Instagram Diet Challenge! And updates!

Hey y'all! 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Just wanted to bring you some updates and let you in on a new challenge I'm trying.

Work has been super stressful lately- I haven't had any hours at the new job in the last two weeks,

and I've had really low hours at the theater. 

I adjusted my availability for work so that hopefully some more hours will come my way, but if things don't turn up in the next month or so I will be looking to transfer to a bigger theater in town.

I'm also going to start looking for a different retail job since it doesn't look like CC has the hours to keep anybody after seasonal hours are over.

The good news is that after no sales for about a month, Ebay has been kind to me for the last couple of weeks and I'm hoping to do some good business for my first ever holiday sales season.

In other news, I  had to have a cyst on my cheek drained this week-twice!

Not a fun experience, but it looks like now it's gone for good.

Otherwise, life has been good.

I'm still stocking up on items to donate for the Christmas boxes distributed by St. Agnes Men's Club (the charity my dad helps with).

While in past years there have been 50-75 boxes donated, it looks like this year there will only be 25.

The good news is that with half the boxes, I've been able to find more items that I have in a large enough quantity to donate.

So far I've found enough products in my stockpile to give each bin one Chapstick, one tube of toothpaste, and two bottles of shampoo. 

I'm super excited to see what other sales pop up and find more items to share.

Anywhoo, I just wanted to invite anyone who is reading this to help keep me accountable for my health and fitness by following me on instagram!

One of the number one weight loss tips recommended by those in the fitness industry is keeping a journal of the things you eat-something that I am HORRIBLE at! 

I've tried multiple times to keep a written record of what I'm ingesting, but I always lose track of whatever I'm writing in, or just plain forget to write it down.

I decided that a better and easier way for me to keep track of everything would be simply to take pictures and post them to an instagram account.

I feel like this will be good in a few ways- it's quicker than writing things down, I always have my phone with me (I don't always have a pen and paper), and the idea that people could be seeing exactly what I'm eating will help motivate me to make better choices.

So I'll be posting everything I ingest-food, beverages, and medicine, as well as representations of my workouts and occasional progress photos.

And reviewing them periodically to see if there are any patterns (if I'm taking antacids or pepto after certain foods).

Username: mmermaid93

Twotip: Accountability works on multiple levels- find an accountability partner to help you be a better Christian! (or just a better person!) We all rely on our friends to be there for us, but asking someone to be your accountability partner, or agreeing to be theirs, opens you up to more complete honesty and allows you to let eachother know when the other is slipping up in life, or ask for help when you're stuck in a difficult situation. Be loving when giving advice, but don't be afraid to hold a friend up to high standards- accountability may be the perfect way to help you and a friend be the best you can be!

Get Cheap (or Free!) Groceries with Kellogg's Family Rewards!

Hey y'all!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

It's pretty late right now so I'm gonna make this post a quick one before I hit the hay.

I just wanted to share some crazy good news for lovers of Kellogg's products.

I just learned a couple of days ago that Kellogg's has a rewards site called Kellogg's Family Rewards.

Basically, you buy Kellogg's products that are specially marked with the "Family Rewards" Stamp, and inside are 16 digit codes that you can enter on their site to use towards purchasing Kellogg's branded products, including..... COUPONS!

Not just any coupons, incredibly high value coupons!

There are coupons on the site for $1.50 off of all kinds of products, ranging from cookies to crackers.

The great news is that a lot of these products retail for less than $3.00, and there are some sales coming up that will make them free when you use the coupons.

There is a current limit of 5 of each coupon set for each account, but I'm not sure how often the numbers reset.

Today and tomorrow, the coupons are on sale for 100 points apiece.

To put that into perspective, a box of cheez-its retails at my local grocery store for 2.28,

and comes with 90 points! 

That's almost a $1.50 return on your purchase, and it's pretty easy to find boxes that earn you double points!

Like I said, the coupons are on a huge sale right now, and it appears that they normally retail around 1000 points.

