Coupon Organization

I am officially entering Keeping the Kingdom First Show and Tell contest :-) Check out her site for great blogging!

She says she's giving away something special and that the contest will close on Friday, August 15th at noon. So head on over!!

Now for my system - I use the filing system. I have a clear tupperware type of box (just got it cas my folder that was in a large carryall bag was toooooo big and bulky). I've got the SS and RP's divided by months since I've started this back in April. But I didn't realize that my small town newspaper didn't have very good coupons til I started seeing some of the other coupon deals that others were getting from bigger city papers - that's when I made the switch to a big city paper and started getting much better coupons!! I usually get 2 of those and I usually get at least 2 to 4 of the local papers from friends around town that have started saving the inserts for me.

I pick up the 2 local stores flyers and go thru them for the sales and what items I might need that week. I also try to pick up an Aldi's flyer too to see what deals they have. I then see what store has the better deal. One of the local stores is usually much higher priced than the other one but it sometimes has much better BOGO deals. So I compare the two lists.

I also double check to make sure that I can't get the item for cheaper at Walmart. I then go to AFullCup.com to see their database of coupons - that's where I match up the dates of the items that I have listed at each store to see what coupons I have and where they are located (what month they are in my box) then I cut out the coupons I'll need, put them into envelopes marked for each store (I use old envelopes from junk mailings - go green!!). I also take an extra envelope that has my "floater" coupons that I know that one of the stores may have. I have two sides of my purse that have outside pockets that have become my "defacto" coupon holders. :-)

So that's my grocery side. Now for my CVS side I usually have the same starting system (checking over the ad for the best deals & finding the coupons in the box) but then I also have that side of my purse jammed with "floating" coupons that I may use at CVS. I go there at least 4 times a week. I've gotten pretty good there but my system definitely needs work on that side!! I use the envelope system for most of my CVS coupons but when I've read of a good deal and the blogs or forums say where the coupon came from I can always check my filing system box for extra coupons - but needless to say just stuffing them in the side of my purse I lose track of what I have!

I do have them usually pushed down inside of the side pocket better I just pulled them up for the picture. I also put all my CVS extra bucks and CRT's here - this causes me to not find them as quickly as I should, so I do need a better system with these coupons, etc.

I know that this isn't the best way cas it feels so unorganized! I love the big folders that some folks have that have the baseball card holders with coupons in them - I'm thinking of doing that for my "floating" coupons.... we'll see but I do love not having to cut any coupons and just do the search in the database of what coupons I need when I need them.

I think that this whole coupon thing is still evolving for me.

Update on Borders Books

Now they have changed their minds on the coupon - it's now just for your total purchase but still if there's a book out there or a DVD that you'd like to get that's inexpensive you can now get it for really cheap!! Don't forget the code is: BR41925

Have fun!

(Oh BTW, it's just a one person one time deal, so if you have a DH or a friend that isn't going to be using it then I suppose you could ask if you can use their name to get more than one deal... ymmv)

PS On Exxon's Earnings

Just one more thing on Exxon's earnings; I heard last night that Exxon's stock actually went down on hearing of the big earnings - yea you think, people are punishing them for making so much money from the average joe BUT no it's because the stock holders were pissed - they thought that they were gonna make MORE!!!! The earnings of $11.68 billion wasn't as much as they were suppose to make!! AGGGHHHH!!!! So the investors were actually the ones that caused the stock to drop which is of course the case but come on $11.68 billion isn't enough???

To read on the earnings: http://www.cnbc.com/id/22947685
To read on the stock drop: http://www.investorguide.com/stock-analysis.cgi?ticker=XOM
or: http://quicktake.morningstar.com/Stocknet/san.aspx?id=247409

I guess I just don't get this - I need to read more about it. I totally understand that the investor could care less about the cost of a gallon of gas - they are interested in how much money their investment is going to make but when did the bottom line become more important then people? People are having to decide between gas for the car (to get to work) and food! This is why I'm so into couponing now cas I know that every dollar counts. I want my dollars to work for me!

Exxon Earnings Insanity & Border Books Savings & Walgreens $5/$20

Did anyone else see the crazy earnings report of Exxon's that CNN had up online today (short-time headline)? $1500 a second? YES, a second!! That's $90,000 a minute!!!!!! And we're paying 3.88 a gallon?!? I just don't understand how they can make this kind of money and still charge such high prices... I've read articles about it and I still don't understand it - the amounts just boggle the mind! Okay, I'll stop venting now.....

