Does the following sentence make sense to you?
"I went to Wags yesterday to take advantage of their bogos with my IPs and MNF Qs. But at the checkout, the RR CAT machine didn't work. I thought I was being BBed, but the cashier figured it all out, so my OOP was only $1.24 for five items!"
I recommended in my last post that you can save yourself a ton of time & energy if you find a couponing network out there that finds the good deals for you. But they definitely speak their own language, so in order to take advantage of all their knowledge, you have to know what they are saying. Here are some commonly used abbreviations or words:
Q = coupon "I've got my Qs clipped and I'm ready to hit the grocery store!"
Bogo [or B1G1] = buy one, get one free "Target is having a bogo on Colgate toothpaste this week. Gotta stock up!"
CAT [or CRT] = a Catalina tape or cashier register tape. Occasionally, stores will give you a separate receipt that features store coupons; they usually bear some relation to what you've just purchased. Slightly Big Brotherish, but still can be good deals. "After I bought some strawberries at Reasor's, the checkout girl handed me a CAT for Cool Whip. I'll have to remember to use it next time!"
IP [or printable] = coupons that are printable directly off the internet. "I love all the IPs I'm finding, but I'll have to buy a new ink cartridge for my printer soon."
MQ [or MNF] = manufacturer's coupon. These are the more traditional kind, usually found in the newspaper or in-store displays. "Lots of great MQs in the Tulsa World this week."
RP/SS/P&G = Red Plum, SuperSaver, Proctor & Gamble - major companies that sponsor coupon inserts in the Sunday paper. "Everybody, check your RP for May 3rd, they had a Q for Gatorade & it's on sale at Food Pyramid this week!"
Wags = Walgreens "Most people don't realize that some of the best deals in town are at Wags."
RR = Register Rewards, a specific shopping reward program offered at Walgreens. When you buy certain products, you'll get a CAT at checkout that can be spent like cash on your next trip to Wags. "I got a $4 RR at Wags this week; I'll use it next week to buy some school supplies for the kids." [NOTE: I'll cover the glories of the RRs in my next post.]
OOP = out of pocket expense "I had $6.50 OOP at Wags this week, but I got a $5 RR, so my net was only $1.50"
MIR = mail in rebate "Don't forget to count the cost of postage when you are figuring out your total savings on a MIR."
BB = bargain blocked. Happens when you have trouble getting the deals you had planned on because of a technical difficulty (I got BBed when my IPs didn't scan at the register), a store policy (Wal Mart will not accept IPs - those BBers!), or a human obstacle (the checker didn't want to run 25 Qs in one transaction, so that BBer made me get back in line to use them all).
There are others, but with these terms, you should be able to figure out 90% of the talk on couponing forums.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
COUP 101: Philosophy & Practice
In order to save lots of money, you have to have some knowledge about the underlying philosophy of how couponing works. So today I'll do my best to explain coupon logic - you really have to shop & think differently for this to be successful. To illustrate, I'll talk about how I used to coupon when I gave it stab a while back, and explain all the mistakes I made.
Couponing Angie, circa May, 2001: I would get the Sunday paper and look through the weekly coupons. I find a coupon for Nestle chocolate chips that expires in August - I decide not to clip that one, since I won't need those chocolate chips until I start my big holiday baking in November. I find a coupon for Dannon yogurt - I decide not to clip that one because Yoplait is my favorite. After I clip the coupons for my fave brands that I have an immediate need for, I head off to my usual local grocery store. If I'm lucky, I have saved enough money to recoup the cost of the Sunday paper.
It's not surprising that I did not keep this up, because there were weeks where I didn't have any savings at all, and clipping coupons was stealing time that I could use for a nice Sunday nap. No bueno! Here's what I was doing wrong:
Mistake #1: I was only looking in the Sunday paper for coupons. Yes, there are great ones there, but I could have had lots more coupons if I had checked the Internet and opened my eyes to see the coupons that are all over the place - in magazines, weekly circulars, in-store displays, stuck inside many products (or on an inside box flap), even occasionally on a peel off sticker on the product itself. To maximize your savings, you have to use ALL the resources that are out there.
