 2007 - Selling on eBay

Wow!  I can't believe it's been over 2 months since I last blogged.  WHERE HAVE I BEEN?!?!

I started working at Winn Dixie (a grocery store chain down south) in March.  I recently got promoted to one of the cashier managers, so I've been pretty busy with that.  When I took the job I only expected to be working 18-21 hours a week, but now I work closer to 24-34 hours a week.  I took the job to help pay for some stuff around the house, like getting our leaky roof repaired, putting sod in the front yard, and helping pay for my husband going back to school.  Between him doing school work, and me working (when he's home to watch the kids) I don't much time to see him anymore, but it's not about the quantity, but the quality... right?  right?

And in my "spare time" I've recently decided to put a long-time hobby of mine to work on eBay.  I'm selling handmade floral barrettes.  Here's the link to the listing of all my barrettes.  Of anyone's interested, I can do special orders, like for birthday party favors, weddings, or anything!  Just send me an email either on here, or through eBay and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZegghead96

Jul. 2, 2007 - How to Coupon Effectively

About 6 months ago I heard of a man who conduct an experiment to see how many free samples he could get from companies. He sent out letters to every manufacturer he could think of and requested that they send him some coupons or free samples. After reading of the success of his efforts, I conducted my own sort of experiment and was surpirsed by the results.

Since I'm the type of person who will do anything for a deal, it didn't bother me to write letters to companies and request items frome them. After all, the worst thing they could do is say "no" to my requests, or just ignor them all together. I've found that many companies desire to gain loyal customers, and they will often send out tokens of appreciation for consumers who enjoy their products.

Here are my tips for individuals wishing to contact companies:

- Snail mail is an option, although it will obviously cost you the amount of a stamp, paper, enevelope, etc. And I found a few times that the coupons companies sent me didn't get me any profit. Why should I be excited about a 35 cent off coupon when I spent 41 cents on the stamp? That's why I suggest emaling or telephone calls.

- Emailing is a simple and easy way to contact companies. Often major companies will have their company websites printed on the container. Simply find the "contact us" page and you will be ready to send an email.

1. Be sure to including your name, address, and phone number in correspondance. Not all companies will have a fill-in form for this.
2. Be bold! Ask for the moon and stars. I've requested coupons, free samples, receipe booklets, and promotional materials. While not every company is as generous as the next you can get some great items. I've received pens and flashlights from Dr. Pepper, 4 tubes of chapstick from the Chapstick company, and Free item coupons from Mission Foods (makers of tortillas, and chips).
3. Finally tell the company why you like/dislike the product. If you haven't ever tried the product before be honest and let them know you'd like to try it but want an incentive.

- Sign up on websites for their clubs and newsletters. Often you'll be the first to receive coupons, learn of promotions, and be entered to win prizes.

- Join online communities of other couponers to find out about promotions, free products, and swap coupons. I've saved several hundred dollars this year alone thanks to the loyal friends I've made on www.vickysdeals.com

 

While advice listed above may sound time-consuming it will benefit you greatly when it comes time to go shopping at the grocery store.

Jan. 30, 2007 - I LOVE COUPONS

My latest passion is couponing.  I actually redeemed $20 in coupons last week, and LOVE the thrill of finding the best deal!

I recently joined a "coupon train".  It's basically a network of people who have extra coupons that they aren't using and then pass them along to the next person in the train.  It was so nice to see the bounty of coupons available for trading.  The envelope came out to me with over 100 coupons it in, and I could choose as many as I wanted, as long as I put back in the same number.  I was able to trade some of my couopns for some SlimFast, Flintstone vitamins, Stouffers, and more.

If anyone else is interested, I'll start a MomsWeb Coupon Train.  I'd like to have at least 4 members, feel free to email me with your info and I'll put you up on my list!

Aug. 9, 2006 - FREEBIE- Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" magazine

I stumbled upon a promotion from Glad (the trash bag company) that if you buy 3 products you can receive a free 1 year subscription to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.  Since these are products that many people buy anyway it's a great deal!  Here's the link, hope it works for you.... http://www.glad.com/offers/