The Coupon Project

See you on the other side...

Well readers...it's time to pack up my bags and leave this little home I've been living in for over a year now. Starting late tonight and through tomorrow, the fine folks at Foliovision will be working to move my 1,800 + posts (plus all the associated images and comments) over to my new and improved site at Wordpress. 

I'm really excited to have you enjoy my new site and design. Joy Miller of Five J's Design has worked hard to come up with a look that conveys who I am as a blogger...and I think she's hit the nail on the head! The new site will be cleaner, fresher...and most of all, easier to navigate. 

A few things you should know:

::This will be my last post here. I don't want to complicate things for Foliovision, so I'm gonna let them do their thing. I also need to get my new site prepped, so I'll be spending some 

::You might want to refrain from commenting on any of my posts here come about 2AM PST or they will likely not make the transfer. 

::Although the site is down, I'll still be sharing any hot deals I find via my Facebook page. What's that you say? You're not a fan yet? Well, my friend...you can do so by going HERE. My Facebook fans will also be the first to know when the new site is live, so an added bonus. You can also follow me on Twitter HERE.

::If you subscribe to The Coupon Project, you will most likely need to resubscribe once everything's moved over. In fact, if it's been a few days and this is the most recent post you're seeing from me in your reader...you DO need to resubscribe!

OK...I think that's it for now. I'm excited to share my new look and site with you! Thanks to everyone who completed my survey last month. Your comments actually fueled several very specific changes - ones I wouldn't have considered otherwise. So thank you! See you soon! ;)

Reader whoops me at the $20 grocery challenge!

While I spent nearly $9 more than I'd hoped, reader Julie only spent $0.73 over $20! So look what she got for her $20.73:



NICE!! Check out all  that healthy produce, too! She went to Giant (grocery store) and CVS (drug store) - neither of which are in my area...bummer!

She writes, "The CVS brand tissues, Snuggle, and Uncrustables were free. I was especially happy with the almost five pounds of pork chops reduced for quick sale combined with a store coupon for $2 off a $5 meat purchase, bringing them to just $0.95/lb." She also shares that a chocolate milk is missing from this picture...her 4-year old helper gulped it down.

Oh Julie, my 4-year old helper would've done the same thing!!

Way to go - and thanks for sharing your trip!     

Presidential Brie: $3 off printable coupon!

 

  
Save $3 on Presidential Brie cheese with this printable coupon! The fine print reads "limit 3 prints per person throughout the promotional period!" Sweet!

Brie, anyone?

Thanks, Madame Deals! 

When doing a home or yard project, do you ever feel...

That it starts to get bigger, and not smaller?

This one's gonna be fun. My husband just left for a 48-hour shift. Let's see how much of this I can get moved with my son over the next couple days. Wish us luck. 

Wondering what this is about? Go HERE.

We have a WINNER: design a bag contest

The winner was selected by a randomly generated number.

And that number was...

16...

BRANDI!

Congrats, Brandi! I'll be passing your information along to the Kroger team so you can order your design.

Thanks everyone who played!   

Four tips to getting started with bartering

 

 

Barter. That's what only the ultra-business savvy do, right? Wrong! While bartering may involve a little stepping out of your comfort zone, I think you'll find it's a very frugal way of life! It can also help build your networks as well as your confidence. 

I was recently reflecting on how I have been able to barter for services over the past few months and thought I'd share my thoughts with you.

Tip #1: assess what YOU can barter. Consider what skills or services you could offer that would be of value. Do you know basic car repair? Perhaps you sew? Do you cut hair? Maybe you speak a second language and could tutor? I've found you don't need super technical skills to be able to barter. If you can cook a meal, provide childcare, or are up for manual labor, you can barter. As for me, I tend to barter for writing services (such as web content or resumes) or advertising on my blog. 

Tip #2: consider what services you need that you could barter for. A friend of mine has had GREAT success bartering her graphic design skills for landscaping services. She uses Craigslist to make the connections. We recently had a furnace that needed about $100 in repair work. I was able to exchange my writing services and got the work we needed with no out-of-pocket! It was a great money-saver, and my friend got something she needed in return. (Plus, we had those friends over and enjoyed a fun dinner with them in the process.) In many cases, YOU will have to take the initiative. Be specific with what you're proposing, and be open minded to a counter proposal.  