Mistake #2: I was focused on my grocery list for that week, instead of thinking big picture. The hard-core couponers call this "stockpiling." If you find a great deal, you have to snag it, even if you don't have an immediate need for what you're buying. Of course, this means that you have to carve out some space in your house to store what you don't need right now. It feels a little counter-intuitive to spend money on something that you don't need right then, but think of it like airline tickets - if you wait 'til the day before you fly, you'll end up paying WAY more for a ticket than if you plan ahead and book early. Don't wait until you need something - buy early & save!
Mistake #3: I was too brand loyal. Yes, everyone has certain products that they think are just superior to other brands (I'm that way with peanut butter - Jif for the win!!!). And that's fine - you will just have to REALLY stock up when you find a deal on your favorites. But most of the time, there is not THAT big of a difference between different brands. So, be a smart shopper & shop for the best deals, not for particular brands.
Mistake #4: I only shopped at one store. I mentioned in my last blog post that the key to saving tons was to match your coupons with in store sales. That means one week the best deals will be at Reasor's. The next week, the best deals will be at the SuperTarget, and on & on. In order to figure out where to shop that week, you have to know where the sales are. The good news is that all of this information is available on the net, so you can find it very easily - just go to the main webpage for Target, WalMart, Reasor's, etc. and click on the link for weekly ads. OR, for an even easier way to figure this out, harness the mighty power of the couponing network out there! They will do the work for you! If you are in the Tulsa area, click the link for the 918 Coupon Queen blog on the right of this page. Every week she posts the sales at each major Tulsa area stores combined with coupons that are out there. AWESOME! [A note about this: this can be overwhelming & confusing at first. They use a LOT of lingo and abbreviations that outsiders don't know. But never fear! I'll post later this week to try to decipher it all for you!].
This might sound like a lot, and honestly, there is a learning curve here. You won't do it perfectly at first, but for the money you'll save, it's worth it to jump in & start.
Couponing Angie, circa May, 2001: I would get the Sunday paper and look through the weekly coupons. I find a coupon for Nestle chocolate chips that expires in August - I decide not to clip that one, since I won't need those chocolate chips until I start my big holiday baking in November. I find a coupon for Dannon yogurt - I decide not to clip that one because Yoplait is my favorite. After I clip the coupons for my fave brands that I have an immediate need for, I head off to my usual local grocery store. If I'm lucky, I have saved enough money to recoup the cost of the Sunday paper.
It's not surprising that I did not keep this up, because there were weeks where I didn't have any savings at all, and clipping coupons was stealing time that I could use for a nice Sunday nap. No bueno! Here's what I was doing wrong:
Mistake #1: I was only looking in the Sunday paper for coupons. Yes, there are great ones there, but I could have had lots more coupons if I had checked the Internet and opened my eyes to see the coupons that are all over the place - in magazines, weekly circulars, in-store displays, stuck inside many products (or on an inside box flap), even occasionally on a peel off sticker on the product itself. To maximize your savings, you have to use ALL the resources that are out there.
Mistake #2: I was focused on my grocery list for that week, instead of thinking big picture. The hard-core couponers call this "stockpiling." If you find a great deal, you have to snag it, even if you don't have an immediate need for what you're buying. Of course, this means that you have to carve out some space in your house to store what you don't need right now. It feels a little counter-intuitive to spend money on something that you don't need right then, but think of it like airline tickets - if you wait 'til the day before you fly, you'll end up paying WAY more for a ticket than if you plan ahead and book early. Don't wait until you need something - buy early & save!
Mistake #3: I was too brand loyal. Yes, everyone has certain products that they think are just superior to other brands (I'm that way with peanut butter - Jif for the win!!!). And that's fine - you will just have to REALLY stock up when you find a deal on your favorites. But most of the time, there is not THAT big of a difference between different brands. So, be a smart shopper & shop for the best deals, not for particular brands.
