Random Tuesday Thoughts
May 17, 2011
Our home away from home. STREP!!!
There are only 8 more days left of school. That means that every morning Susan and I text each other a virtual high-five. Only eight more days of lunches to prepare. Already they are starting to deteriorate in nutritional quality. I am so damn tired of making lunches. Here have a Pop-Tart and an avocado, that will hold you over!
I know everyone is dying to know how couponing (why yes, it is a verb now) has been going. What? You haven’t been curious? Well I am a little obsessed. In fact today I was talking to HeatherB on the phone and told her I had to go because I was outside the store and need to go shop with my coupons, which requires concentration. She laughed so hard that she could barely speak.
Related to the above, I now need some sort of coupon binder. Where does one buy these things? Are there any coupons for them? Because that might just make me pee my pants with excitement.
I have a whole post brewing in my head about coupons. Which I may or may not actually write because I don’t think anyone really cares about my free toothpaste.
Baseball season is winding down. THANK GOD. We are in the midst of the end of season tournaments. I can only hope the inevitable happens sooner rather than later.
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They have a bunch of different coupon holders at Bed Bath and Beyond. Just saw them! I used to have one myself, that was cow print - I think I ordered it via mail after seeing an ad in a coupon circular. Ah youth.
May 17th, 2011 at 5:57 pmAs a recent convert to couponing, I feel your excitement! Nobody wants to hear about my free soap, body wash, toothbrushes, ketchup and ibuprofen. Oh, and floss. Lots of floss. I use one of those plastic accordian files (the half-size one), but I feel like I need something bigger. If you find something good, I wanna know!
May 17th, 2011 at 6:01 pmIt would be fun to hear about your couponing results. Probably, because with a family of 8, we think you’d have some awesome results.
May 17th, 2011 at 6:08 pmUm, I am a 28-year-old single childless lady and I am OBSESSED with coupons, as well. Nothing makes me giddier than seeing what coupons arrive every Tuesday. [And by nothing, of course I mean "orgasms and excellent cheeses", but you get the idea.] I grew up in a financially wobbly household and am currently living in a home where ALL of us are unemployed, but even in better days I was baffled by people who don’t use coupons. You could be saving FIFTEEN CENTS on that mayo, you fools! Please write that post, I’d be right there with you - in line for ten extra minutes watching the grocery clerk patiently scan a wad of coupons. Worth it.
May 17th, 2011 at 6:40 pmI totally want to read about your adventures in couponing because I have begun my own foray. So far I am happy with the results but feeling a little inadequate compared to some of my peers!
May 17th, 2011 at 6:49 pmRe. coupon binder, I use and have seen others use just a plain 2″ binder or whatever size you need. And you fill it with those plastic sheets used to hold baseball cards. Make your own dividers and sort things however you want. No need to get all fancy about it unless you want to. And I think months ago, I saw a coupon for a binder, but not recently. And if your kids collect baseball cards, steal their sheets. Here’s a link with suggestions - http://www.ehow.com/how_2213817_organize-coupon-binder.html
May 17th, 2011 at 6:52 pmCouponing is my recent obsession as well. Actually, it’s a re-obsessiong. I’m a phase couponer. Those are all totally words…that I made up. I use a regular 2 inch binder and got plastic page dividers and baseball card holders at the dollar store. Super cheap. But no coupons for that. ;o)
May 17th, 2011 at 6:52 pmOh yes! A coupon Binder! They are amazing! I lovey dovey mine!
I just used an old binder I had around the house with some 4×6 photo album holders (the 3 down kind) to hold my coupons. I have it divided by categories (with a table of contents! Really!) so I can just look to see what page number I should be referring to.
Couponing is so a verb. And you are right, it does take concentration. Or you might miss out on something important. Like the 5 8qt Kool Aid mixers that I scored for FREE the other day when I bought 10 Kraft BBQ sauces for .49 a piece - yep. Must be able to concentrate!
And, not that you have any time to spare, and I don’t know if I can plug another site, but if you go to http://www.krazycouponlady.com, she has some free downloadables for the binder as well as a coupon database and updates (which seem like hourly) about all sorts of coupons out there!
May 17th, 2011 at 6:56 pmMy friend is a coupon fanatic and she uses a 3-ring binder with baseball card holder inserts (and some photo inserts). I use a small divided plastic pouch. Good luck with the couponing - it’s a dark trail to go down - sad how much glee I get out of saving money
May 17th, 2011 at 7:45 pmi recently started couponing. i bought a binder, dividers with write-on tabs, and baseball card holders. works like a charm!
May 17th, 2011 at 7:52 pmI use a cheap binder (steal one from the kids) and the baseball card sleeves for my coupon binder. Good luck!
