tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41734622082538654232024-02-20T04:27:53.396-08:00Summer's Steals & DealsThis blog is updated weekly to share tips on how to save money and your sanity! Currently I am offering up holiday savings tips...it's a great time of year to implement these strategies! I will also include ways of saving money and general tips on home organization and ways to live a more simple life! Enjoy!Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-8096803003079762192011-05-09T14:40:00.000-07:002011-05-09T16:01:13.782-07:00Gymboree.....Great Deals, Smart Steals!Hello!<br /><br />I know it's been a long wait, so I hope this post is worth it! These strategies I have learned and used myself since before my daughter was born (about 8 years). I hope my knowledge helps you in clothing your children in quality clothing at a cheap price!<br /><br />Gymboree is considered a mid-priced brand, but in Eugene, it ranks as one of our higher end offerings. Gymboree is owned by a company that also owns Janie & Jack (high end) and Crazy 8's (lower end). Gymboree falls in the middle. Each of these stores has similar offerings that will mirror Gymboree's deals. This post will focus on Gymboree's deals. <br /><br />Gymboree Vocab:<br />1) Gymbucks, these are offered several times a year. You earn Gymbucks with a $50 purchase (and in increments of $50 past the initial $50). You earn $25 in Gymbucks for a later transaction. To redeem these in the future, for every $25 you have in GB's, you spend $50 and get to redeem $25. So a future $50 purchase would cost you $25. You can redeem and earn as many Gymbucks as you want during any redemption period! I often walk away from the store spending $50, but getting $250 in retail clothing and earning my Gymbucks. Try to stay in increments of $50, if you are at $45, spend $50...if you are at $80, consider gifts or other things to get you another Gymbuck!<br />2) Gymboree Rewards, this is a FREE program offered by Gymboree. Similar to a loyalty shopping program, it tracks your purchases earning you gift certificates each time your purchases reach $250. They will email these to you so watch for them, they only come quarterly so they can surprise you! The best part of this program is that you get first access to sales and promotions and you will get more coupons! You also get to redeem Gymbucks early, which is good because selection is at it's best early!! Check with your local store, but typically you can shop/hold days in advance netting you the best selection on those clearance rack finds!!<br />3)Gymboree coupons, these are typically mailed every few months, but I haven't figured out if purchases trigger more coupons (typically they do), so if you need to pick up a pair of socks or undies, it wouldn't hurt to sift through their bargain bins for those items and make sure they use your rewards card at check out. Coupons that get mailed usually include a 30% off regular price purchase, 20% off purchase (full/sale priced items) and a $ off coupon, the last one was $15 off $60. These one can vary. You can use these in conjunction with Gymbucks redemption periods. Gymboree has also started placing coupons in national magazines (Parents, Parenting, etc.)<br />4) Red Balloon Sale, a great time to stock up! This sale usually brings out merchandise from a variety of seasons/styles (think huge rummage sale) and the prices start at 99 cents, so a great time to stock up! Any sale at Gymboree is good one...pick through racks to see what they have and you might land on some great deals! Many times items aren't always marked down immediately at sale time, so check to make sure the price you are seeing is really the price, you might be pleasantly surprised!<br />5) Gymboree Outlet, never shopped one? You are truly missing out! These are located at many outlet malls including Woodburn and Lincoln City. What you will find? Major sale racks as well as newer arrivals. They often offer Gymbucks offers, but call before shopping because you don't want to shop outlets without earning them! It's so easy to stock up at outlets you want to earn your Gymbucks there!! The only catch is that Gymbucks can only be REDEEMED in regular retail stores. However, if you use my strategies it's still a good deal! You will typically find prints from lines that debuted in the regular retail stores landing a year later in the outlets. So....if you had a line that you just loved, wait a year and find it at the outlets! <br />6) Gymboree Sizing/Lines, Gymboree (in my experience) is great for stocking up because they typically run a bit big. It's easy to buy sizing ahead because you know you will find a season in our temperate climate to use it! Gymboree lacks in basic cotton knits as many items are embellished, so if you find basics that are in colors your child likes, stock up! For example, my daughter loves their pull on knit pants, whenever I see these on loss leader racks I stock up!<br /><br />A couple of strategies for Gymboree....10 to be exact:<br /><br />1) Sales + Coupons + Earned Gymbucks = Great Deals! <br />Gymboree runs some incredible sales (be early!) either in store or online, remember that being on the West Coast is a bargain shoppers dream! When sales go live on the East Coast (usually around Midnight), we get it at 9 p.m. (while the East Coasters are sleeping you get first dibs!). Look for sales when you have coupons. Gymboree typically mails out coupons so it is essential you use these in addition to existing sales. When you combine existing sales with great coupons and earn Gymbucks then you have a winning combination for a good deal! <br />2) Gymbucks redemption is always scheduled with the latest line debuting for that season (holiday outfits, season changes, etc). If you really want to splurge use your Gymbucks on the newest lines, but if you want to save money, head to the sale rounders! This is a great time to stock up items you need in the future (think 1 year ahead). If redemption happens in the Summer, the Winter (deep discount) and Spring lines will be on decent markdowns, typically 40-60% off retail before your Gymbucks, I always stock up on pieces for the following year. Gymbucks can be redeemed online or in store!<br />3) I will tell you this only because I have seen it done (depending on your desire to be ultra-ethical, this is a bit of a gray area). You can buy and/or sell Gymbucks. They typically sell for about 1/2 of the face value. If you have a $25 Gymbuck, they usually sell or you can buy for $12.50. Makes a bit more sense to use it, but if you just don't want to, consider this route!<br />4) All stores offer extra perks to their card holders. I don't have the Gymboree Visa, but I will say that it is wise to find a credit card that gets you perks for items you normally would get (always pay those cards off!!). If you are looking to get some nice perks and have a limited clothing budget, this might be something to check into.<br />5) Don't buy anything at Gymboree that isn't on sale. They have enough items that get marked down that it never pays to pay full price at Gymboree...items hit the sale rack so quickly that it's worth the wait. It never hurts to ask if they have back stock (in the back of the store) for an item you are looking for. I have notices substantial pricing differences between items in store and on-line, so it doesn't hurt to do a bit of price comparing. I will say, that typically the store has the lower priced items and more selection of lower priced sale items. You will typically find the best items at the cheapest prices at the brick and mortar location. If you buy a full price item, find out what the period of time is you have for a price adjustment if it goes on sale, this store has such fast turn around on new lines, you might be able to get an adjustment!<br />6) Meet and schmooze (kindly) associates. This is a good rule anytime you shop! If the associates start recognizing you, they will typically offer you services that the general public may not get. They may offer sizing or pieces that can't be on the floor that are deeply discounted, if you offer to send in a written compliment they might offer you a coupon...it's worth a request or a check! As a past retail associate, I have played both sides of that deal and it works well for both parties!<br />7)Gymboree items are great on the resale market, so if your items are in good quality after use, then sale away!<br />8) You can buy coupons on eBay for Gymboree and might be worth it if you hope to make a larger purchase!<br />9)Gymboree often times runs weekly specials in the Spring, Summer, Winter that are for specific items (tanks, pj's, outerwear, etc). This is when they typically discount a category of clothing in hopes that you purchase complimentary pieces. This is called "loss leading". They take a loss on an item, hoping it will result in additional sales, don't let it! Buy what is on sale (if you need it) and supplement with other clothing lines or coordinating pieces when Gymboree puts them on sale, typically within a month of the deal. <br />10)Gymboree offers the best sale of the year the day of Thanksgiving (online) and in store the day after. For the record, I HATE POST HOLIDAY SHOPPING...so I love online options! If you have read well, you will remember that online sales open at 9 p.m. PST, so you can shop the Turkey Sale on Wed. night at 9 p.m. Last year the sale was disappointing, but for the previous 6 years, the sale has been phenomenal! Save a coupon for this sale as many items are deeply discounted (typically fleece separates) and you typically can earn Gymbucks during this sale too, so you get items cheap, you get them cheaper with coupon and you earn Gymbucks, it's the best combo ever and a GREAT time to stock up!<br /><br />In addition to this post, I have 2 fabulous coupons for the first 2 readers that comment on my Facebook page about what they learned by reading this post!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />SummerSummer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-39558072872434140262011-04-16T18:36:00.000-07:002011-04-16T19:08:35.066-07:00Gigi Hill Exclusive FREEBIE & Tips on this Great Lifestyle Line!<span style="font-weight:bold;">SEE BELOW FOR AN EXCLUSIVE DEAL FOR MY BLOG/FACEBOOK FRIENDS!!</span><br /><br />I’ve got a closet full of bags, totes, purses, etc. and I have nothing to carry that really works well with what I have. The main problem? Nothing inside those cavernous containers organizes my goods well unless I have to buy a separate liner/insert to wrangle all my goodies. I knew I had turned into my mother when I had about a pound of change in the purse I just cleaned out. I remember (fondly!) once a week cleaning out her purse and then getting to keep anything that wouldn’t fit in the change section, I was rich! I swore I would never let my purse look that way and know I am a mom and I’ve discovered….Gigi Hill, so my purse doesn’t have to look that way!<br /><br />Gigi Hill is an amazing new company that features stylish, versatile and organized handbags and handbag accessories. I’m telling you, these ladies did their homework when designing this amazing product line. You get what you pay for and you won’t be disappointed! Fun finds with a hint of vintage thrown in the mix make for a very chic line that coordinates well with your busy lifestyle!<br /><br />These bags are sold exclusively through consultants or through home purse parties! This is a new line that is just being introduced nationally and you can be a trendsetter as they are just being released to the public My good friend, Tonya Reichenberger (many of you have joined her on Facebook) has become a Gigi Stylist! I hope you will join her on Facebook, schedule a party or check out what they have to offer…..you won’t be disappointed!<br /><br />I love to share great deals, good finds and quality items that simplify your life. This post isn’t a screamin’ hot deal alert, but it is the kind of item that I like to invest in for the long run because over time I won’t need to replace the product (saving me money!). Sometimes you just can’t argue price vs. quality when a product can truly simplify your life and this product will do just that!