While the regular price may not seem too exciting, keep in mind that for each coupon you purchase you should get at least two prints (I say at least because a glitch let me print 3 of each today).

Even without the sale, it's definitely worth investing a few minutes each time you shop to seek out the specially marked packages and enter the codes online if you are a lover of Kellogg's products.

Now hurry up and go raid your pantries before the sale is over!

God Bless, 

Madeline

Twotip: Over the holidays when you visit friends and family, tell them about this great rewards program! Raid their pantries and show them any products you find with codes to spread some savings along with your holiday cheer!

Turn Your Stockpile into a Salary!

Hey Y'all! 

Long time no blog!

I hope everyone is having a blessed week!

I realized I've posted next to nothing about how I earn cash on ebay since I started the blog, and today I thought I'd let you guys in on what I've been doing lately to earn extra cash.

As I believe I've mentioned before, for about a year now I've been thrifting designer clothing to sell on ebay,

but lately I've ventured into selling new products from my stockpile as well.

I'm no expert on selling new items yet (I've only made three sales of new stuff so far), but I've tried to apply some of the same techniques that I use to sell my thrifted fashions.

I sell primarily using my free ebay listings.

Each ebay account is allowed 50 free listings each month (no up front fees)

and ebay takes 9% of the final sale price and shipping.

However, if you exceed the 50 free item limit, you can always make a second account to sell on.

I currently have two accounts on which I both buy and sell items.

Ebay also has "free listing days" for a few days out of most months when you get unlimited free listings.

If you're not sure which items to sell, it's a good idea to choose a few of the higher dollar items in your stockpile.

Next it's time to do your research!

The easiest way to price your items is by seeing what they have sold for in the past.

 You can do this by searching for the items that you want to sell, then selecting "advanced" next to the search box.

Check the box next to "completed listings" and click "search" again, and you will get a list of the most recently completed listings of your item, whether they sold, and if so how much they were sold for.

I try to aim my prices towards the higher end of the recent products sales.

Sometimes the items go unsold and I relist them, but I've been pleasantly surprised so far at the sales prices for my items.

You also have to decide whether to include shipping in the price of your listing or not. 

You can choose either to list your item at a higher price but include "free shipping" (raise the price to cover the cost of shipping) or list your item for the price you actually want to pocket for the item and list shipping as a separate cost.

I've toyed around with both techniques, but haven't really come to favor either option.

You will also have to decide which method of shipping you wish to use.

My preferred method of shipment is USPS Flat Rate Priority mail.

The program is pretty well known by its' motto "If it fits, it ships"

Literally, whatever you can fit in the box/envelope of your choice will ship anywhere in the U.S. within 3 days for a pretty low price.

For clothing I most often use the Flat Rate padded envelopes to ship because they are cheap ($5.10 if you print your label from ebay) and fit pretty large items.

If you're shipping something that isn't fragile, won't leak, and does not have breakable or easily damaged packaging, the envelopes may work for you as well, but most drug store items or new products will probably need to be shipped in a box.

All shipping rates are listed on USPS website, and of course you can feel free to shop around to find what works best for you, but I feel like flat rate has saved me tons of money so far.

A few more tips:

-You know all those plastic bags you get from drugstores? Keep a stash of them on hand to cushion products when packing them up to ship out. It's a good way to recycle and saves you cash by cutting costs on packaging like bubble wrap.

-Put a note of thanks in each package before sending it out and include your ebay user name. Whether handwritten or typed out and printed, it lets your customer know that you appreciate their business and reminds them where to buy more awesome products in the future!

-If you have lots of items to choose from, favor smaller items over large when deciding what to list first. This will help cut shipping costs.

-If you reserve a day or so for handling time, say so in your listing. I reserve two business days for handling because of my busy schedule, and it may be wise for you to do the same, but if you don't say so on your listing your customer may not be too happy when their item arrives a little later than expected.