Mistake #4: I only shopped at one store. I mentioned in my last blog post that the key to saving tons was to match your coupons with in store sales. That means one week the best deals will be at Reasor's. The next week, the best deals will be at the SuperTarget, and on & on. In order to figure out where to shop that week, you have to know where the sales are. The good news is that all of this information is available on the net, so you can find it very easily - just go to the main webpage for Target, WalMart, Reasor's, etc. and click on the link for weekly ads. OR, for an even easier way to figure this out, harness the mighty power of the couponing network out there! They will do the work for you! If you are in the Tulsa area, click the link for the 918 Coupon Queen blog on the right of this page. Every week she posts the sales at each major Tulsa area stores combined with coupons that are out there. AWESOME! [A note about this: this can be overwhelming & confusing at first. They use a LOT of lingo and abbreviations that outsiders don't know. But never fear! I'll post later this week to try to decipher it all for you!].
This might sound like a lot, and honestly, there is a learning curve here. You won't do it perfectly at first, but for the money you'll save, it's worth it to jump in & start.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
My First Couponing Adventure
I have recently realized that I need to start seriously thinking about how to pare down our expenses. In the short term, we are trying to save enough $$$ to be able to buy a truck for Eddie debt-free. In the long term, we are realizing that if we have kid #2, we'd be pretty close to that tipping point where the cost of day care for two kids would take up so much of my paycheck that it would not make much financial sense for me to continue to work, especially considering the non-monetary benefits of being a stay-at-home mom. So, I turned to couponing. By request (thanks, Christy!), I am writing about what I'm learning & how its going.
First off, I have to send a shout-out to Al Gore for inventing the internet, because it is a great way to get coupons & save money. You can still do the old tried & true coupon clipping out of the Sunday paper, but there are also really good Internet coupons. I used them almost exclusively this week (only one wasn't a 'net find - I stumbled across it in a magazine I was reading). Here is the site I used, but there are others if you Google : http://www.afullcup.com
It appears that I picked the best week ever to get serious about this, since there were a TON of great coupons & sales available (Memorial Day weekend, maybe? If I figure out the rhythms of this, I'll let you know). Whatever the reason, it was a good time to learn lesson #1 of couponing - always combine coupons with in-store sales to maximize your savings. An example: let's say I have a coupon for $1 off salad dressing. If the regular store price is $2.59, I can use my coupon & pay $1.59 - a good deal (39% off original price). BUT, if the item is on sale for $2.19 and I use my coupon & pay $1.19, I've gotten a great deal (55% off original price). Here's where it gets good - if I have a $1 coupon, and the item is on sale AND I shop at a store that doubles coupons, I can get that salad dressing for 19 cents - an AWESOME deal (93% off original price).
So, does it work? Here's what I purchased this week:
3 boxes of Jello
2 18 oz. bottles of Kraft BBQ sauce
4 16 oz. bottles of Kraft salad dressing
2 1 lb. jars of Planters dry roasted peanuts
1 14.5 oz. box Ronzoni whole wheat spaghetti
1 8 oz. bag Ritz Toasted Chips
2 Hillshire Farms Deli Select sandwiches
6 12 pkgs. Kraft American cheese singles
2 8 oz. bags Kraft shredded cheese
2 8 oz. bricks Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese
2 boxes Cheez-It 100 calorie snacks (6 bags per box)
1 Hershey Bliss candy bar
2 boxes Kraft Deluxe mac n cheese
2 boxes of Bagelfuls (mmm... Bagelfuls!)
1 box Premium saltine crackers
1 box Ritz crackers
1 32 oz. jar Kraft mayo
1 32 oz. jar Miracle Whip (gross - giving to my mother-in-law)
2 containers of Cool Whip
1 bag Baked Lays
1 4-pack of Dole tropical fruit cups (this was my non-net coupon)
2 pkgs Oscar Meyer all-beef hot dogs
2 40 count canisters of Wet Ones anti-bacterial wipes
1 box of Blue Bunny root beer float ice cream bars
1 box of Blue Bunny strawberry yogurt ice cream bars
Total value of groceries: $165
Total amount I paid (including tax): $43
Percentage savings: 74 freaking percent!!!!! It works, people! [and, I'll admit - I even screwed up a couple of times! I could have saved about $3.50 more!!!]
Obviously, there is lots more to say about this, but I'll post again soon. But I am already so excited about this I can hardly stand it!