So on to fun stuff! I found a great deal over at http://moneysavingmethods.blogspot.com/ about Border Books latest promotion. You get $5 off each book - Yes that's each book you order and if you have a borders near you you just have it shipped to store so that there's no shipping charge. Just pick what books you want - I went to the under $10 section, picked some, and I then picked one book that's over $6.00 because your total has to be over $1.00 at the end. So you'll get some great books for less than a couple bucks or if you want to get more you can get some great deals!! Go to her site for exact details how to do it - it's super easy!!

Have you been checking out my "Mail Call" section? I go to MySavings.com and look for great samples that you can request from all over. They are really good (no selling of your email addy and good samples) at finding a great range of items. Most items that I sign-up for come in about a week and lots of times they come with coupons with the items!

Addition:
Just found out Wags (Walgreens) is having their $5 off of $20 just for today!! http://www.walgreens.com/hotbuys/default.jsp?ec=hn571_getcoupon
to get yours!! I don't do Wags often enough to know what good deals they have but I did see that they have a good deal on photos this week: buy 25 and get 25 free - that'd prolly eat up 10 bucks right there. So you just have to figure out some other items you might need - like school supplies? They have got tons and tons for cheap!!!

Great Sat Trip at CVS (pictures below)

Hi there everyone. I had a busy week and weekend. I had to finish up a site clean up that was so tedious - took forever!!! I also had a look see appt with my doctor - he says everything looks fine and I was able to talk him into letting me do the first of the 3 treatments right then so only 2 more trips up north!!

And then I got ready for my yard sale on Sat - which turned out really good, although it was soooo humid in the morning while I was doing the last minute setup stuff. Yuck!!! Then I had people stopping in all day. I had gone by Michelle's the night before and picked up a couple bags of clothes and a box or two of stuff that she cleaned out of the house in preparation for the baby (soon now - just 3 months or so now!!) and with both our stuff I did pretty good but the big news of the day was that I took a trip to CVS cas I had gotten the great 5/30 coupon (that was only good on Sat) in my email (they take $5 off a $30 purchase - that's before your coupons folks!!)

So anyways I thought that I'd share the pictures from the trip and the receipt cas no one seems to understand that you can really buy this stuff for next to nothing as long as you have the coupons - so let me say it again: Let Me Have Your Coupons If You're Not Gonna Use Them!!!! Stop me and give them to me - if you live in town, I'll drop by your house and pick them up! and if you don't - Please mail them to me! I'll even tell you how to do this so that you can save yourself some money.

So they say a picture is worth a thousand words (and seeing is believing - at least that's what it took for Tom to believe!! :-) )


Yes, you are seeing correctly - the first trip was 13 items for $1.60!!! and then my 2nd transaction was 17 items for $1.66 and then my 3rd which was not planned so it "cost" more - 2 items for $1.05!! This is the picture of all the stuff - now do you believe???

Praise the process not the product....

I found that on a blog that was praising a childrens author Mimi ... ummm something, talking about raising children - anyways I loved the quote so I'm sharing!

I found another great blog today: http://fussypants.typepad.com - she's really funny, a really good read.

I just found another couple sites that I use to read and are super fun: http://unsinkablekristen.blogspot.com
http://colormeuntypical.blogspot.com/

I changed up the site a bit - just didn't like the layout before and it's coming along a little better. I'm adding some of my fav pix too. In a slide show from photobucket.

We were suppose to have our book club meeting tonight at my house this month but we all agreed to postpone it for a couple weeks as no one had read the bookyet. I just finished it tonite. The Observations. It was pretty good. Not my usual cup of tea so to speak but an alright book to waste an afternoon or two with. We've had some good books, I may have to share a few in the days, weeks to come.

I have 2 "Best Of Life" coupons to give away

I got them in some Cheerios boxes and thought that someone out there might like them. I don't have any use for them. It's a Free 2 month membership to Bob Greene's The Best Life program (Oprah's personal trainer - "oh wow"). So anyways the first person to ask for them in a comment can have them & I'll mail them off to you. Of course if you'd like to send me a coupon or two in return - I can't say that I'd turn that down!! :-) But really nothing is needed for you to get them - just ask.

I've been sleeping - or should I say not sleeping well, so I'm off for a nap! Yes, they are not good for insomniacs but I can't handle life on just 2 hours of sleep. I can't read anything without reading it ten times to understand it - I'm just hoping this post makes sense.... haha.

...edit for misspelling haha - live for life.... oh I'm tired....