-Include product info for the item that you are selling. You can type out info from the packaging or copy and paste info found online. 

-Sell in 'lots' of multiple items. People generally shop on ebay to save cash and if the shipping cost cancels out savings the appeal is pretty much lost, but if you offer free shipping on cheap, single items you end up canceling your own profits out. This issue can be solved by selling several items together and shipping them in a single package.

-Let buyers know where you are getting your product. You don't have to tell them exactly where you bought it (i.e. Rite Aid), but including some sort of statement in your item description as to the legitimacy or freshness of your items can go a long way towards reassuring buyers who may be wary of counterfeit products (I think mine just says "All items are obtained from legitimate retailers").

I hope this post is helpful to anyone who is looking to start selling on ebay!
I will include updates and tips as I learn more about selling.

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Twotip: Donate what you can't sell! Sometimes in spite of using my best judgement, I buy things that for whatever reason don't sell on ebay. If it doesn't sell after a few tries, go on and give it to someone who will use it. It will feel better to see it being used rather than collecting dust in your stockpile!

Score(s) of the Week! And updates!

Hey y'all! Hope you are having a nice week!

I realized I haven't posted much about my couponing scores lately so I wanted to bring you a couple of my favorite couponing trips.

But first, some small talk:)

After putting in a bunch of resumes, I finally got an interview at Charming Charlie last week.

(it's an accessory store)

Less than 24 hours later, I got a call back and I'm hired! Yay!

I had my orientation on Monday and they put us Charmers straight to work!

We learned how to merchandise and spent a couple of hours organizing all of the purses in the store. 

(which was a TON of purses, by the way)

As of now, the job is part time and seasonal, but I'm glad to be back working retail and adding more experience to my resume.

For now I have four (yes, that's FOUR!) hours a week. 

Laughable, but they should go up according to my sales.

Fingers crossed those fish will be biting.

Hours at the theater aren't so good right now.

Last week I finally had 20 hours for the first time in a couple of months,

but next week I'll only have 15.

My boss transferred another employee to the theater in spite of short hours,

but we have had two people quit in the last week so hopefully hours will be better soon.

I find it kind of funny that the two jobs that I have carry the titles "Charmer" and "Cast Member"

Fitness wise I haven't been doing so great, but today I bought a new fitness aid that I will talk about in a few weeks once I see how it ends up working out.

Anywhoo, here are my scores, complete with clever titles:

"Color My World" 

14 L'Oreal Excellence Hair colors for free!

I scored these at Rite Aid!

These retail for 8.99, making retail value $125.86

I have a "Gold" 20% off discount, making them 7.19 each or $100.66 total

Subtract 7 $5/2 manufacturer coupons and 7 $5/2 store coupons, and you get $30.66 total

Add $8 tax, $38.66

There's a deal going on right now that gives $10 in +Ups for each $25 spent on L'Oreal,

so I got $40 back, giving me a $1.34 money maker after tax.

I also snagged two Schick Hydro Silk razors and two refill packs (approx $57 retail)

and four lip smackers products for free.

I also purchased a package of hair ties and one of bobby pins.

While they weren't exactly free, the purchase earned me +Ups which made them pretty cheap.

Something to keep in mind is that certain items you may need might not end up being free, especially if they are brand-specific.

You can still save by buying them at a store like Rite Aid or CVS if you have a  gold or silver discount, or a one-time percentage off pass.

It also helps to wait until register rewards come along, which is bound to happen once in awhile.

"CV-YES!"

I don't post a whole lot about couponing at CVS, mostly because I usually don't do many deals there.

While Rite Aid, my preferred store, usually offers at least two rewards per deal offered,

a lot of CVS freebies end up being one-time uses, and often on a single product.

There are couponers that do a lot of business at CVS and do a great job at it, 

but so far I haven't had much luck with that.