<br /><br /><br />Now, I wouldn’t be doing you any favors if I didn’t share how you can get your hands on this product at a bit of a discount right? I am the person who won’t pay full price for anything….so here goes!<br /><br />My Top 5 Tips For Buying Discounted Products From At Home Party Consultants:<br /><br />1)Host a Party! The best thing about doing this is you get FREE and REDUCED prices on all kinds of great items! It’s a chance for you to hang out with friends and score some great deals on a wonderful product. Don’t need a particular product? You give gifts don’t you, it’s worth it to host a party to have gifts for your friends/family for inexpensive or free! Stretch those gift dollars! Gigi Hill has a great incentive party plan, host 3 parties in a year and get a $150 gift card! This is a great incentive and would go towards some nice gifts for you or a friend.<br />2)Go to a party! Hostesses get the best party perks, but guests are typically offered a decent discount on a particular product for the nightly special too. For April, customers can get a rolling Audrey bag (in cow print) for just $135, down from $225! If you are looking to build a bag/suitcase wardrobe this is a great deal. <br />3)Catalog Party, it’s not a lot of work for you, but the benefits are good! Take a few catalogs to work with you or show some friends (set up small display in your workspace), you get the benefits of host credit, but you didn’t have to host an actual party.<br />4)Tell your consultant what product you are interested in adding to your collection and ask them to advise you of upcoming specials/deals on that product. Gigi Hill does exclusive fabric colors that do change. They consistently keep fabrics that coordinate so they may offer a special on a fabric/color that is running low or that is not selling as fast. Take advantage of these company sponsored discounts!<br />5)Barter/Trade….I love to trade goods/services with friends in exchange for products I need! If you have a friend who sells or represents products with an at home business or who owns a small business, they may be interested in bartering with you for products or services you need. I love to barter my marketing/design skills, organizing strategies or money saving tips…I get things that I need using the skills I possess to land a great deal and my friend does too!<br /><br />Exclusive Deal for Facebook Friends/Blog Followers:<br />Schedule a Gigi Hill party in May with Tonya and get a FREE small Scarlett bag just for having a party! This is a FREE $20 gift for you in addition to all your other hostess benefits and credit towards your 3 parties/$150 gift card promo! You can't go wrong sharing with friends, connect with Tonya on facebook! <br /><br />Also, don't forget you can scoop up the Rolling Audrey in cow print for just $135 (regularly $225) through April and the Rita Wallet (a great starter staple piece) is on sale for $35 down from $49! These are limited time deals, so contact Tonya if you want to purchase any of these good deals!<br /><br />You can scroll to the bottom of my blog under links for the Gigi Hill direct link! Happy Browsing & Buying!<br /><br />Happy Saving & Partying!<br /><br />SummerSummer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-86760425548629158232011-04-09T12:54:00.000-07:002011-04-09T13:38:49.083-07:00Clothing....Ways to Save!Hello Savers!<br /><br />I need clothes. I love clothes!! I buy clothes (only on sale!). Why? Because I can. And you can too!<br /><br />These tips have been learned through my own savings education, working retail, understanding retail clothing cycles, basic customer service strategies and planning ahead. I hope you will use and think about these tips the next time you are looking to save money!<br /><br />I admit, my past is filled with the joys of clearance clothing racks. My mom and I often joked (many years out of high school when I could see the humor in it) that I never had a prom/homecoming dress that didn't come off a major mark down clearance rack. I guess you could say I started the cheap clothing spotting early in life. I didn't care that my dress might be the "only one worn at my school", was it really worth the $200 price tag when I got my sporty little (well puffy sleeves weren't little...ha, ha) for just $20! Oh yes, I could spot a bargain a mile away! Those of you who grew up here will remember Emporium....I bought 80% of my school clothes on their annual before school sidewalk sale, I knew I could get more for my $ and did! My best deal EVER was a pair of Guess jeans for just $12 back in early 1980. I will never forgot my moment of coolness when I showed up at school in what was probably $60+ jeans that I had purchased in Seattle (they were ahead of the fashion trends in Springfield, OR)...so I was able to be ahead of the trends at a steal (and those of you who knew my dad, paying for fashion wasn't at the top of his list!), I never had the coolest clothes, but I will never forget my Guess jeans (or the great dad I had!!)<br /><br />Anyway, funny past stories, aside...I learned about how to buy clothes for cheap at a young age and have perfected it into a bit of a science which I hope to share with you today!<br /><br />I spent 3-4 afternoons a month shopping 2nd hand too. I loved that! I will say, my experience with second hand shopping (with Craigslist and eBay on the move) is that these stores don't have the quality they once had, so this post is about 1st purchase merchandise.<br /><br /><br />My Top 5 Retail Tips:<br /><br />1) Buy in the off-season and plan ahead. Need a coat in the fall? Guess what, so does everyone else! Supply and demand warrants top dollar right when you need something, but wait a month or two and they clearance out quickly! Retail moves in 2-4 cycles (dependent on area/season). In Eugene, our stores aren't huge, but companies change stock quickly so we see sales happen fairly quickly on items as new merchandise comes into stores. If you see something you like, chances are that it will be on sale in a few weeks, so wait! I always buy my daughter's clothes almost a year ahead of time. I know what she likes and we keep a fairly simple wardrobe (lots of dresses/skirts) so that it is easy to stock ahead. I keep 2 boxes for extra clothes in my closet so that I can add to it as I find items that she will use! If space is limited, gather what you can and always stock up on staples (socks/underwear) when you find them on good sales, they will always need them! The nice thing about Oregon is that our weather is such that items can be layered and worn most of the year, so even if you don't quite guess size correctly, chances are it will get worn at some point. Examples: I buy Christmas dresses at Macy's for the following year (in 1 size up), coats/lightweight jackets (whenever I see them on sale in a size up), basic pants/tops in a size up for the following year as I see them go on sale. My child doesn't always have the most current styles (sometimes!), but you can't if you are really looking for the best deals. When school rolls around or a new season, we might buy something "current" with a good coupon so she can have something currently released mixed in with good staples purchased on sale. If your child likes a certain clothing line...stock up on their basics. My daughter loves Gymboree's basic pull on cotton knit pants, I buy every color when I see them at $4.99 or less because they are a great basic and will get used!<br /><br />2) COUPONS! For clothes? Yes, you better believe it! Almost every retailer offers coupons at one time or another...some more than others! The best ways to get coupons is to sign up on Facebook as a fan, sign up for email newsletters from your favorite stores, open a store credit card (they give customers their best deals), sign up for mall e-newsletters (which feature multiple store deals), sign up for the catalog and sign up for any "rewards" plans offered by stores. These rewards programs (are usually free) and open you up to more coupon opportunities. For Gymboree, you get to shop 1 day early on sales and you get additional coupons. Many national retailers are also starting to put their coupons in magazines...woo-hoo! Parents, Parent & Child, Real Simple have all featured Gymboree coupons recently! <br /><br />3) Know your stores & associates! I typically shop about 5-6 stores. I know their stock and sales cycles and I know what days mark downs happen. How do I know? I ask! It's free (but the extra savings offers are priceless!) information that most associates will openly share with you! Shopping a handful of stores is helpful because you know what you like, the more you shop the more coupons you typically will receive (helps to pay with a card and PAY OFF), paying with a card gives them more info to track your purchasing and coupons follow! It's also important to know final sale (.97 ending and no returns-Gap)so you can plan your purchases well, but also to know return policies because most stores offer a refund if an item goes on sale within 7-21 days. If the price drops and you have your receipt they will credit you the difference. Especially important when making a large item purchase! See a full price item you like? Ask the associate when mark downs happen! Looking for a basic piece that isn't on the floor (remember Eugene is limited to sizes at stores), ask if they keep back stock of items. Recently, I asked at a store about items in sizes I needed and was told because of my repeat business, though the merchandise wasn't going to be made available to the general public, I could have a look at the items. It helps to become a "regular" at the stores you like to shop at for access to items not seen by the public. It never hurts to offer an exchange of a comment card, call to manager, etc. if they will provide an extra level of customer service. As a past retail associate, I would give my best and most friendly customers access to perks, coupons, etc. in exchange for a kind compliment to my manager...it's worth the request and Macy's/Gymboree/Gap are superb with customer service requests!<br /><br />4) Clearance Racks/Special Sales<br />Stores have 2 sections in each department. The front of each section is the new, full price merchandise. The back sections are the sale/clearance racks. I don't even look at the full price, if no sale sign exists it's off-limits for most of my shopping trips. I head right to the clearance rack with my coupons as I can get more bang for my buck! I am a Macy's card holder and 1/month I get 4 coupons, 2 being $20 off a $50 purchase. Do the math..these are golden! I took my husband shopping the other night as he needed to stock up with my 2 high value coupons. He hadn't shopped with me for awhile (we went to Macy's) and he was shocked at how well we did! I broke my goods into 2 lots of $50 so I could use both coupons. The associate was happy to ring separately. I saved $40 alone on the coupons and as each item we purchased was on sale, saved close to $120 off regular price! Macy's has a 1 day sale each month...BEST time to shop this store is the day of that sale when most clearance racks are an additional 50% off! This is amazing and deals can be had in all departments!<br /><br />5) Pace Yourself, Shop Small...Shop Often!<br />It's easy to want to get sucked into a great deal and want to stock up and do if you have the cash to do it or put it on a card and pay off at the register (or when you get home!). No deal is a good deal if you are paying interest on the purchase! Visiting your stores you love often helps you grab bargains when they first happen, it also gives you "regular customer" status at your favorite stores which might earn you favor with your favorite associates! Tucking a few things away here and there over the year make for money savings throughout the years! This also allows you to pace your budget with what you need. Buying all your clothes at the beginning of school isn't the way to go...tucking items away as you see them is fun to unpack them when the time comes and you know you got a good deal because you bought them on sale!