First off, I have to send a shout-out to Al Gore for inventing the internet, because it is a great way to get coupons & save money. You can still do the old tried & true coupon clipping out of the Sunday paper, but there are also really good Internet coupons. I used them almost exclusively this week (only one wasn't a 'net find - I stumbled across it in a magazine I was reading). Here is the site I used, but there are others if you Google : http://www.afullcup.com
It appears that I picked the best week ever to get serious about this, since there were a TON of great coupons & sales available (Memorial Day weekend, maybe? If I figure out the rhythms of this, I'll let you know). Whatever the reason, it was a good time to learn lesson #1 of couponing - always combine coupons with in-store sales to maximize your savings. An example: let's say I have a coupon for $1 off salad dressing. If the regular store price is $2.59, I can use my coupon & pay $1.59 - a good deal (39% off original price). BUT, if the item is on sale for $2.19 and I use my coupon & pay $1.19, I've gotten a great deal (55% off original price). Here's where it gets good - if I have a $1 coupon, and the item is on sale AND I shop at a store that doubles coupons, I can get that salad dressing for 19 cents - an AWESOME deal (93% off original price).
So, does it work? Here's what I purchased this week:
3 boxes of Jello
2 18 oz. bottles of Kraft BBQ sauce
4 16 oz. bottles of Kraft salad dressing
2 1 lb. jars of Planters dry roasted peanuts
1 14.5 oz. box Ronzoni whole wheat spaghetti
1 8 oz. bag Ritz Toasted Chips
2 Hillshire Farms Deli Select sandwiches
6 12 pkgs. Kraft American cheese singles
2 8 oz. bags Kraft shredded cheese
2 8 oz. bricks Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese
2 boxes Cheez-It 100 calorie snacks (6 bags per box)
1 Hershey Bliss candy bar
2 boxes Kraft Deluxe mac n cheese
2 boxes of Bagelfuls (mmm... Bagelfuls!)
1 box Premium saltine crackers
1 box Ritz crackers
1 32 oz. jar Kraft mayo
1 32 oz. jar Miracle Whip (gross - giving to my mother-in-law)
2 containers of Cool Whip
1 bag Baked Lays
1 4-pack of Dole tropical fruit cups (this was my non-net coupon)
2 pkgs Oscar Meyer all-beef hot dogs
2 40 count canisters of Wet Ones anti-bacterial wipes
1 box of Blue Bunny root beer float ice cream bars
1 box of Blue Bunny strawberry yogurt ice cream bars
Total value of groceries: $165
Total amount I paid (including tax): $43
Percentage savings: 74 freaking percent!!!!! It works, people! [and, I'll admit - I even screwed up a couple of times! I could have saved about $3.50 more!!!]
Obviously, there is lots more to say about this, but I'll post again soon. But I am already so excited about this I can hardly stand it!
Friday, May 22, 2009
LOST
Okay, it would be impossible for me to have a blog without talking about a television show or two. I'm kinda addicted. Anyway, since Lost wrapped up the season last week, I have been reflecting on how that show in particular has been kind of a defining thing for me in the same way M*A*S*H or Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been for others.
First off, I should qualify that I am not a super-fan that sits around theorizing and analyzing screencaps and stuff. And, honestly, there have been times when I haven't even LIKED the show. From the very first episode, I have had something of a love/hate relationship with it - yes, that first show was awesome and creepy and mysterious. But it also featured, complete with shaky camerawork, a group of people going through a plane crash, which totally gave me the sweats and shakes - I had gone through a bad car accident the year before and that scene brought on a bout of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
But the show featured people who had lost their way, and that is exactly where I was at the time. I was working on a PhD but I had become totally disillusioned with the process - I was doing crazy amounts of work to try to establish myself in a career I no longer wanted (work 70 hour weeks at a university with a "publish or perish" mentality? spend my days running statistics with complicated software programs? didn't I get into the field of communication because I, you know, enjoyed communicating with people?). I had also recently gone through a horrible, painful break-up, and I was trying to move forward with my life while secretly terrified that my last chance was gone and I was going to end up a spinster type, crocheting and doing crosswords and DYING ALONE. So maybe you can see why the journey of these messed up people who got thrown into a situation they couldn't see their way out of resonated with me. Their one step forward, two steps back story exactly mirrored mine.