May 17th, 2011 at 7:53 pmWe were at the pediatrician’s today for strep as well. Also, I’m that asshole parent that had no clue her child was sick and took him to his Little Gym class this morning. I expect many people will thank me for that gift next week.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:09 pmYES on the coupon binder! get the inserts intended for baseball card collections and put in any three ring binder.
you can start small but expect to need a larger one soon!
the large ones that zip up, think trapper keeper work best!
not sure about there in texas but kids in MA are not permitted to bring these to school. apparently you could hide a weapon in them…nice, huh?
anyways Yes write a post about it, I for one would love to hear how it is going!
I use to feel bad watching the biggest loser on TV because while I knew I should be on the treadmill watching it I tended to sit in my chair and eat while it was on…hey! i waorked all day and took care of four kids, I was tired! i did not have a personal trainer or a break from my family so i would reason since I do ot weigh 300lbs I had a head start nd would treadmill when they got to my weight..well it was sad so I stopped. watching that is.
Now this extreme couponing? omg the self induced guilt of not clipping them has turned my life and wallet around! go for it!
May 17th, 2011 at 8:10 pmI use a 1″ 3 ring binder. I have Tab dividers for each section…like refrigerated, paper, juice, frozen, etc. And then each Tab gets baseball card protector sheets. They are plastic sheets that have 9 pockets per page. Then each coupon gets its own pocket. That way when you get to the section of store you can open to that tab and see all of the coupons you have for that aisle and their expiration dates. It beats having to flip through a file folder or envelope or whatever. I have even broken it down into sub-tabs, like paper towels on one page, TP on another, etc. Once you get a system down, it doesn’t take too long.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:14 pmI don’t know if southernsavers.com is in Texas but there is couponmom.com that matches us the sales flyers and the current coupons to tell you the best deals. The drugstores have some of the best deals. Have fun!!
Only 8 more days left for us too. I’m so ready for this school year to be over with. I have no idea what I’m going to do with them all summer though. I have boy #4 due in early June so I don’t think we’ll be getting out much.
When I was on top of coupons I used a regular binder and put baseball card sleeves in it. Worked perfectly.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:27 pmA friend of mine uses a small accordion folder.
May 17th, 2011 at 8:32 pmDude, you are so bad…in regards to the baseball. Sadly, I echo your thoughts. My son plays tournament baseball - it is not infrequent for me to think to myself, “well, if we go ahead & lose, we get to GO HOME.”
May 17th, 2011 at 8:35 pmOh, and I DO care about your free toothpaste. Please post!
http://www.thecouponizer.com (binder)
http://promocodes2011.com/ (coupons for the couponizer)
May 17th, 2011 at 8:37 pmOh, please post your daily lunches for the last week. Last year, I gave one of my kids a half of a sleeve of ritz crackers and didn’t feel the least bit guilty (okay, maybe a wee bit) because you’d done it too. lol!!! I think I added a few slices of ham and some raisins and called it a balanced meal. ; )
May 17th, 2011 at 8:49 pmBreak out the Depends. (There are coupons for those!)
May 17th, 2011 at 8:51 pmhttp://moneysavingmom.com/2010/05/how-i-organize-my-coupons.html
http://www.utahdealdiva.com/2009/09/my-coupon-binder.html
I got a large binder on clearance at target after back to school, it’s fabric covered and about 2 1/2- 3″ thick. I used baseball card insets inside to put the coupons in with dividers separating the categories.
May 17th, 2011 at 9:29 pmI care, I care. I am working on the coupon thing but have not fully grasped the concept. I want free toothpaste, I need free toothpaste. Help me get the free toothpaste. Maybe some deoderant and soap too while we are at it.
May 17th, 2011 at 9:44 pmGet a binder and then use the baseball card holder sheets. They are 3 hole punched and are perfect for coupons! Sure, you can buy fancy coupon binders, but this is a simple way to do it. Make sure to buy a pretty binder - it will make you even happier
May 17th, 2011 at 10:22 pmif your really serious about the coupons get a binder and use baseball card holders. Also check out all the coupon pages on facebook, they give you a heads up on all the great deals.
May 17th, 2011 at 11:05 pmHi…do you know there are blogs devoted to couponing? They list match-ups for stores, link you to coupons you can print, and I’ve even seen posts devoted to coupon binders and how they organize themselves. Crazy. Here’s one place, probably click the “start here” tab http://couponconnectionsnw.com/
May 17th, 2011 at 11:52 pmI can’t find the one that shows her binder. But, here’s a few other blogs to check out: http://athriftymom.com/
http://frugalchicliving.org/
but I think finding someone from your state may help with what the deals for your area are.
I would like to hear about your coupons so that I can be incredibly jealous because we don’t get like seriously real coupons here in Canadaland.
May 18th, 2011 at 1:38 amI went through this — well — obsession — recently and found a coupon holder at Target. Now I guess the secret’s out and your millions of readers will know I bought a coupon holder (purple) and actually use it.
May 18th, 2011 at 1:41 amI got my coupon organizer at Office Max, but it’s just a little thing. It got it in the section with the planners.
So, with baseball winding down, there’s only 2 weeks until football?