<br /><br />A couple of notes on stores/quality:<br /><br />Buy the quality you can afford. I have lots of friends who will never shop Gymboree because it is too expensive...however, what are you paying for? Quality to some extent, stain resistance, etc. It's worth it to pay for quality in the long run because you will end up having the piece for longer! I don't buy anything at Gymboree ever full price, but I have gotten some killer deals there because I planned ahead (earned Gymbucks), used their coupons (which are awesome!) and really sought out good deals and paid what others would pay at a lower end store, but the items will last longer!<br /><br />Great stores for quality/customer service: Gap, Gymboree, Lands End, LL Bean, Mini Boden, Hanna Andersson. (Hanna has an outlet in Lake Oswego that I visit several times a year...great deals and amazing quality! Gymboree has an outlet at Woodburn that I also recommend...you can earn Gymbucks there, but only redeem at regular retail stores, but it's a sweet deal!).<br /><br />Stores that offer great coupons, quite often!<br />-Macys (newspaper coupons on 1 day sale, credit customers, mailers, facebook)<br />-Old Navy (online, facebook, credit customers, in store offers)<br />-Mini Boden (buy 3 get 1 free promos, must sign up for catalog to get this offer!)<br />-Lands End (facebook, catalog sign up...lots of good offers, free shipping!)<br />-AAA customers, pick up a coupon book at the customer service counter at Woodburn for some sweet deals!<br />-Gymboree (best to buy during Gymbucks promo or large coupon 30% off times)<br /><br /><br />This is a drop in the bucket of what I have learned, but I hope to share more tips with you in the future and that you try out some of these tips!<br /><br />Enjoy & Happy Saving!<br /><br />SummerSummer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-32016638277200824092011-03-31T13:02:00.000-07:002011-03-31T13:17:30.754-07:00Coupons-Where to Get 'Em & How to Store 'Em!Hello Savers-<br /><br />You have heard me say it over and over again...whatever time you have for couponing will earn you a kick back. If you only have 10 minutes a week apply it, if you have 2 hours apply it. Whatever time you can devote to coupons/saving money will pay you back great dividends!<br /><br />However...nothing is worse than using precious time to store/organize your money saving tools if you don't have a way to organize and USE those tools! Everyone has ideas and suggestions for what works to store their coupons. They are your coupons so store them whatever way works for you. Make your own or buy a product designed for this. Personally, I love the Couponizer because it works for me. I need a way to quickly organize my coupons and I needed a product that would be portable enough that I could carry it around. This product offers me both of those benefits at a decent price. It also comes with a 100% guarantee! You can't go wrong. You can pick one up at: http://store.thecouponizer.com/featured-products-c7.aspx it costs around $19.95 (some options). Use Code: Combo1 or visit www.retailmenot.com to check for current codes, a 15% off code just expired last week. They are also on Facebook and you might be able to pick up a coupon code there!<br /><br />Grocery Coupons abound everywhere! A few places to pick up coupons are: entertainment books, coupon inserts in the Sunday papers (some people purchase the Oregonian for Sunday delivery only...extra coupons!), off product packaging you have purchased, in pull dispensers at the grocery store, in Wednesday Register Guard grocery store flyers, and a variety of websites! Coupons get dispensed on websites typically at the beginning or end of each month. Once they are printed they are gone so it doesn't hurt to print when you see some and then save until you need them! Many companies require you set up software on your computer to print the coupons (it's typically safe), however these can include viruses, etc...so make sure you have virus protection software running. I recommend setting up an account for your deals/coupons with a specific email address. This protects you from spam to your regular mailbox! I find many of my "printable coupons" online from several blogs that I love to follow. Those include: Frugal Living NW and Thrifty NW Mom as well as Deal Seeking Mom. Those are the top 3 that I use. I follow them on line and on Facebook. I probably get 85% off my printable coupons from these 3 blogs and I am feel you will have success if you follow them too! A small caution on the printable coupons...they are not accepted everywhere and it is ANNOYING!! Companies try to stay ahead of the fraud game and as stores move to more printable coupons some larger retailers need to figure out a process...for now don't bother at WINCO..they won't accept them and you may want to check with the store before making large purchases with printable coupons they will accept them...nothing is more frustrating than being refused at the check out! <br /><br />Another thing retailers are doing is allowing you to load "ecoupons" to your grocery rewards cards. Cellfire is one I have heard of and Safeway seems to have all types of ecoupon promotions. Check out their website for more information about this!<br /><br />Did you know that grocery stores typically really discount items 1 time in a 12 week period? For example..if you see pasta on sale, scoop it up because it won't be discounted for another 3 months. This is one way to stock and save! <br /><br />Amazing News on the coupon front!!! Frugal Living NW is coming to Eugene this Saturday for a coupon class! I would put my $ on it that this will be an amazing class full of amazing $ saving tips. I purchased my admission, but now I can't attend....one lucky blog reader can go in my space! Just let me know via an email to summerhighfill@yahoo.com and I will tell you what you need to know. Want to sign up? Visit: http://www.frugallivingnw.com/classes/upcoming-couponing-classes/ to get all the information.<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-22137382511492596862011-03-24T14:07:00.000-07:002011-03-24T14:12:09.579-07:00Saving-Each Day!Hello Savers!<br /><br />Just a reminder that I post savings tips (usually daily!) on my Facebook page, so join me there if you want timely tips for saving that are usually time sensitive! <br /><br />I do promise to start posting here a bit more with savings tips that can be applied every day and on many of the things you do or purchase, but the focus on the blog is more of tips that aren't as time sensitive. Either way, I am happy to share my tips that I learn!<br /><br />Some of you know, but as issues happen in your life you may or may not have more time to coupon and/or save money. Any time that you put into this will pay off. If you have 10 minutes or 10 hours a week, you can reap the benefits of money saving opportunities as you begin apply the strategies I talk about in this blog.<br /><br />A few months ago, I featured a holiday savings team and many of them learned new tips and tricks for saving money....whatever time you have to devote is time that will pay you dividends in the end!<br /><br />My next blog post will deal with creating a gift stash...I can't wait to offer you some ideas to build a gift closet. Gifts can break the budget or can be amazing, if you plan ahead! I will be looking to answer your gift giving questions too...so let me know if you have any gift giving or gift storage questions as I am always looking for questions you have to make the blog posts personal to my readers!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />SummerSummer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-33924747459200966372010-11-21T15:22:00.001-08:002010-11-21T15:40:11.098-08:00Holiday Tip #8- 5 Cheap Gifts that don't scream it!I had a great meeting with my savvy savings team this weekend. We all discussed how the stores have really been looking for business early this year. The day after Thanksgiving is almost passe this year with all the bargains they have handed us early! We have been shocked at all the freebies or cheapies that have been available to consumers this year! It's nuts and we have all been able to get a haul for nothing.<br /><br />So, maybe you haven't done your shopping yet and budgets are limited? You don't have time on your side as much now as you only have 30-ish days until Christmas...this post is for you! This week I focus on 10 gifts that are cheap, but don't look it! Plus, they are easy to acquire and don't take a lot of time for those of you who haven't jumped on the coupon bandwagon yet.<br /><br />Gift #1- Magazine Subscriptions...super easy to get and give! You can select a very targeted magazine or a general one that anyone would love. The best thing is that you can most likely get one for under $10 and your recipient will get to think of you 12 times over the next year every time they get it! Cool, huh? <br /><br />Gift #2- Gift of time. I talked about this earlier in the year, but this is truly a rarity this day in age. It won't cost you a dime and your recipient will LOVE IT! You can make up a cute certificate for babysitting, closet organization, car washing, yard work, etc. Pick something you are good at and give it!<br /><br />Gift #3- Meals To Go. Shop the sales for cool dishes or cooking pans and make up a meal in a dish and gift it. They get the pan and the meal...it's easy, but doesn't cost a lot! My hot pick for this is the Le Creuset combo pack at Hartwicks that runs around $30. It includes a 9x13 baking dish as well as a square baker. They often run coupons for $5 off this price point so for around $25 you can get 2 high end baking dishes. Make 1 dessert and 1 casserole and woo-hoo, you have 2 gifts done and who wouldn't want a free treat with bonus!<br /><br />Gift #4- Consumable Gifts with a theme. This is a great way to put together a very fun and easy gift pack on short notice. You could pick a movie theme (gift card for Netflix or Blockbuster, popcorn, candy, etc. They have cute popcorn tubs in the red dot section of Target) or Oregon treats (grab some Oregon made treats-cheese, smoked salmon, Euphoria truffles, etc)..a fun treat for someone who has everything!. Everyone loves gift baskets, so shop sales and apply coupons when possible and you can get a lot of cool stuff for hardly anything. If you have specific themes you would like ideas about, please let me know! I would be happy to give my feedback.<br /><br />Gift #5-Handmade gifts. It's easy, yes it takes time, but sometimes these are the perfect gifts for those who have everything! Usable gifts are awesome and kids can be corralled to help with these types of gifts on a rainy day! Bookmarks and ornaments are easy to create. I love to find cool frames for cheap (coupons or discounts, etc) and then blow up a picture I have shot during the year to fill the frame..it's a special gift that is cheap!!! What do you enjoy making or doing? Handmade gifts don't have to require crafty skills, the photo idea is super easy and you don't have to be crafty. I think people often think homemade=crafts, but not necessarily, think outside the box and save $!<br /><br /><br /><br />And 5 tips to save even more without really trying:<br />1) Buy things on Wed this week that may be Black Friday discounts later...take in you receipt and get the refunded difference. Most stores have at least a 7 day price drop guarantee!<br /><br />2) Take advantage of the Pacific Time Zone and start shopping at 9:01 p.m. on Wed for stores that start their holiday sales on Thursday!<br /><br />3) Visit www.retailmenot.com for online promo codes that work and www.freeshipping.org for free ship codes to help you save more!<br /><br />4) Use the coupons that I refer you to on FB...for example, the $10 off a $10 purchase for Hallmark allows you to get at least a few things for FREE!