If you're looking for a great CVS couponer, check out Jackie on youtube at Islandcoupongal

She posts awesome deal and haul videos every week and has quickly become one of my favorite subscriptions.

But anyways, yesterday I was super excited to get my first big score at CVS.

The Gain dish detergent you see above is on sale this week for 97 cents this week, and it just so happens that P&G made a boo-boo on some Gain coupons they released last month.

In the Sept. 16th Red Plum, there were $2/2 and $1/1 off of any Gain detergent coupons.

They had pics of laundry detergent, but did not state that it was exclusively for laundry detergent or list any size exclusions for products to which it could be applied.

I had 6 of each coupon, so I ended up buying 18 9oz dish detergents absolutely free!

I also picked up a bottle of Di-gel which was one of those one-reward deals I was talking about.

Since I've started couponing our medicine cabinet has been stuffed FULL of miscellaneous free OTC's.

Guess those will come in handy now that it's getting cold:)

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Twotip:Put work boots on huge hauls! While things like this dish detergent are super useful to have around the house, when you're getting a lot at a time you can afford to hand some off to friends and fam. I've set aside a few detergents for my Mom and Nana and given some to my Dad already, and still think I'll have enough to last us a few months at the apartment. Next time you get a large quantity of a useful item, make sure you consider the work it could do in others households as well as your own:)

What are some of your best hauls?

Who do you share your goodies with?

Keep me in the loop!

-Madeline

Couponing for a Cause

Hey y'all! I hope you're having an awesome week!

I wanted to take a chance today to blog about the opportunities we have to make a difference in other people's lives with couponing.

As those of you who read my posts regularly know, I try to incorporate a little bit of giving back into each of my posts with "Twotips".

The name of these tips comes from Matthew 22:39 when the Pharisees decided to test Jesus by asking him which was the greatest commandment. Jesus gives two answers, saying that the first is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

I believe strongly that one of the greatest ways to lead others to the love of God is by example, showing them His love through your words and actions. 

A great way to show your love is through stewardship- Christianese for giving of your time, talents, and treasures to further the kingdom of God.

            Now if you're reading this blog because you want to save some cash, you may feel that time, talents, and treasures just aren't in the books. As a student with a part time job who is doing independent resale, has various commitments at church, is trying to lose weight, and is looking for another steady job, I understand that time isn't always easy to find. As someone who doesn't have a lot of time and has very few practical talents, sometimes at the end of the day it feels like those talents won't do much easier. And as someone who brings home minimum wage, even with the help I receive I know how it feels to doubt the impact that my (seemingly few) treasures could have. But a story from scripture tells about someone who had far less than I giving of herself to further the kingdom: 

The Widow’s Offering

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

          Here we see that the small offering of a poor widow meant more to God than a large sum of money given by the wealthy. The widow risked everything by giving all she had, while those who put in more gave what they were comfortable to share. That's not to say that if you have plenty your gift means nothing- on the contrary, whatever you can give, if given in the right spirit is wonderful.

           What I want to say is that you shouldn't fool yourself into thinking that you are unable to help because of your circumstances. Even the smallest of gifts can have an incredible influence on those to whom you give. The physical impact of the things that you give may be important- but even more impactful can be the love and compassion you show. Couponing is an excellent vehicle to allow you to give where you may have otherwise been unable. By picking up free products at the store even if you know you won't be using them, you are able to donate without going bankrupt by using your time and talent for couponing. You can also use overage from items you get "better than free" to pay for specific items that an organization or cause you donate to needs, or set aside a percentage of all items that you coupon to give away.

          If you are looking for a cause to donate to, try asking around at a local Church or school. While I don't think that people have to donate exclusively through religious organizations, Churches can be a good way to start because they are often involved in at least one donation program at a time. There are often supplies or donations needed for missions trips, opportunities to give to local charities, or even opportunities to give to others in the Church body. My Church even has an "excess table" where you can simply drop off anything you have and don't need that someone else could use. Schools are a good place to start for similar reasons. There are often programs to give to needy students, sister schools in impoverished areas, and many other organizations.