But fortunately, life got a lot better for me. I got my dream job - back at my old alma mater, Oral Roberts University. Despite its flaws, it is a school that understands that the most important job of higher ed is to teach students, and I love being in an environment that honors teaching, not just publications. I have great students and great co-workers, and I just generally like going to work, which I know is a rare and precious thing. After a few more mis-steps, I found a great, funny, sweet guy who loves me as much as I love him. And I married him. And we had a kid. So, yeah, that turned out really well for me. And each week, when I watch Lost, I see characters that are getting closer and closer to finding what I have. I want desperately for them to succeed; to get to the place that I have.
And, aside from all my metaphorical musings, Lost gave me the single best experience I have had in my life as a television viewer. And it came because I broke the rules, which seems fitting. Two years ago, a day before the season finale, I was surfing the net before I got ready to go to bed, and for some reason, I clicked on a link that spoiled the big ending - the flash-forward revelation that Jack & Kate had made it back. I couldn't BELIEVE it! I literally could not fall asleep that night - my brain was all racing with what it meant and how it could happen and where would the story go next. I've had that level of excitement and happiness with books before, but never with a TV show. It was kinda great.
So, LOST - this is my tribute to you.
First off, I should qualify that I am not a super-fan that sits around theorizing and analyzing screencaps and stuff. And, honestly, there have been times when I haven't even LIKED the show. From the very first episode, I have had something of a love/hate relationship with it - yes, that first show was awesome and creepy and mysterious. But it also featured, complete with shaky camerawork, a group of people going through a plane crash, which totally gave me the sweats and shakes - I had gone through a bad car accident the year before and that scene brought on a bout of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
But the show featured people who had lost their way, and that is exactly where I was at the time. I was working on a PhD but I had become totally disillusioned with the process - I was doing crazy amounts of work to try to establish myself in a career I no longer wanted (work 70 hour weeks at a university with a "publish or perish" mentality? spend my days running statistics with complicated software programs? didn't I get into the field of communication because I, you know, enjoyed communicating with people?). I had also recently gone through a horrible, painful break-up, and I was trying to move forward with my life while secretly terrified that my last chance was gone and I was going to end up a spinster type, crocheting and doing crosswords and DYING ALONE. So maybe you can see why the journey of these messed up people who got thrown into a situation they couldn't see their way out of resonated with me. Their one step forward, two steps back story exactly mirrored mine.
But fortunately, life got a lot better for me. I got my dream job - back at my old alma mater, Oral Roberts University. Despite its flaws, it is a school that understands that the most important job of higher ed is to teach students, and I love being in an environment that honors teaching, not just publications. I have great students and great co-workers, and I just generally like going to work, which I know is a rare and precious thing. After a few more mis-steps, I found a great, funny, sweet guy who loves me as much as I love him. And I married him. And we had a kid. So, yeah, that turned out really well for me. And each week, when I watch Lost, I see characters that are getting closer and closer to finding what I have. I want desperately for them to succeed; to get to the place that I have.
And, aside from all my metaphorical musings, Lost gave me the single best experience I have had in my life as a television viewer. And it came because I broke the rules, which seems fitting. Two years ago, a day before the season finale, I was surfing the net before I got ready to go to bed, and for some reason, I clicked on a link that spoiled the big ending - the flash-forward revelation that Jack & Kate had made it back. I couldn't BELIEVE it! I literally could not fall asleep that night - my brain was all racing with what it meant and how it could happen and where would the story go next. I've had that level of excitement and happiness with books before, but never with a TV show. It was kinda great.
So, LOST - this is my tribute to you.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Might have to change the syllabus...
One of the classes I teach is Interpersonal Communication, and one of the topics we discuss in that class is social identity - basically how we learn what it means to be human, moral, polite, a boy/girl, etc., and what effect that knowledge has on our relationships [but you already knew I was a communication geek from my blog title]. Anyway, the prevalent thought among the theorists is that we don't inherently possess any of this knowledge - our early caregivers socialize us to think & behave certain ways that are deemed normal in our society.