Tip #3: expand your ideas on what you can barter or swap! My friend Susan and I have sometimes swapped childcare. Last month, I swapped clothes with a bunch of ladies at the church. I'm also gearing up to swap freezer meals. No service or item is too ordinary! A great place to start is with like-minded, frugal-focused friends. Get together and discuss your current needs. See if you can't pool together to help one another out.      

Tip #4: make sure the exchange leaves both parties happy. In order to do this, you'll need to be honest...and do your best to make sure the recipient of your swap is also happy. I recently was in the process of swapping writing services with a friend and wasn't feeling entirely right about what I was receiving in return. I didn't want to make her feel bad...and yet, I knew I needed to be honest. I'm glad I did! She was only too happy to make sure I had something that was meaningful to me and in the end, we came up with something perfect.  

Have you ever bartered for something? Was it a good experience or not? Any advice you'd like to add? 

Photo credit Rob Owen-Wahl 

Designer Whey: $8.99 for two cans at Rite Aid!

 

 

Wow! Here's a great deal on Designer Whey protein at Rite Aid this week:

Designer Whey (2 lb) $12.99
Buy one, get one free
Use (2) $2/1 printable coupons
Bottom line: $8.99!

Be sure to read this informative post at Damsels, Dimes, and Dinars about this type of protein and how she preps her smoothies using it.

Disney Store to celebrate Earth Day with free baseball caps!

 

 

Here's another fun Earth Day freebie!

Bring 6 empty plastic bottles or soda cans to your local Disney Store on Thursday, April 22nd (Earth Day) to receive a FREE eco-friendly baseball cap! 

Limit one per guest; while supplies last. Go HERE to find the Disney Store closest to you.

$20 grocery challenge: my shopping trip

As you may recall, yesterday I challenged myself to see if I keep our grocery and household items to $20 or under. Did I succeed? Not entirely. But I don't think I did too shabbily, either!

First, I came up with a list of meals for the week. Some will yield leftovers, so chose 5:

Homemade pizza (for the kids and I tomorrow since my hubby starts a 48-hour shift)
BBQ beef sandwiches
Sesame sirloin
Chicken fajitas
Sweet Asian Chicken

The bottom FOUR meals are already in my freezer - nice huh! I just needed some accompaniments. Here's what I ended up with:

 

I did one transaction at Walgreens where I got the dish soap and instant coffee for $0.42. I then headed to Winco where I found $1.98 gallons of milk, $0.98 dozen eggs, and avocados for $0.68 each! The Land o' Frost ham was $2.10, and it had a $0.60 off peelie coupon making it just $1.50! While everything I got was individually a great deal...I still ended up spending just under $29 for everything pictured.

What was my downfall? Probably the grapes - they were about $4, and I thought I could weasel them in there and stay under budget. My husband also asked me to pick up some items I hadn't planned on which sort of threw a wrench in the plan too - those items came to over $4 as well. But his items will save him time and money for the next two days - he won't have to eat out at work!

So while I didn't rise fully to the $20 challenge, overall I think I did well. I also was WAY more vigilant about how much everything was costing and had the calculator at the ready. I would do this challenge again.  

Here's one thing that put a smile on my face. When I got home, look what some kind reader had left on my door. (I think  I know who did this...regardless, THANK YOU secret stockpile fairy!). If you don't get why these random items appeared on my doorstep, read my post from yesterday.

 

Anyone do a better job than me of meeting their challenge? (I hope so!)

Design a bag contest ends tonight - hurry!

My super cute reusable bag came in the mail yesterday - just in time for me to take it shopping today (more on that in a few minutes!). Of course, first my kids had to fill it with rocks and pinecones on our nature walk yesterday.

Overall, I think it turned out very nice and it held up a LOT of groceries well. Don't forget - today is your last chance to win your own custom reusable bag! Go HERE to find out how and enter. Good luck!