<br /><br />5) Visit and shop the local social networking deals from sites such as Mobba, Eversave, Groupon, Living Social, Gilt Group, Rue La La, etc. Many of these sites give you sign up credits and referral credits and it is a great way to get some nice freebies and cheapies this holiday season! <br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-20626125551809514762010-11-16T12:29:00.000-08:002010-11-16T12:46:15.899-08:00Holiday Tip- #7....How To Save $ without Trying!Hello All-<br /><br />These week the tips are short and sweet....kinda like your time. I realize I devote more time than average to saving $, but I don't want to spend my hard earned money if I don't have to and I hope these tips (which require very little time) will allow you to see that saving $ is super easy!<br /><br />Tip #1-internet shopping is easy for the holidays! It requires very little of you as you don't have to leave your house! Great deals are to be had on line and if you are a West Coast reader the best tip I can offer is our time zone! You see most stores start their sales on Thanksgiving Day at 12:01 EST, which for us equates to 9:01 PST...start your shopping on Wed. night before Thanksgiving and beat the rush. You will get 1st pick at merchandise and you won't have to stand in line! <br /><br />Tip #2-many online stores will offer free or discounted shipping at certain price points. If the store has a brick & mortar or affiliate in the area...get what you need to get the free ship and then return what you didn't need. Examples: Gap offers free shipping with $50 purchase. You need $25 worth of stuff, buy $50 and return the other $25 to Gap next time you are at the mall. Savings: approx. $8. You buy from Lands End (you can return to Sears), so that would save you money too! Don't see a discount for reduced or free shipping! Try www.freeshipping.org or go to www.retailmenot.com and type in store info for potential deals...still no luck? Click on the "live help" button found on most retail sites. Tell the retailer you want to go with them, but can get the product from a competitor that is offering free shipping, can they help you out? It never hurts to ask. Savings: $5-25 easy!<br /><br />Tip #3-search for promo codes or click through a rebate site for additional savings! This season the stores are being extremely competitive. Visit www.retailmenot.com or click in the store and promo code in a search engine and check your hits...you might get lucky and save between $5-100 or more depending on what you are buying! If you want to go the rebate route, check out www.ebates.com or similar site that if you click through their site before purchasing a portion usually 1-3% of your purchase gets applied back to you in a refund check. You can combine these sites with existing promo codes you have. I like to say it's my 3 part online shopping model:<br />1) Search for promo code<br />2) Click through rebate site<br />3) Make purchase/apply promos!<br /><br />If you do these 3 steps with every online purchase you will save $ and it is so easy!<br /><br />Tip #4-Have you jumped on the group buying fad this year? Why ever not?? Groupon, eversave, Mobba....just to name a few have outstanding deals at usually 50% or more and they change every day or every few days guaranteeing you maximum bang for your bucks this holiday season! Many of the sites such as Groupon also offer internet deals that anyone can take advantage of regardless of what city you live in. Recent ones have included Gap, Coldwater Creek, Lands End Canvas, Regal Cinemas and I am sure more to come. When you can get deals like that, you don't have to shop the mall! Refer your friends once you have purchased and earn referral credit too getting even more free!!! It's so easy...watch my Facebook page for updates if you just want to make it easier on yourself too!<br /><br />Tip #5-Take advantage of all the great freebies out there. I am seeing them everywhere, but mostly restaurants jump on with deals this year. Many restaurants will offer you a $5-10 bonus card (to be used in Jan/Feb when sales slow) if you buy a gift card now. Here are some savings examples: my family went to Red Robin last week for dinner. They have a Buy $25 gift card, get $5 Bonus Bucks running right now. I bought the gift card on the way in (go to the bar...it's faster and service is better than the front staff...can you say grouchy??...oh yes!). Anyway, buy the gift card on the way in, get the bonus card and apply the gift card to your dinner. You are buying it anyway, you might as well get a nice freebie on the side! You can't use the bonus bucks until January, but I will give it to my daughter in her stocking...we ate out and I got a free gift out of the deal! Or buy the gift cards for people and get the rewards for yourself or a gift for someone else...it's called killing 2 gifts with one bow (or something like that?....ha, ha). <br /><br />I hope these tips will help even the non-savers in my readership. These tips have saved me tons of $ and don't require much effort. Happy holiday shopping! I'll be snoozing on Nov. 26 thanks to these deals, hope you will be too!<br /><br />SummerSummer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-17165842798743885582010-10-24T10:41:00.001-07:002010-11-06T16:02:05.305-07:00Top 9-Holiday Entertaining Tips!Hello All-<br /><br />My savvy holiday savings team is currently working on interviews with me so as I wait to find out all the things they are doing to save money we will take a break from interviews this week. However, next week be ready to see some real life examples of how my team is saving $ this holiday season!<br /><br />I have had a few Facebook friends ask for tips on entertaining and how to save $ on holiday meals. I think I have about 9 tips that I think might make your holiday entertaining easier and more enjoyable!<br /><br />Tip #1- If you plan to have people over to your home (bless you, it's a lot of work!, but a lot of fun too). My #1 tip is plan ahead! I know you are probably tired of me saying this, but it helps keep you sane and helps you actually enjoy the event. I typically find myself waiting until the last minute until my events because I am so busy, but this year for my annual Halloween party I planned ahead and it made things so much easier. I started on Wed with prep for a Saturday event and it made the day much easier as most of the work was spread over 4 days instead of just the morning of the event. Save yourself time, spread out the duties and make your event fun and enjoyable!<br /><br />Tip #2- Make your guest list and plan the menu at least 30 days (or more!) ahead if possible. This allows you to make sure you have the budget figured out for the correct amount of people and can start purchasing any food items or paper goods that will be needed for the party. Stick to your budget! Holiday events can quickly spiral out of control if you don't have firm attendee #'s and a menu figured out. <br /><br />Tip #3- Take a tip from the pros at any major hotel or restaurant venue. What dishes are cheapest when running a catered meal? A buffet or sit down dinner? A buffet. What's cheaper pasta or high end meats? Pasta! So, take a tip from the pros and your wallet....people don't care as much as what you serve as much as they appreciate that you are enteratining so they can sit back and enjoy! I have experienced that sometimes the most memorable dinners were those that weren't "traditional" holiday fare or that you provide an experience around another culture. If you do a pasta spread...maybe incorporate in some Italian traditions or if your family fares from a faraway land...bring that in somehow into the non-traditional food buffet, but it will still be cool and nobody will know you saved $ that way! A buffet spread will allow people to pick what they want and not be required to eat only 1 option. Some of my favorites have been a pasta bar with all types of sauces and toppings. This works well for people who have dietary restrictions or picky eaters...they simply put on what they want! A baked potato bar is always another great holiday hit because it is a nice warm dish and people can choose their own toppings. My aunt one year made "haystacks"...basically tortilla chips and we had about 12 options of toppings to put on them. It was delicious and CHEAP! Everyone talked about that meal as we really enjoyed not sitting down to a formal turkey dinner, but we all got to personalize our meals and it was different and fun!<br /><br />Tip #4- If you have a large crowd or a diverse crowd or you simply have the biggest house for hosting, but don't have time to prep all the food for everyone a potluck is a great way to save money and allow all the attendees to participate and ease up the costs on you. If you are hosting at your house...this is a fair request to have others chip in! To make this easy, you could do a few things. You could ask last names with A-L to bring desserts and M-Z to bring side dishes. I have been to a few parties where the letter of your last name had to be the first letter of the dish...this was hilarious! Since I was "H", I could bring hot dip with chips or something with ham, etc....that is kind of a fun way to make a potluck fun! Another thing you could do if you want to be a bit more specific in what you get you could tell guests it is a tradtional theme, Italian Theme, Far East theme or Mexican theme and to bring foods from that region. This keeps the food items flowing well within a certain group of foods and everything will flow a bit better. It is really up to you and how adventurous you are. A full table of desserts? It is the holidays, but these tips can ensure that you get a balance of food items!<br /><br />Tip #5-One of my favorite dining ideas was one we did a lot when I was growing up! Progressive dinners can be a very fun way to keep costs down and share the experience of dining at multiple places. This is usually best for groups of 20 and under, you get too many people and it can be too much work. Ideally you find 3-4 houses of people attending that live fairly close to each other. Each person or family has 1 course at their house. You start at one house for apps, 1 house for soup/salad, 1 house for main dish, 1 house for dessert. These could be certainly combined as your needs require, but it is really fun to eat and then move onto the next house. Kids love it, just make sure to tell them when you will be moving on so they don't get too involved in playing and have to stop mid-point!<br /><br />Tip #6-Party goody bags? Think things kids can really use in the future. You can find really fun stuff like pencils/stencils and worthwhile gifts at $1 store. Skip candy and unhealthy treats...kids will get plenty of that this holiday season!<br /><br />Tip #7- Hostess Gifts, should you give them? In a word...yes! There is nothing better than working your buns off to get a party ready and then having your guests acknowledge this hard work by presenting you with flowers, wine or some other nice (cheap!) hostess gift. Immediately display flowers...not mathing your decor? Slip them in the bathroom...they will jazz up that space! If you get a gift you just won't or can't use, then stick a piece of tape on the bottom with who gave it to you and re-gift as a hostess gift at a party that the person won't be at or give to service professional (mail carrier, hair stylist, etc). Regifting is not a taboo topic to me, if you won't use it give it to someone else who will truly enjoy it!<br /><br />Tip #8-If you have a large family or a bunch of extended families that get together at the holidays consider keeping the gift giving simple! I offer 3 tried and true tips for this!<br />1) Draw names...it cuts down on gifts you have to buy and cost overall, just make sure to set some guidelines around cost so that everyone feels they got a fair return.<br />2) Do a group ornament or other type gift exchange.<br />3) Don't buy gifts, but do an experience party (schedule a round of Laser Tag or miniature golf, paint pottery at a local studio (BrushFire!) or volunteer your time at a food shelter, carol at a nursing home or do some other type of service gift...those are so helpful around the holiday!