Well, the theorists are full of it. After watching my son grow & develop, I can find a million problems with this accepted wisdom. For instance, I have very careful avoided any kind of gender socialization with JT (one exception: I do dress him in "boy" colors). But I haven't tried to stick a baseball in his little hand, or decorated his room with Bob the Builder or anything. All of his toys are educational and gender-neutral. BUT YET... I have a book that teaches kids their numbers. On each page there are different items for each number. Here is a list of things that my son stares at with no reaction (or even looks away):
fish
ballerinas
sand castles
paintbrushes
starfish
seashells
snakes
pies
Here is a list of things that make his eyes light up, his arms flail excitedly and starts a stream of happy babbling:
a firetruck
cars
Where did that come from??? Why does his exhibit such a strong early preference for cars? We certainly didn't teach that to him. And does he somehow know that cars are "boy" things? It makes you wonder....
Well, the theorists are full of it. After watching my son grow & develop, I can find a million problems with this accepted wisdom. For instance, I have very careful avoided any kind of gender socialization with JT (one exception: I do dress him in "boy" colors). But I haven't tried to stick a baseball in his little hand, or decorated his room with Bob the Builder or anything. All of his toys are educational and gender-neutral. BUT YET... I have a book that teaches kids their numbers. On each page there are different items for each number. Here is a list of things that my son stares at with no reaction (or even looks away):
fish
ballerinas
sand castles
paintbrushes
starfish
seashells
snakes
pies
Here is a list of things that make his eyes light up, his arms flail excitedly and starts a stream of happy babbling:
a firetruck
cars
Where did that come from??? Why does his exhibit such a strong early preference for cars? We certainly didn't teach that to him. And does he somehow know that cars are "boy" things? It makes you wonder....
Monday, May 4, 2009
Hip Summertime Mom
So, one of the perks of my job is that I don't have to do it for 3 months and I still get a paycheck. Sick, right? Anyway, I have been spending most of the past few weeks visualizing what my first summer of momhood would look like, and I have a very clear picture of what hip summertime Angie will do. Here's my list:
1. Start a blog (hey, done! Go me.)
2. Spend quality time everyday with my son, focusing on his spiritual and intellectual development. [And shop for cute baby clothes online.]
3. Zip around neighborhood with adorable baby in stroller; lose all the baby weight.
4. Become a regular patron of the Farmer's Market and develop relationships with the vendors there, so I can drop references to "my produce lady" or "my cheese man" in casual conversation. And buy yummy, fresh food.
5. Prepare that yummy fresh food into healthful meals for my family. [Here is where my visualization gets a little fuzzy, since my husband would not eat a vegetable on a bet. But I'm sure once he's confronted with the yummy freshness of Farmer's Market produce, he'll give in, right?]
6. Host various cookouts, game nights and one killer bridal shower that provide friends and family with warm memories of our times together.
7. Spend time cultivating all my flowers in the landscaping beds. Maybe plant more along the side of the house. Maybe. Possibly.
8. Start researching business plans for awesome organic baby food small business I will launch soon.
9. Get a tan.
We'll see how this goes.
1. Start a blog (hey, done! Go me.)
2. Spend quality time everyday with my son, focusing on his spiritual and intellectual development. [And shop for cute baby clothes online.]
3. Zip around neighborhood with adorable baby in stroller; lose all the baby weight.
4. Become a regular patron of the Farmer's Market and develop relationships with the vendors there, so I can drop references to "my produce lady" or "my cheese man" in casual conversation. And buy yummy, fresh food.
5. Prepare that yummy fresh food into healthful meals for my family. [Here is where my visualization gets a little fuzzy, since my husband would not eat a vegetable on a bet. But I'm sure once he's confronted with the yummy freshness of Farmer's Market produce, he'll give in, right?]
6. Host various cookouts, game nights and one killer bridal shower that provide friends and family with warm memories of our times together.
7. Spend time cultivating all my flowers in the landscaping beds. Maybe plant more along the side of the house. Maybe. Possibly.
8. Start researching business plans for awesome organic baby food small business I will launch soon.
9. Get a tan.
We'll see how this goes.
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