While the Christmas season can be a time of great joy for many, for others it's a time when the burden of their unmet needs weighs more heavily than ever. The good thing about this is that our opportunities to give are greater as well. Keep an eye out for donation bins and you'll find them everywhere this time of year. The way I'm choosing to give this year is through a Men's Club that my dad is a part of. Each year they donate 50-75 "Christmas Bins" full of essentials and gifts for low income families in our hometown. They include everything from food to age-appropriate gifts for the children in each family. Because shampoo is one of the items that I most often get for free, my goal is to donate one shampoo and one conditioner for every bin that is given out this year. Hopefully I will be able to find some other items to give as well, but we'll see what the stores give me in the next couple of months:)

Here's a pic of my "donation basket"- so far I have enough for 17 families!

How do y'all use your stockpile to help others?

What are your favorite organizations to give to?

Let me know and God bless!

-Madeline

Cleaning House

Hey y'all! I hope you're having a great week!
I've been crazy busy lately but wanted to shoot you all an update.
I'm still job hunting, couponing, and trying to sneak in some eBaying and exercise edgewise.
Today I FINALLY got my old room at my Dad's cleaned up and organized into a storage space and project studio for my stockpile, crafting, and eBay items. 
It's still in desperate need of a good vacuuming and I have some more organizing to do, but it's a huge weight lifted to have the room cleared and have some open space to get things done, especially considering the prior state of my ex-room. (now that I think about it, I wish I had some pics of what it looked like before!)
These are just a few pictures of what the room looks like now, probably not all that exciting to anyone else, but I'm just happy to have it cleaned up:)

The view from the door

My little sewing station and some supply storage

Some of my (incredibly messy!) stockpile, stored in free couponed laundry baskets.

Lots of eBay inventory that will be much easier to clear now that I can see it all clearly.

My old dresser is storing purses and shoes now (along with some stockpile in the drawers:))

My Bass:) I got it for Christmas and hopefully I'll get some more learning done now that the room is clear.

Dry-erase walls

Paintings, finished and unfinished.

I'm looking forward to having the space for new projects, and I'll update you guys soon on my latest savings:)

Have a great week and God Bless!

-Madeline

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

TwoTip: Give it up! Like I've said before, in my opinion stockpiling can be a huge waste of valuable and useful products. I watched a video the other day in which a couponer gave a "tour" of the room where she kept her stockpile. It was crazy to me that she talked about how she "didn't have very much" 

shampoo when I counted at least 15 bottles, and that she had a separate shelf of items that she felt were too nice to give away. I totally understand that if you find a great deal on something that you use a lot, you may want to keep it for yourself, but I take issue when something that could be useful to someone else is collecting dust in your closet. I get super excited about scoring awesome deals, and sometimes there's a little part of me that wants to cling to free makeup or mouthwash for dear life when I get them free. The reality is though, that while it's nice to have a trophy room of freebies, it's a whole lot nicer to use them for the greater good. Whether that means handing off some shampoo to my roomies or toothpaste to a local charity, it feels great to help someone out, and it is incredibly liberating to feel unattached to all of those material things. If you feel like hanging onto something for a little while at first, that's totally awesome (you earned it!) but make sure that every once in awhile you take an honest look at your stockpile and put to use what's collecting dust.

Getting Paid at Rite Aid! (and an update)

Hey y'all, long time no Blog!

I can't believe it's actually been almost a month since I posted on here, but life has been crazy for the last few weeks.

I had a great time in New York and found some great stuff in thrift stores there, then as soon as I got back it was time to move into the apartment!

Pretty much everything is unpacked and put together now, but I'm still trying to get all of my ebay and stockpile stuff organized in my old room at my Dad's.

Today I'm taking a sick day to get some couponing stuff together and do some online applications.

Yep, you read that right- I'm looking for a second job!