May 18th, 2011 at 8:34 amYes, a post on couponing. I am sooooo interested. It is something I have been meaning to do and just don’t know where/how to start–so please do.
May 18th, 2011 at 9:03 amI one of those that actually would love to hear about your “couponing”.
I use a 3 ring binder and bought CD/DVD holders that fit into a 3 ring binder. Look at Office Max or Office Depot. Then I file the coupons by Letter of the alphabet. For example, one CD envelope holds all the items that start with the letter A etc. It make is much easier to find an item. I hope this helps as I am having a hard time describing what I mean by the CD/DVD holder thingy.
May 18th, 2011 at 9:08 amI would LOVE to hear about the couponing!!!!! Yes, I really am this excited about it!!
May 18th, 2011 at 11:22 amI want to here about your coupon adventures and I want to know whats for lunch the last 8 days of school - last years menu’s were a hoot.
I’m not a ’serious’ couponer but I do use them alot…I don’t think I would want to lug around a 3 ring binder full of coupons. I’m looking for something a bit more compact that could fit in my purse and not take up too much space, you know like the old envelope I’ve been using.
May 18th, 2011 at 1:21 pmI got a great coupon organizer at the dollar store a few weeks ago (with the kitchen stuff, not the office supplies for some reason). It may not be big enough for what you need however (we don’t get a lot of coupons up here) but they also have the envelope-sized accordion file holders that could work.
May 18th, 2011 at 2:20 pmMy daughter was diagnosed with Strep yesterday. (We are in VA). And my brother, his wife and their 4 kids all have it. They are one state over from us. Is it sweeping the nation???
May 18th, 2011 at 4:22 pmWe had a bout with strep over the winter. Both my son & I had it but only he went on antibiotics for it. (No health insurance.) I was happy that I was able to get over it on my own, but it sure redefines the meaning of “sore throat”!
May 18th, 2011 at 4:29 pmYou have to write a post about couponing!!! I’ve been interested in this since the first time I saw the show “Extreme Couponing” and have been getting information everywhere I can so that I can make the best from my trips to the store. I’d love to hear any advice you have.
May 18th, 2011 at 5:36 pmMy mom uses one of those small, plastic file things that they sell in the dollar bins at target. She has them divided by part of the grocery store, and then other stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond and stuff like that. She’s a coupon master.
May 18th, 2011 at 7:13 pmChris-Please write about your freebies !!
Thanks to everyone for the sites !
May 18th, 2011 at 7:44 pmSo really….all the time you spend cutting them out and putting the coupons in baseball card sleeves??….. how much can you really be saving? isn’t your time more valuable?
Just asking…… cause I don’t get it.
Happy Shopping
May 18th, 2011 at 9:25 pm3 ring binder with baseball card holders
May 19th, 2011 at 1:32 amAnd I thought I was the only one counting down to the end of baseball season…high fives!
Of course, the end of baseball ushers in swim lessons and summer cheer practice and camp and shit tons of driving so I don’t know what I’m so excited about, really.
May 19th, 2011 at 9:48 amI was going to recommend http://www.krazykouponlady.com but I saw someone beat me to it!
I’ve heard that baseball card albums/holders work well for coupons…they’re both about the same size.
Good luck with your savings! Ha!
May 19th, 2011 at 10:58 amI just linked over to your blog earlier this week, and I am loving it! Your kids are so ridiculously beautiful, and I love how down to earth you seem. Oh, and welcome to Texas!! (I am a native!)
May 19th, 2011 at 1:42 pmPlease do a post on couponing! I have suddenly become so obsessed with not paying full price that my daughter asked if we could eat something this week that is NOT on sale.
May 19th, 2011 at 2:08 pmi use a medium sized photo album. it works great!!!
May 19th, 2011 at 11:38 pmTo the poster who asked if it was worth it (the time) - I would say it depends on your own priorities.
I spend about an hour a week TOTAL “couponing” and planning my shopping trips. That one hour saved me $123.45 yesterday evening. So Yeah, to me, it is worth it. That might not be worth it to you - but I can only imagine the amount of money spent on feeding 7 kids (remember all the “handed over my husbands paycheck at the grocery store” posts?) Savings money on things you are going to buy anyway just makes common sense to me.
May 20th, 2011 at 11:01 amI use a three ring binder that zips all the way around. I use baseball card sleeves to hold the coupons. I follow a blog that covers my local grocery store and she pairs the lists with coupons. Thanks to her, I just copy the sales list into to MS Word, delete things that arent pertinent to me (ie Depends and Baby Formula) and print ! I pull the coupons I have in my binder, and print others from the internet (she provides the links in the sales list) and put it all in a neon pencil pouch thats easy to find in my bag.
May 20th, 2011 at 1:30 pmMe and my friend are get open a starter business, as a coffee caffee, in fact I am online doing a bit of knowlage. Reading your info have give me some nice things to think about, so thank you for your info.
May 22nd, 2011 at 2:35 pm