<br /><br />Tip #9-If you host an annual party consider purchasing your paper goods or items you always need at your party post season and store in tubs. This way you get a good deal and you don't have to think about those tasks the following year, just pull out your tub and you are ready to go!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-86914355350213728392010-10-17T20:55:00.001-07:002010-10-18T22:23:49.366-07:00Holiday Tips-#5, Smart Shopping Strategies + Savvy Saver Interview!Hello Readers!<br /><br />If you love the thrill of the find the day after Thanksgiving this post might not be for you totally (but please keep reading!). <br /><br />I want to assure you that the day after Thanksgiving (even though the retailers want you to believe its the first day of Christmas shopping), it truly isn't! Believe me when I say those of you who plan ahead (or start planning now), can actually score better deals in true shopping hours than those deals that require no-sleep, grumpy associates (I've been there, it's tough) and lines, lines, lines! You can avoid all of that (if you want to), by following some of my tips this week.<br /><br />Tip #1-Vendors are going to be fiercely competitive this year because business will probably be a bit slower due to the economy. They will try to lure you with all kinds of freebies...take advantage of the ones that you really need. Focus on...FREE items, there will be many or a substantial $ off purchases or credits to online shopping accounts to encourage you to buy. You will be able to get some great deals this way. This week already:<br /><br />Haute Look is offering a $10 credit when you sign up for their website deals, Rue La La is offering a $20 credit when you sign up good through 12/31...both of these can be used on shipping too, so you can score some almost free deals! For items like these, watch my Facebook page...I feature several daily that will save you a ton and make your shopping easier this year! Old Navy has been offering all types of deals on Saturdays and coupons galore from many retailers allow you to get good deals NOW!<br /><br /><br /><br />Tip #2- Gifts with Purchase, hit 2 birds with one stone! Right now Macy's Clinique counters are offering a nice pack of freebies with a $21.50 purchase. The trick is staying within that amount....I found a blush for $21.50 that I love and I have the free gift to give to someone this holiday season! Many stores are going to do these types of offers, so take advantage of them! You could buy someone a gift of a Clinique product and end up with 2 gifts for the price of one. Fred Meyer always offers some great toy deals from now through the holidays. Last week they had some action figures B1G1 Free, I stocked up for birthday gifts at 1/2 price!<br /><br /><br />Tip #3-The group buying sites are exploding! Mobba, Groupon, etc. Basically they pool individuals and businesses to offer you explosive savings on all kinds of products. Mobba sends emails out (sign up at their site). Groupon isn't in Eugene yet, but you can qualify for any of the internet offers they post in cities across the U.S. I have gotten a Cafe Press gift cert for gifts and they have also featured Red Envelope, Gap, Movies, etc. offers in the last few weeks that are awesome. These are time sensitive deals so watch my Facebook page for those and don't delay. This is a great way to get your gifts at 1/2 price and many deals can be combined with other discount codes getting you even more savings!!<br /><br />That wraps up my Top 3 tips for the week...it's time to check in with my Savvy Savers and let you know what they have been up to...we hope to inspire you to saving with the tips they are using!<br /><br />This week I spoke with one of my team members, P. and she is a local teacher and mom that has limited time to shop, but loves a good bargain. For our project she choose 2 gifts that she needs to put together this holiday season. I asked each of my team members to select 2-3 strategies that they wanted my help with while looking for budget conscious holiday gifts. P. choose the following 4 strategies: Gift Baskets, Gifts of Experiences, Freebies and Home Parties. We discussed who she needed gifts for and we chose:<br />1) A friend who helps with her kids each day. She wanted a heartfelt gift basket with the theme of cooking. Her budget $20.<br /><br />2) A family gift to a close family friend. She wanted a gift basket that included an experience based gift. Her budget $30.<br /><br />You may recall from my post on gift baskets (please refer back for more detail), but you have a few things you MUST do to have an incredible gift basket. You need that anchor item...the thing that pulls the whole basket together, 5 or 6 or more filler items and a container that fits the whole basket together.<br /><br />Upon discussing the cooking themed basket in more detail I found out the recipient loves to bake so that was the theme of that basket...baking! We would incorporate a baking theme, with a bit of experience and since P. was interested in Freebies and home parties this fit well together.<br /><br />The family gift would become a gift of Dinner & A Movie. This provides a family "experience" of making a meal together and then some good 'ol family movie time. We were able to incorporate all that P. thought was important into these themed baskets. Getting the idea going is the start...finding the items is when the fun begins!<br /><br />Again, I am focusing on strategies with my team this year to show them how these strategies can make gift giving frugal & fun and keep you within your budget! Those strategies are mentioned more in-depth on my blog (refer there for more info). Each of these strategies is proven to work, so the next few blog posts will focus on how to utilize these strategies.<br /><br />P. was interested in "gifts of experience", we were able to incorporate that easily into the gift basket by having a baking theme were the recipient would bake an item and still have the products to use later. The family Dinner & A Movie will allow the family an experience of a night together (a treasured event these days!) and give them the ability to use the products in the basket for many years.<br /><br />Gift Baskets were of interest because they could easily be obtained well within budget and would have the lovely WOW factor!<br /><br />Freebies will be sought out to use as filler items for either gift basket. P. had used my tip about 1 Kings Lane to score some various items that may work as filler in these baskets or other gifts she intends to give. Freebies are great, but you can't rely on them solely to fill a basket because you don't know what might be offered. However, when something is offered that works for your basket...jump on it as FREEBIES go quickly! <br /><br />Home Parties, P. was interested in this concept as it would allow her a chance to have a fun night in with friends and she could receive some great hostess items just for having a party. Based on her 2 themes (baking/dinner) I suggested she host a Pampered Chef Party. They have a very generous host incentive program and she could easily use her incentives to acquire the items she needs to fill her baskets for FREE! She will host a party in Nov (so I will let you know what she gets!), but the goal is to get a Small Batter Bowl and some baking accessories with her free host credit. The batter bowl will be filled with a dry mix recipe that the recipient will be able to make. She will get the gift of a baked good and the fun of having the products to use in her kitchen in the future. The dinner kit will be also achieved with the 50% off host incentive of the Pizza Stone Kit which includes a pizza stone, pizza cutter and pizza crust mix. This item can be purchased at 50% for about $24...a great deal! P. will include some fun filler items in both baskets along with the items she got for free. The dinner/movie kit will likely feature a movie gift card, movie snacks, etc. Her budget was $50 for both gifts, but it is very likely if she incorporates the strategies we have looked at she will be able to put both baskets together for under $40, keeping her $10 under budget! I love saving $ this way, it's awesome!<br /><br />I hope this weeks tips have inspired you to put together some fun holiday baskets for inexpensive! It's fun to see what you can gather and put together!<br /><br />Next week we will continue to look at what our savers are putting together this holiday season!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-9801319108713455932010-10-08T20:08:00.000-07:002010-10-08T21:09:01.628-07:00Holiday Savings Tips- #4Hello Readers!<br /><br />It has been a busy and exciting week for me on the gift giving front. As I continue the journey with my remaining team I look forward to using the strategies I presented to you a few weeks ago and to give you real life examples of what they are doing. These tips they have learned will be coming in the next few weeks, but this week I am going to focus on 1 strategy and tell you what I did to earn some great FREE items this week.<br /><br />I am sad that my holiday savings team has shrunk a bit. I have 1 saver, who has had to drop out because of life (moving/guests visiting, etc.). This is life and I have lived long enough to know that challenges always present themselves! I am going to miss this team member being along with us for the journey! However, she promises to keep reading and I hope you will too! We still have 3 or 4 ladies who remain with me on this journey.<br /><br />My first tip this week that I do want to share is that saving can benefit you a lot or a little, it is truly based on the time you have to devote to it! If you can devote a little, you will save a little. If you can devote more, you will multiply those savings! However, regardless of the time you can put into it....you will save $ ALL THE TIME and that is good news! Those of you following these steps, I hope that you will share or comment to the blog what you have found or done for your holiday gifts.<br /><br />This week I am going to focus on the strategy of hosting a home based party. This is the kind of strategy where you have a party in your home and you present a product to friends/family and you earn "free items" based on party sales. I love this strategy because 1) I make sure my house is really clean 2) I get to have people over and we get to learn things and 3) I have the opportunity to earn items for FREE and in this case towards my holiday gifts!<br /><br />The company I chose was Pampered Chef with Laura Caldwell. I wanted our party to focus on inexpensive holiday gift ideas and Laura delivered! My guests left with some great holiday gift giving tips and I earned a bundle in free products! I like pampered chef because they have a generous host discount plan. You always get a host special (for Oct is is 60% off cookware), 1/2 price items and free products-all dependent on total sales, the more sold the more you get!<br /><br />I ended up with the option to purchase 1 piece of open stock cookware at 60% off, 2-1/2 price items and $90 in FREE products. This was going to help me greatly in checking off items on my holiday list and with a party such as this I like to think about gifts I may need into next year as well.<br /><br />I got:<br />8" Saute Pan for 60% off, bringing it down to just $18!!<br />1/2 Price Pizza Kit $21.25<br />1/2 Price Bamboo Pepper/Salt Grinders $26<br />Muffin Pan-Free<br />Grilling Set-Free<br />Classic Scraper-Free<br />1-2-3 Dip Set-Free<br />Small Slotted Turner-Free<br />Beer Bread Mix-Free<br />Herb Seasonings-Free<br /><br />I love having the opportunity to get FREE Stuff for only doing a little bit of work! I will combine the Saute Pan/Turner/Classic Scraper into a wedding gift for a couple next year. The pizza kit will be for a teacher. The bamboo salt/pepper mill is for a relative for Christmas. The Grilling Set is going to another relative for Christmas along with the BBQ tool kit I got using my HSN $20 off $20 code I featured on Facebook last week. The other items will become filler and/or stocking stuffers for other people on my list. I made a nice dent this week!