Things have been kind of a mess at my current job, and hours are slim.

When I was hired, I was told it was "A 20 hour a week job, usually a little bit more, very rarely a little bit less", but this week for the second time in 5 weeks (not counting the week I was in NY) I have only 12 hours scheduled at work. I haven't actually reached 20 hours in over 6 weeks now (I've been clocking between 15-18 on average)

I really wanted to avoid working two jobs, and if I was working 20 hours, doing consistent business on ebay, and with the help I get from my dad, I'd be able to pay my bills and have some cash to put away every  month.

I don't have many bills right now, and as I said I do get help from my Dad, but my goal is to take over all of my expenses gradually and on 12 hours a week, that ain't happening. 

I am a planner and a saver by nature, so I'm hoping to find another 15-20 hour job and shift my work at the theater that I work at to weekends only by the time the holidays come around.

I'll update you guys on that as things progress:)

I've been doing a LOT of couponing lately, and Rite Aid has become one of my favorite places to score some great freebies.

Today I wanted to share one of my craziest couponing experiences yet with you!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Rite Aid's loyalty program, it's called Wellness Plus, and it's probably the most beneficial rewards program that I use.

Here's how it works:

You get points for every dollar you spend at Rite Aid, and once you reach Tiers of 250, 500, and 1000 points, you unlock different rewards for the next year. 

Right now I'm a bronze level member (you earn this recognition at 250 points) and the major benefit of this tier is that you get 10% off all Rite Aid brand products.

All Wellness+ members also have the ability to earn +Up rewards, rewards that print after the purchase of specified items and are applicable on any in store purchase, so long as the dollar amount of the purchase is equal to or greater than the price of the purchase pre-tax.

Up rewards can often mean getting products for free-or even better- if you play your cards (coupons) right!

I've gotten everything from laundry baskets to panty hose free thanks to "rolling" my +Up rewards from one transaction to the next, and thanks to the 10% discount even the cost of tax is neutralized when I buy Rite Aid exclusive items.

 (rolling refers to using your +Up rewards to buy items that will earn you more +Up rewards so that the only cash you fork over is for tax or a small portion of the purchase)

This week however, I had by far my craziest +Up transaction to date. 

There is a deal going this month that gives you a $3 +Up reward whenever you buy two MVP brand incense or home fragrance item, and both incense and fragrance sachets by Florasense $1.49 apiece, making them free after you receive your +Up rewards.

Apparently, FloraSense is a Rite Aid exclusive brand, so with my 10% discount they cost me $1.34 apiece, so with the $1.50 I was getting back per product when I bought two, I was making $0.16 overage with each item purchased.

While most +Up deals have a limit to how many rewards they will produce per Wellness+ account, this deal initially did not have a limit- awesome!

I bought a handful of the sachets last week, and went back yesterday to pick up a few more, along with some Rock brand deodorant in order to "Grow" my +Ups by purchasing items that produced more +Ups than they cost.

Apparently, the lack of a limit was a boo-boo on Rite Aid's part and this Sunday they sent out an email to all store management advising them that the deals were now limited to two per account and instructing them to post a note on the displays to inform customers of the change.

My Rite Aid, however, did not post a notice, so when I got to the register, I got a nasty surprise when my receipt printed out with four less rewards than I was expecting (I purchased 12 items, so I would have gotten 6 rewards before the change). 

After I talked to the associate who was helping me, he called the store's GM and she explained to him that she had gotten the memo but had forgotten to post a notice to patrons. 

Since I had no way of knowing I wouldn't receive my rewards and I had paid in +Ups, which could not be refunded, the GM was sympathetic and instructed the associate (via phone) to pay out my rewards in CASH (they have no way of printing additional +Ups) 

In the end, thanks to the help of the store I ended up with $1.26 MORE than I paid, even after tax! Ca-ching!

Here are some pics of my receipt and of the loot I scored for free!

This is everything I took home on Monday. 

