So, at the end of December I wrote about moderate couponing in a post (check it out here) called Saving and Earning. That post was surprisingly popular and quite well-viewed, and in that post I mentioned a few of my favorite websites (Swagbucks, thredUP, Twice, Ebates, and Ibotta) that, over the past 6 weeks, have helped Ted and I save and earn some money at a time when our budget is really limited (which is basically all the time – as is to be expected when you both work in the professional non-profit arts industry).
In that post I also mentioned that I learned about all these websites and a ton of other couponing knowledge and additional ways to save money, earn money, and get things steeply discounted or free (stuff that I didn’t share in my last blog post) from a couponing workshop taught by my wonderful friend Shawnda, who is a seriously awesome, smart, and savvy money-saving maven.
And I also mentioned that the next time she hosted one of those couponing workshops, I’d let you know.
Well, it’s your lucky day…because she’s at it again! And if you live in the Rochester, NY area and find yourself continually struggling to make ends meet, like so very many of us do, then this is a workshop you cannot afford to miss. Here’s the info:
Shawnda’s Couponing Workshop
Thursday, January 16th at 7:30pm -or- Saturday, January 18th at 1:00pm -or- Thursday, January 23rd at 7:30pm / Cost: $15 / Workshop lasts for approximately 1.5 hours and you’ll receive a goody bag packed with useful items! / To register: Let me know in the comments (or by Facebook, text message, email, etc.) if you are interested and I’ll put you in touch with Shawnda who will fill you in on location and other important details.
- Free samples we received in the mail: Travel-sized tube of Arm & Hammer toothpaste, full-sized jar of Hersey’s chocolate spread, several packets of Truvia zero-calorie sweetener, sample of Finish dishwasher detergent, travel tube of Pantene Pro-V shampoo, travel tube of Garnier Fructis conditioner, free 1-year subscription to Self Magazine, 3 Julep nail polishes, and 1 pocket knife (for Ted)
- Free items we got in-store or were “paid to take”: 2 packages of Butterball turkey bacon, 1 carton of milk, 1 bottle of wound wash, 5 movie rentals, 2 packages of Pillsbury cookies, 3 boxes of cereal (Kellogg’s and General Mills), 1 Lean Cuisine, 1 Smart Ones, 1 cup of Quaker Oats oatmeal medley to-go, 2 packages of almonds, 1 full-sized bottle of Pantene shampoo, 1 full-sized bottle of Pantene conditioner, 6 Hallmark greeting cards, 2 jars of Almay eye-makeup remover pads, 1 bottle of Suave shampoo, 2-pack of full-sized Colgate Total plus Whitening toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, candy bars, and Kraft macaroni and cheese
- Free cash that we earned online that can be redeemed for cash or gifts cards: $160 from Swagbucks, $10 from Ibotta, and $13.02 from Ebates
- Free cash that we earned in store: $60 from CVS (which we spent at CVS on Special K cereal, Dove men’s bodywash, Dove women’s bodywash, Listerine mouthwash, nail polish, floss picks, Colgate toothpaste, Loreal mascara, Gold Bond diabetic body lotion, Dramamine motion sickness medication, and Puffs tissues), and $20 in Target gift cards (which we spent on food items)
- Free online items: $10 in free clothing (which amounted to 2 tops from Loft) from thredUP, $10 in free clothing from Twice (which I have yet to spend, but they have many items I have my eyes on!), $30 in free clothing from Twice that is still pending (once the three people I referred use their free $10, I’ll get my free $30), and a free $14 Living Social deal (worth $30)
- Value vs. money paid: In the past seven weeks we have stocked our food panty, fridge, freezer, and toiletries/household supplies closet with $779.43 worth of items, for which we only paid a total of $391.65, for a savings of $49.75%.
- Best receipts: $88.81 worth of items for which I paid $6.02 for an overall savings of 93%. I’ve also saved 87%, 76%, 63%, 54%, etc.
- Deals I am proud of: 280-count bottle of Aleve (originally $19.99) for $7.99, 8 travel-sized tubes of Colgate toothpaste for a total of $0.36, two 30-count boxes of Emergen-C (originally $17.98) for $7.98, 3 dozen eggs and a package of bacon for a total of $1.04, and – of course – all the free items and money earned.
- Items I realized I was paying way too much for: These items, I learned, I could be purchasing for pennies (depending on the item) and have been paying way too much for: eggs, milk, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, cereal, frozen meals, shampoo, conditioner, OTC medication, and bodywash (among others).
So, since compiling this list took up pretty much my entire night (you’re welcome), I think you should attend this couponing workshop, which will teach you many, many valuable things.
Now, I do have to say this: You’ll get out of couponing what you put into it. It doesn’t have to be extreme and you don’t have to drive yourself crazy or quit your job or never spend time with your family and friends to save or earn money. But you do have to put some effort into it. It took me about 4 weeks of making mistakes and occasionally getting frustrated and working at figuring things out before I could say I felt pretty comfortable with it, and every Sunday morning I continue to put about 2 hours or so of work into finding and printing and organizing all my coupons and deals and sales and apps for the week. And every day Ted and I spend a little bit of time on websites like Swagbucks to earn money. It does take some patience and time and effort that you need to be willing to put into it, but if you try, you should see your work starting to pay off.
If you’re in Rochester and want to join in on Shawnda’s Couponing Workshop, let me know! This girl is a great friend and taught me everything I know about the wise ways of couponing and getting more bang for your buck in this crazy economy.