<br /><br />A couple of tips for pampered chef or other party incentives:<br />-If 1/2 price items are offered....see if they have items grouped in special kits so you can get more for your money! The pizza kit above features a pizza cutter, pizza stone and pizza crust mix, but since it is grouped as 1 item I actually get 3 things at 1/2 off in that kit....a great deal!<br />-Consider checking on what the host deal will be for that month and match it your party date with a month that has a host gift that will benefit you!<br />-Many companies offer incentives if you have others book parties. Pampered Chef gives you the opportunity to get the host special up to 6 months past your party when friends book parties. For example, I have a friend who is hosting a party in Dec. so I will get to take advantage of the host special and I don't have to do anything....even more discounts!!<br /><br /><br />I hope you will consider this strategy as we move into the holidays, it's a great way to score some inexpensive or FREE merchandise!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.<br /><br />Homework Holiday Savers: This week as I begin to call you and discuss strategies more in depth, I would like you to think about the strategies you told me you were interested in and try to pair those strategies with the recipients on your list. Which strategies do you think would work for those on your list? You don't have to answer me on this, just be thinking as we will be discussing this when I contact you this week!Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-67380660617630784252010-10-02T12:19:00.000-07:002010-10-03T12:08:41.769-07:00Holiday Savings Tips-#3Hello Savers!<br /><br />Sorry this post is a bit late this week! I started a short term sub job and it takes priority over saving money...ha, ha!<br /><br />This week and over the next few weeks I am going to be sharing tips around gift baskets and starting to discuss tips that my savers are specifically using in their holiday shopping this year. The next few blog entries will have a very personal feel to them which I hope through the examples we share will inspire you to save, save, save this holiday season!<br /><br />This week I want to focus on my 5 tips to putting together a fabulous gift basket! These tips will direct you to what is needed to put together a spectacular basket that your gift recipient will think you spent a bundle on, it will look that way, but you know better!<br /><br />Tip #1-You have to have a theme. It can be a broad theme such as cooking, reading, sports or it can be very specific such as Movie Night, Italian Cooking or Mom & Me Spa Day. You can be as general or specific as you want, but if you don't have the theme then you won't be able to put your mind around what you need in that basket. I would suggest selecting a theme based around what your recipient likes and what you are finding or think you can find to fit into your budget for this gift. Certain gift baskets lend themselves to more frugal filling, so don't select say a U of O themed basket if you only have $10 to spend...you won't find much in that category at that price point, but you could do an awesome Movie Night basket for just $10...yes you can!<br /><br />Tip #2-Make sure you have a specific budget figured out for what you are able to spend for the basket. This is important because you will be buying items for it and you need to know how much you can spend (not what you want to spend). You will need to keep track of what you buy for this basket as this isn't a one shop and you are done kind of thing (typically). I will work on baskets for a year (okay, most of you that isn't possible, but you can still do it in a shorter period of time!). Keep track on a paper or your phone or on some kind of tracking tool what you are spending on items for the basket so you don't exceed your budget.<br /><br />Tip #3-Fill, Fill, Fill! You have your theme, know it is time to find all the great things to fill up that basket! I always suggest picking the theme and one "anchor" item that will be the main focus of your basket. This will be the highlight or typically the largest single item you will put a majority of your budget towards. It might be a toy, a cookbook, a piece of clothing, etc. Then you spend the rest of your budget finding great "filler" items! If you want to do a good gift basket, you need to have at least 5 things in it. If you don't, it won't look like a full basket of fun items, so keep this in mind. Obviously, get as much as you can for your budget and you will have a great basket! When getting filler items (and these ideas will appear more in the next weeks posts), you need to find items that fit the "theme" of your basket. Say you are doing Italian Cooking...you might have picked up an Italian Cookbook at Borders (40% off 1 item coupon) and then are going to fill the basket with pasta, sauces, etc. These items can be picked up on the cheap, but coupled with your filler items give a rich look to your basket. We will be doing real themed gift basket ideas over the next few weeks in more detail too. However, whatever you decide...fill, fill, fill!<br /><br />Tip #4- How do you fill and gather all these items. It does take more work than a traditional stand alone gift, but the rewards and the look can be fabulous and I guarantee your recipient will LOVE IT! This will take at least a committment on your part, but let's assume you want to do it. You will want to scour sales/clearance racks and promos at stores to fill those baskets. There are tons of opportunities for FREE or greatly reduced items during the holiday season and you can obtain great filler products if you pay attention to sales at stores you frequent. You can also watch my blog/Facebook for special alerts on great deals. Because many deals are awesome and more people are saving, you need to respond quickly to these offers, they are usually limited time and don't last, so delay and you will be sorry!<br /><br />Tip #5-You've gathered and filled and you are ready for presentation...this is the fun part! You will need to find a box, basket, etc. to place all your items in. I encourage you to keep this to $5 or less (if possible), unless your container will be part of the gift basket. Italian Cooking-stock pot or something like that...movie gift pack, a popcorn bowl, you get the idea. If it is part of the kit you can go a bit higher. If it is just something to contain the item you might want to look cheaper. I see that Target often has containers for around $1-2 in their red dot spot section of the store, I often pick these up for my gift baskets. I also did just get some cool "drink bins" at Fred Meyer in the seasonal clearance section, but they can be re-purposed for what I am doing with gift baskets. <br /><br /><br />Gift baskets are fun and an easy way to make your $ spread further. I encourage you to give it a shot this year and see the faces light up on the people that you give your baskets too!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-31514954722496855162010-09-19T20:06:00.000-07:002010-09-20T08:56:49.778-07:00Holiday Savings Tips #2-Thinking Outside the WalletHello Readers!<br /><br />Last week we discussed making a comprehensive list of people you plan to buy holiday gifts for and a budget amount for each gift. You thought you might skip that step, it seemed to cumbersome huh? That was your first mistake, but it's not too late to correct it! Just got back and read my Holiday Tip #1 and then come back to this.<br /><br />You did your homework? Fabulous! You are well on your way to saving money this holiday season!! This step is time consuming, but it is very important as you can always save $ if you plan ahead vs. waiting until the last minute. My tips will help you avoid that last minute crunch. That is why we are starting in September (I actually start on Dec. 26 typically, but hey Sept. is do-able for most of you!).<br /><br />Once you have your list of recipients it is easy to start narrowing down ideas you want for them and we will explore that topic next week. This week I want to present you with my Top 10 Strategies to explore gift giving "outside the wallet". These strategies will explore ways to score, earn, trade, make and barter gifts that don't cost you a lot (maybe nothing!), but will be great gifts to give! The reason I do this post now even though you may not quite know yet what you want to buy your recipients is that these strategies may move you in a direction of what would be the best gift you could get for your budget based on the strategies you choose. Some strategies will work for you, some will not. However, I present them all so that you can pick and choose what works best for you and start using them to score great gifts within your budget and typically high value gifts for low budget pricing.<br /><br />Summer's Top 10 Strategies for Shopping!<br /><br />1) Bartering/Trading<br />Do you have a skill or resource that you can barter/trade with someone for something they need? It could be things such as cooking, babysitting, knitting, sewing, crafts, cleaning, organizing, product from a business you own. You could trade your product/service for something you need to give to a friend or give the gift of a service of something you do well. For example: I barter design work with a massage center for free massage credit I can apply to gift certificates for gifts. It's a great deal for them and me! Be creative, the possibilities are endless, you can trade or barter anything and it benefits both parties!<br /><br />2) Gift Baskets<br />Yes we have all seen them and you automatically think high price tag because frankly they just look expensive! And they are if you don't plan, but if you plan and use some of these strategies they can be put together for very little and look like you spent a bunch! Typically a theme is the first step and then you spend a month or so looking for items that fit your theme at a price that works for your budget. To make your basket dollars stretch further you could combine say a husband/wife or a family and put all your $'s into the basket allowing you to fill it with more goodies. I put together gift baskets for Chaya's school at the Family Fun Night. I put together 10 baskets each year at about $20. You wouldn't believe some of the baskets I have been able to put together for that price. It is imperative to take advantage of store freebies, coupons, rebates and other incentives to fill these baskets on the cheap! They are awesome and the thrill of the find is so exciting. I will talk more about the gift basket concept and ways to make it work well for you in next weeks tips blog. I will also be sharing with you some real life examples of what our Savvy Shoppers are finding!<br /><br />3) Survey Sites/Loyalty Sites<br />If you have time and $ is tight (as is the case with me as I am not working much at the moment) I participate in several websites that earn credit for filling out surveys, giving video opinions, etc. I use my "earnings" from these sites to purchase magazines, videos, $ to my Borders Bucks account, gift cards to all sorts of merchants, etc. I then use these great freebies for gifts! It takes a bit of time, but I score excellent gifts that are basically FREE with a bit of my time. I would suggest checking out (www.expotv.com or www.erewards.com, these are the best sites I have found for the most points for your time. They also have in my opinion the most user-friendly rewards. As far as loyalty sites or loyalty points. Some of the best for these for redemption for rewards are www.disneymovierewards.com or www.cokerewards.com, if you drink Coke products check out this site as it is easy to get some quick freebies, also if you buy Disney DVD's or go to Disney movies, the points add up fast and you can score some great Disney merchandise for minimal time on your part. These gifts are essentially free and again can make great filler for your gift baskets!