2x Rock Deodorant in Crystal Scent,

8x Florasense Incense,

4x Florasense Scent Sachets

This is what I walked away from the register with-

$8 in +Ups and $12 in cash

 The coupons and currency I used

2x 2.00 off of Rock Deodorant

$17 in +Up rewards

$1.74 in cash

My current Wellness+ balance-only 24 points until I get to silver and 10% off of the ENTIRE STORE

Needless to say, I was incredibly impressed with the way that the store handled the +Ups problem. 

They could have easily turned me away without the $12  in +Ups, and the most I could have expected or asked for was a $12 store credit.

I will definitely be pouring that $12 right back into RA to reach my Silver status!

This store is already my favorite RA by far because it's off the beaten path, so they usually have everything in stock that I want to coupon, and it's close to my Dad's place where I keep my mini-stockpile, but now they have definitely set themselves apart from the pack as the best staff I have dealt with (this is also the location where Kat, who I mentioned in a previous post, works)

A special thanks to the staff of the Copper Ave RA!

Here are the deals I used for anyone who is interested in some free goodies:

Florasense Incense or Sachets, $1.49 Ea

Earn $3 +Ups when you buy two (Limit two)

=Free!

Buy 2 Crystal Rock Deodorant $4.98 Reg Price, 50% off w/o 9/16-9/22

Use (2) -$2/1 Crystal Rock Deodorant Printable

Buy 1 Crystal Rock deodorant, get back $1 +Up for the month of September.

4.98 for two

-$4 (coupons)

-$2 +Up rewards=

$1.02 money maker!

Hope you all enjoy the freebies and have a blessed week!

-Madeline

Twotip: DON'T BE A SHELF CLEARER! These days everybody needs to be a little thrifty, and it really stinks to go out seeking a great freebie only to find the shelves stripped bare. Luckily a lot of stores will issue you a rain check if they're out of stock on a sale-priced item, but it's a lot of hassle to go through to make multiple trips, especially for people who have kids or full time jobs. While it totally happens that a great sale price will end up clearing stock quickly, sometimes the culprits of tumbleweeds in the sale aisle are just one or two shelf clearers- you know, the type featured on Extreme Couponing who will literally take a store for all they have when the price is right. Whenever possible, try to leave at least a few steals and deals behind for others who need them, and hopefully couponing Karma will be in your favor next time you're a few days late to the sale.

Cashiers: The Good, the Bad, and the Incompetent.

Hey everybody!

I hope you're having a great week!

Today, I just wanted to talk about an important aspect of the couponing process- your cashier!

If you're serious about your savings, sometimes that will mean doing more than one transaction at the register in order to use manufacturers coupons to purchase multiples of discounted items. 

This will mean that you need a cashier who is willing to cooperate with you and be patient as the process may take awhile.

As my title may suggest, not all cashiers are created equal.

Some are great and some not so much.

Today I went to three different stores, and the cashiers who helped me fell into three distinct categories; The Good, the Bad, and the Incompetent.
Here are the experiences that I had with each, and how I think it's best to react to each given situation.

The Good: Cat, cashier at Rite Aid

Rite Aid has had some red hot deals these past couple of weeks.

Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of other couponers in my area have noticed the deals too.

The two stores that I usually shop at have been fresh out of almost every deal advertised the last few times that I've visited, and that gets super frustrating when I'm pressed for time.

Today, I visited a store on the outskirts of town and it's safe to say it's my new fave! 

They had every deal I needed, and a great cashier as well-Cat!

To say that today was not my most organized  trip would be an understatement.

Having been to two stores prior, I'd bought what deals I could find there and had to rearrange what was left to buy at location number three into new transactions in order to properly use my +Ups to get the best deals.

I also recently got to the 250 point mark on my +Up rewards program, so that means that I get 10% off of my store brand items now. 

I didn't realize this prior to making my list, so I also had to grab filler items as I went, making the process even messier. 

Cat was very understanding.

She was patient with me, helped me grab cheap filler items, and answered some questions I had about bogo deals.

Fillers, for those of you who don't know, are cheap items you use to make the dollar mark to be able to use your register rewards at Rite Aid and other stores. 

Unfortunately, you're not able to use register rewards towards tax at many stores, so at a minimum, you pre-tax total must equal the value of your register rewards.

Anyhow, I had Cat ringing for about 30 minutes, and she was friendly and cheerful the whole time. 

Cat is the ideal cashier to have when you're on a couponing trip.

The Bad: Shay, Cashier at Walmart

Sometimes you get a cashier who just plain stinks.

They could be grumpy, rude, or flat out uncooperative.

Shay was all of these things. 

I was already not in a great mood because the Walmart I went to was out of stock of a lot of the items I wanted- apparently they don't even carry most of them.

I grabbed the couple of items I was able to find and headed to the register.

I had two transactions and four items total, not a lot to handle. 

Two of my items were Neutrogena face wipes in travel packs.

I had coupons for $2.00 off of any Neutrogena face product, which made the wipes free.

These coupons have been ringing incorrectly, so the cashier is required to manually enter a code to allow the use of the coupon.

I've had the same issue with Neutrogena coupons before, and cashiers have fixed it without question.

Such was not the case with Shay.

She initially refused to accept the coupons, at which point I explained to her that the coupons were in fact applicable to the items that I wanted to purchase.

She again refused, at which point I asked to speak to a manager.

I asked several more times to speak to a manager, and Shay continued to ignore my point and insist that the coupons would not go through.

I finally told her that I would find a manager myself and see what they could do about it, at which point she keyed the coupons through and allowed me to get my items at the appropriate discount.

Some cashiers don't like couponers, but some just don't like to do their jobs correctly.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, stick to your guns!

If you know that a coupon is being used correctly, don't accept a 'No' without speaking to a manager first. 
Though most employees are more than willing to help, occasionally you get someone stubborn or ignorant of coupon policy.

Most stores policies are available online, and lots of couponers find it helpful to carry a copy of the policy with them just in case a discrepancy arises.

In this case, however, the discrepancy was with the coupon itself. 

Avoid problems by making sure that you read the fine print on your coupons thoroughly before redeeming them, and make sure to use them correctly.

The incompetent: Matt, Cashier at Target

Sometimes an employee just straight up doesn't know what they're doing.

They may be new, poorly trained, or just incapable or performing their duties for some other reason.

I had a few issues with Matt the incompetent.

I had coupons to make some crackers free, but was only able to find one package, which was on the wrong shelf. 

When I asked where I'd be able to find more, Matt just shrugged his shoulders and told me he didn't know, but that they were "Maybe with the crackers and stuff". Helpful. Not.

I also had the same problem with him that I had with Shay- he refused to accept some of my perfectly legit coupons.

In this case, I just bought the other items I came for and decided to deal with it another day.

I had left a stack of coupons at home, and knew I'd need to return to Target tomorrow anyways, so I didn't see the point in arguing about it.

My advice when you find yourself in this situation is to politely excuse yourself and go talk to someone who is more familiar with store inventory and coupon policy.

There's no point in wasting your time trying to deal with someone who doesn't know what they're talking about, it's as simple as that. 

Make sure that you find someone who will give you the assistance that you need. You deserve it.

I hope this is helpful to any of you who have dealt with similar situations.

What do you do in similar situations?

Have a great day!

-Madeline

Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Twotip:Be loving to your cashiers, even if they don't treat you the same way! A bad cashier may just be having a crappy day, and being rude back to them won't get you anywhere good. If you have a great cashier, let them know! Lots of stores have suggestion boxes, online surveys, and other ways to give reviews as a way to get feedback from customers. It may be five minutes out of your day to recognize the hard work of an employee, but they certainly deserve it they're willing to put up with your crazy couponer behavior;)