<br /><br />4) Hosting at home parties. It's fairly easy, you host a party and you receive discounted merchandise. There are plenty of choices out there and you can get some great deals on items you can give as gifts! When I host a party, I try to think out for major holidays, end of the year teacher gifts, etc. It allows me to get my gifts at a great discount or sometimes FREE allowing my gift budget to not take a huge hit. Last year when I had a Pampered Chef Party (Laura Caldwell) I had the option to purchase several items at 1/2 price. This was perfect because I purchased some of PC's "kits" that come already gift boxed and ready to go, check out the Pizza Kit, it was the perfect item for Chaya's teacher and imagine my surprise when I went to wrap it and it was already in a decorated gift box...woo-hoo! I got this for 1/2 price too, I was stoked! You can also treat your girlfriends to a pampering facial, color session or pedi party with Mary Kay (Kelly Smith-Koets) and earn some free product for yourself or get some goodies for a "Beautiful You" gift basket, either way this can be a great way to get items at a discount or even FREE for your holiday shopping. Many of these consultants also offer you the ability to do a catalog party or product party such as Scentsy (Jody Tuntland) where you can take a scent box around and let people check out items and you still earn some discounted or free product!<br /><br />5) Gifts of Time are the perfect option if your budget is limited, but you can provide a service to someone. Taking time in our busy society is a great gift as people strive to not acquire more, but want to have fun! Offering to watch a child, help organize a closet or wash a car are perfect "service gifts" that anyone could enjoy and could easily be part of a holiday gift or gift basket (movie night basket, you watch the kids or night out on the town, carwash included, etc....get creative!) if you live close and a gift of time is of interest to you! Don't underestimate the value of time, it is seriously priceless!<br /><br />6) Gifts of Experiences are also a great option when money is tight! I love gift baskets with themes such as hiking in Oregon for example where maybe you create a fun day pack with goodies, a hiking guide, etc. A family could enjoy a day of hiking in Oregon courtesy of you! One of the best gifts my daughter ever got was a punch pass for Bounce Gymnastics! For about $20, she got to go 6 times to open gym and had a blast. Who needs more toys when you can go have fun? The ability to go to college (it's a huge expense), consider making a donation to a college fund or purchase savings bonds (I love the ones you buy for 1/2 the face value, they get more for their money in the long run)...you could say it was for something in the future when it matures. People love to spend time with other people and the gift of an experience may just be the perfect fit for someone on your gift list and they will appreciate the time and thought put into this and it won't have to cost you very much!<br /><br />7) In Oregon, wouldn't you love to open up a swimsuit (well, maybe sunglasses) or some other seasonal gift in the middle of winter? It is dreary in the dead of winter and if your gift recipient loves the sun, they probably aren't seeing too much of it right then. Seasonal gifts are fun because they have something to look forward to come Spring/Summer, they don't expect to get something seasonal at Christmas time and you can get stuff on really great clearance deals now! It's a win win! Also, think about people you might buy for who live in climates that are not as seasonal. For example, my sister in the Bahamas could use warm weather things year round and I can get some great deals on "summer" items now that she can use year round!<br /><br />8) Gifts with Purchase and Purchase Incentives are a great way to get more gift for your dollar! Many times during the holidays stores will offer a variety of incentives to get you to shop with them...do! Many stores offer FREE items with purchase, free items with coupons (hoping you will buy more, don't!, just get your free item and be on your way), or dollars to be used on a future purchase (Kohl's/Macy's/Gymboree). Take advantage of all these strategies because again they will net you more items for your gifts and they don't cost you anymore than you were already spending. How do you find out about these types of deals? My Facebook page is a good start, I post all types of things there! You can also read blogs, watch your mailbox for deals, etc! For example just this last week I have posted over 5 ways to get items for FREE (photo gifts, stationery items, cosmetics, etc.). I had several of my Savvy Shoppers take advantage of these deals and they are already checking things off their lists. You can't delay on these offers, they are usually limited time and require you to be ready to get them! This is why it is so helpful to have your list of who you are shopping for so that you can get these items when they become available or know what you need as nice filler items for those gift baskets. Filler is what makes them look luxe!<br /><br />9) Coupons, Coupons and More Coupons! In my family, Chaya knows we only buy about 20% of our items without coupons so it is very common for me to hear "mom, do we have a coupon for that?". It is a choice to use this money saving tool, I guarantee regardless of how much you want to get into this lifestyle tool, you will save $! This could be it's own post, but I will say as we get closer to the holidays all types of coupons will be available for all kinds of things! My #1 rule of thumb for coupons is don't use them the week you see them. Typically a coupon will appear and then you can combine with a deal happening a week or 2 later for maximum savings. Retailers know people see a coupon and you instantly want to spend it, stores don't put items on sale the week the coupons appear, if you are patient and wait and watch for a good deal you can maximize your savings! For example this last week Hasbro posted some coupons for select games. Refer back to my Facebook page for details, but Toys R Us this week is running a Buy 2, Get 1 Free on all games. You can apply coupons to these games and with the in store savings, get a great deal! I love these kinds of deals for gift baskets with a board game theme...especially for those winter nights, it's a great gift idea!<br /><br />10) Splitting deals over several recipients, what? Let me explain! You have your gift list (remember I told you this 1st step was important, well it truly is!). If you know who you are buying for and you have your budget, you know what you are looking for it makes splitting deals even more cost effective for you. For example, say you are making 3 younger kids (say under 13) gift baskets and you are going with a cooking theme for each one. These kids are all in the same family so they may share, but you want them to be unique to each person. With all gift baskets you need to pick a theme and get a main foundational item that will help create the basket. You decide to go with fun kids cookbooks for each of these kids and you see that amazon has good deals, but wait they are running a Buy 3 Get 1 Free promo. You need 3 cookbooks and they are all included, but you can earn a FREE item if you order the 3 cookbooks. Your mom has been wanting a great novel that you see is included in the deal, you add that to your cart and you are over $25 so you get her book free and free shipping! Her basket is going to be a coffee/reading relaxing kit. You have just "split a deal", you have taken advantage of combining deals over several people, but you had to know what you needed to be able to take advantage of the combination of items to get the deal, way to go! This type of scenario is so easy to take advantage of and if you know what you need it makes it possible! Also, many stores offer you "cash" to spend on future purchases during certain dates, pick up items you need for your gift or for yourself and then go back and spend that incentive cash later on for a gift for someone you need!<br /><br /><br />That was a lot to cover in the second week! I hope these strategies will help get you thinking outside the wallet and encouraging you to be creative in your shopping strategies. Some of these tips are "advanced", but you can do them and if you have questions please email me at summerhighfill@yahoo.com, I will get back to you! Next week I look forward to sharing the benefits of the "gift basket" idea and we will be looking at what our Savvy Shoppers are shopping for this holiday season and bringing you some real life examples of what that looks like for all budgets!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.<br /><br />Savvy Shoppers: watch Facebook messages for your weekly homework!Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-17570626783467179542010-09-13T10:57:00.000-07:002010-09-13T11:10:51.745-07:00Holiday Savings-Tip #1Hello Readers!<br /><br />As promised, I am going to start writing a weekly tip to help you save for the upcoming holiday season. Each week, I will present a topic that will carry you to the holidays stress free, budgeted and able to enjoy what the holidays are actually about!<br /><br />I have selected 6 wonderful ladies to join me on this journey. I will be sharing examples from them in future posts to help you see how my tips apply in real life! I am excited to help them save money this holiday season.<br /><br />Each week I will share a tip, if you want to follow on this journey simply apply the strategies that I will share and I hope (promise?) that if you do these steps (as I have successfully in the past) you will be able to be debt free post holidays and who doesn't want that?<br /><br />In order to benefit most from these weekly posts, I recommend you put the time needed to apply the strategy and if you are going to follow the steps that you do them in order as that is how I am writing them for maximum savings options!<br /><br />This week the topic is: Who to buy for?<br /><br />It seems easy huh? However, I have found myself many times at the last minute realizing that I had forgotten someone (teacher at 10 pm the night before Christmas break...ha, ha!). You don't want to have this happen to you and it costs you $!! It is best to start right now making a list over the next week of all the people you plan to purchase gifts for. I use Excel to make my list, but you can use paper/pencil, iPod, etc....whatever medium is going to work best for you to track what you have bought (we will do this as we purchase items, topic coming soon!). If you give yourself a week to think about who you need to buy for you probably will have a more complete list. It might look something like this (categories only, please list actual names on your list):<br /><br />-Friends & Family<br />-Service Professionals (newspaper, mail, hairdresser, etc.)<br />-Business Colleagues<br />-Teachers<br />-Children's friends<br />-Holiday Party Hostess Gifts<br />-Etc.<br /><br />I would recommend writing down the name for EACH individual. This way you can add the gift you purchased next to their name once you have gathered the perfect item(s). I can email you my spreadsheet if you want, contact me at summerhighfill@yahoo.com for that!<br /><br />Once you have your gift list and names will differ for everyone based on who you typically buy for and what your budget allows. Just remember to be as comprehensive as possible because planning ahead allows you to save a bundle!<br /><br />With your complete list in hand I want you to come up with a $ figure for your budget for each gift. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! It is easy to want to, but if you want to watch what you are spending this step is essential. Don't worry if your budget is a little trim this year, I have great strategies to help you along and we will be able to find a great gift for any budget! <br /><br />With each person and the approx. $ amount next to their name, I would like you to total up the amount of the budgeted items and add it all together. With this figure, I would like you to divide it by 11. This is the amount of weeks that ideally you have to put towards gifts for the rest of the year. I want you to be done a bit early. If you have already been saving $ or you have $ set aside, even better, but if you don't yet (don't panic!), this just gives you an idea of how much you will need each week to put towards what your current budget is. Too much? Then you may want to revisit and figure out more appropriate #'s for what you need to buy for. You also may be pleasantly surprised at what you are able to get for really low amounts of $ with my tips too! Regardless, you have an idea of what you can spend and that allows shopping to be so much easier!<br /><br />Now that you have your #'s in mind and your list, let's start shopping! Next week, my post will include some real examples from my Summer's Savers on who we are going to profile for specific gift giving categories. I hope you enjoy our strategies and learn about saving along the way!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-57184291608799390542010-08-31T20:53:00.000-07:002010-08-31T20:54:51.609-07:00Welcome Back Bloggers!Hello All-<br /><br />I am going to try to start posting to my blog again, so thanks for your interest in the past and I hope to show my new readers some great tips for living well through simple practices of planning ahead, striving for great deals and enjoying family time!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-11196075005772722642010-01-08T11:42:00.000-08:002010-01-08T11:44:40.721-08:00Join me for up to minute deals on Facebook!Hello Readers!<br /><br />I hope the holidays treated you well and that time with family and friends was wonderful!<br /><br />I wanted to update you on some changes in my blog status. I will still be writing blog posts on this site (hopefully 2-3/week). These posts will mainly focus on general savings tips and local happenings.<br /><br />However, it is much faster for me to post quick, up to the minute hot deals on my Facebook page, so if you want to get those tips too, please send me a friend request. You can find me on FB as "Summer Olsen Highfill". I hope you enjoy saving money with me in 2010!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-30594672657678207402009-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:002009-08-31T10:41:44.721-07:00Savings Story- $1.42 (8 items!)Hello Everyone!<br /><br />I wanted to share my savings story on my recent trip to Walgreen's, I spent $1.42 out of pocket and netted 8 items and a $3 Register Rewards ($ off coupon for next visit!).<br /><br />I got:<br />2 Glade Spray Air Freshners (Buy 1 Get 1 Free Coupon)<br />Business Envelopes- in store coupon<br />4 Peanut Butter Cups (Buy 1 Get 1 Free Coupon + In store promo free Coke Zero)<br />Colgate Toothbrush<br />1 8x10 photo collage (free with photo promo code)<br /><br />To obtain these items on the cheap I used a combination of coupons, in store weekly ad coupons, previously earned register rewards ($7) to save lots of money! I also earned a $3 register reward to be used on my next purchase. This strategy is known as stacking, save coupons until you can combine them with in store promos for even more savings! It's fun!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-7441498406788243012009-08-23T15:30:00.000-07:002009-08-23T15:33:11.737-07:00Savings Tip- Science Factory MembershipHello All-<br /><br />I want to remind you of a great facility in Eugene, OR that offers a vast array of classes, open exploration time, planetarium, free/special events. The Science Factory in Eugene (near Autzen) has all kinds of cool science finds.<br /><br />I highly encourage you spring for a membership, they start at $55 a year, but if you look at all the freebies with membership and you have at least 1 child you will save money so more kids equals even great savings! <br /><br />The one easy way to make back your membership investment is to go to the weekly planetarium shows or if you have kids 5 and under the Tot Discovery Days that happen the 1st Friday of each month. If you go 1 time/month the membership pays for itself and you can use it at other science museums around Oregon/U.S.<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-2260992304510324002009-08-23T15:27:00.000-07:002009-08-23T15:30:22.790-07:00Blog Changes-AnnouncedHi Everyone!<br /><br />I am making some changes to this blog so I wanted to update you with them. With the school year approaching and my priorities shifting, I won't have as much time to work with the blog as I have in the past and I am discovering some great savings blogs out there that are great for anyone wanting to save money and I will be sharing those with you.<br /><br />This blog will change to a slightly more local feel as many of the other blogs cover the large chains, etc. You can get great information on those, but I will also post items of this content on my facebook page so please add me as a friend on facebook (Summer Olsen Highfill) as it is easier for me to put quick savings things I have seen on there vs. the blog and you can get more up-to-date items this way.<br /><br />I will still be offering savings seminars (some free, some low cost) and will announce those here as well. I am also considering becoming a couponizer coach..more to follow on this!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-42675453813452728872009-08-06T19:11:00.000-07:002009-08-06T19:18:21.514-07:00Savings Story-Walgreens + CouponsHello All-<br /><br />Just love to share savings stories and this one is like many, hold coupons and when a deal comes along at a retail store combine those coupons and buy items you use that are on sale that week, combining with manufacturer coupons whenever possible to rake in the savings!<br /><br />This week I got $44 worth of products at Walgreen's for just $20! Over 50% savings!<br /><br />Walgreen's this week was offering a $5 off $25 coupon, I always use these, as it is instant savings. The next few days in store they have a "meal deal", get coupon on Walgreens.com "weekly ad" tab, it was a Digiorno pizza, coke 12 pack and ice cream for $10! That got me halfway to my $25 tab I needed, so I pulled out my couponizer and gathered all the coupons that would work for items at Walgreen's pairing them with the coupons from the weekly ad for Walgreen's if possible for added savings. Remember, you can combine a store coupon with a manufacturers coupon for additional savings!<br /><br />I got:<br />1-12" Digorno Pepperoni Pizza<br />8 pack Bonnie Belle lip gloss<br />12 Pack Coca Cola cans<br />Pert Plus Shampoo<br />Dreyers Ice Cream, 48 oz.<br />Visine Eye Drops<br />2-Bounty Paper Towel Rolls<br />2-Glade Air Freshner/Odor Eliminator<br /><br />I used $6.28 in Walgreen's coupons, $4.87 in advertised sales from items I purchased and $11.24 in manufacturer's coupons for a great deal of savings! You can do this too, it is super easy and it doesn't take much time.<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-16005895025736404342009-07-04T16:26:00.000-07:002009-07-04T16:29:18.590-07:00Deal-Macy's Handbags/Accessories (Gift Ideas!)Hello All-<br /><br />As you know, I am all about planning ahead and this requires a bit of prep work, but pays off big!<br /><br />I have my list for birthdays and Christmas already created so I look for things that fit the recipients style. <br /><br />Right now Macy's has several tables of handbags, small cosmetic type bags, scarves, etc. that are marked down 25%, an additional 40% off and if you use a Macy's savings pass available on their homepage or if you use your Macy's card savings is automatic for another 15% off! I got a couple of excellent deals on these tables and will tuck away for Christmas. My best find was a cosmetic bag that was close to $30 retail for $4.50!! I did use a $5 coupon for this, but that is a great deal! I can fill this with some fun treats that I will acquire the rest of the year and I have a great gift!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-75610213546128710412009-07-04T16:01:00.000-07:002009-07-04T16:03:18.819-07:00Posting Update-Find Me On Facebook Too!Hello All-<br /><br />I am sorry the posts have been a bit slow this summer. We have had a lot going on and my posting has slipped, so I am sorry. I hope to post 2-3 days a week this summer, but sometimes it is easier for me to pop up quick things I see daily on Facebook. I get a lot of emails and see lots of savings ideas daily and this is a quick way for me to post what I see. If you are on Facebook search for me "Summer Olsen Highfill" and add me as a friend...you will get fast posts about what I am seeing as well as larger savings stories and savings ideas on my blog.<br /><br />Either way, keep saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-20944127838880062972009-07-04T16:00:00.000-07:002009-07-04T16:01:20.953-07:00Happening-Zilda Open at Valley River CenterHello All-<br /><br />Zilda has opened its doors at Valley River Center. They are in the old Talbot's building and they specialize in discount accessories. You can get a 50% off discounted gift certificate if you visit www.kmtr.com and click on the local 4 less tab and click on retail.<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-54866734163997899362009-07-04T15:55:00.000-07:002009-07-04T15:58:39.034-07:00Steal-Gap Sale + 30% Off Offers!- Jeans 13.99!!Hello All-<br /><br />This is an in-store promo only!<br /><br />Gap is offering an outstanding sale this weekend July 3-6. If you buy 4 or more sale items (anything discounted) you will receive an additional 30% off! This includes the currently discounted Curvy, Essential, Long & Lean Jeans that are marked at $19.99, your price 13.99. They are going to restyle their jeans line so take advantage of the savings or stock up on styles you like!<br /><br />They have lots of items on sale throughout the stores and many shirts/sweaters, etc. are $5-7 before additional off! I found lots of great fall type pieces at rock bottom prices!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-949484810964531602009-07-04T15:53:00.000-07:002009-07-04T15:55:43.910-07:00Deal-Kohl's Cares for Kids BooksHello All-<br /><br />Kohl's has introduced the next installment of Kohl's Cares For Kids Books. What you get is your choice of 3 plush animals and 3 hardcover books by Steve Jenkins for $5 each. The money goes to help support Kohl's charitable organization.<br /><br />The books this time are all non-fiction for a bit of older kids, but they are hardcover and all very interesting with great animal facts! <br /><br />These make great gifts! They usually change out the selection every 4 months so this group will be here through early Fall.<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4173462208253865423.post-40800764593509754692009-06-11T16:27:00.000-07:002009-06-11T16:30:32.791-07:00Steal-Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual SaleHello All-<br /><br />I love to stock up when prices are low, for my own consumption and gifts! One of the best chances to do this is the Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual sale. They always have great prices and incentives on items and don't forget your coupons!<br /><br />Here is 1 of many savings examples. I like the Lay it on Thick shower cream. It retails for $15/bottle so I never buy it unless it is on sale. Right now you can buy 2 get 2 free on all True Blue Spa. So, for $30 I will get 4 bottles of shower cream and stock them. But, I have a survey coupon (received from a previous store purchase) that earns me $10 off $30, so I will actually get 4 bottles for $20! That is $5 bottle, a savings of 67%! That is great! <br /><br />If you don't have a coupon in your coupon holder, do a google search for printable bath and body coupons. There are some for $10 off $40 out there as well as a few % off depending on what you are buying!<br /><br />Happy Saving!<br /><br />Summer H.Summer H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04184307012971523681noreply@blogger.com0