PastelPriceless: Is It Really Worth It To Clip All Those Coupons?

PastelPriceless: Is It Really Worth It To Clip All Those Coupons?: A question that nearly every person that coupons has heard time and again, "Is it really worth it to clip all of those coupons?" ...

Is It Really Worth It To Clip All Those Coupons?

A question that nearly every person that coupons has heard time and again, "Is it really worth it to clip all of those coupons?"

 For me, the answer is simple. Of course it is worth it!

 Do you like getting things for free or for pennies? Do you like shopping? Do you like knowing that you are saving money to provide for your family? These are the questions that I would ask. It takes time collect them and clip them but time spent equals money saved and money saved is money earned.

If you stick to the products you need and buy them when they are on sale, you can save an enormous amount of money and build a stockpile in your home. When the need for a product arises, search the stockpile so that you can avoid paying full price. Just because a coupon exists does not mean it has to be used or used right away. Wait for those great sales which usually come in six to eight week cycles.

 Do you use products like these?

Then yes, clipping coupons is worth it!

A Place To Listen To The Rain!

I love to spend my mornings, with my coffee, on the back deck looking over the back yard. It is so relaxing to wake up with nature every morning, feel the sun on my face, smell the fresh clean air,  hear the birds and other critters, and feel the crisp breeze. It is important to have that one place to go where you can clear your mind and start your day right. Unfortunately, the weather isn't always cooperative. Of course, it is Spring and nearly Summer so rain and heat are inevitable. This being said it was time to get creative.

My solution for this dilemma? Fortunately, I have an enclosed front porch that was just waiting to be decorated and used for just this purpose. I took a few things from the house like a comfortable rocking chair,  some other furniture, a picture of some pretty flowers, some actual pretty flowers, books, and small knickknacks. Put together, this created a space that would be relaxing, allow me to open the windows, enjoy the sound of the rain and feel the breeze but still remain dry. Then it poured!!

But the storm had a beautiful ending.

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PastelPriceless: A Place To Listen To The Rain!

PastelPriceless: A Place To Listen To The Rain!: I love to spend my mornings, with my coffee, on the back deck looking over the back yard. It is so relaxing to wake up with nature every mo...

PastelPriceless: Where In The World Do You Get All of Those Coupons...

PastelPriceless: Where In The World Do You Get All of Those Coupons...:     Times can be pretty tough and money can be short. Coupons, however, are abundant. It is important to know where to look for them. Even ...

Where In The World Do You Get All of Those Coupons?

    Times can be pretty tough and money can be short. Coupons, however, are abundant. It is important to know where to look for them. Even I had to be taught to look for them in many places, not just the Sunday paper. Surely we have all seen those shows where someone takes a list of things to the store along with their coupons, racks up a bill of $300 and then whips out her stack of coupons which bring the total down to $.25. If I had the storage space, I would extreme coupon like crazy, but non-extreme couponing helps out too and it can be fun. Have you ever wondered where they get all of those coupons?

There are many sources for coupons. We all know about the Sunday paper coupons. In the area I live in they have a county paper that comes out about once a week too. There are a few coupons in there but not many. Often, on the flyer that comes out from your local store, there will be store coupons attached that you can cut out. I have been surprised to see that a few of the magazines that I am subscribed to have booklets of coupons, once in a while, attached to them or in the plastic wrapping that surrounds them. If you look inside the magazines that you buy, you can find coupons on pages or in the form of cards. Don't want to clip coupons yourself. Look online for coupon printing companies, they will do the work for you for a small fee.

 Lately, there has been a trend towards printing off coupons. Not every store allows these yet, but more and more they are becoming the way to go. You can go to the coupon companies themselves such as Redplum, P&G, SmartSource, etc, ... where they offer you the printable version, tell you where to find them locally, or signup for their newsletters. Some will even send them directly to your home if they are not offered in the local papers.

Some stores offer you their own coupons. Target, for instance, has a large selection of in-store printable coupons. These can be used along side a manufacturer's coupon. Having a store coupon, manufacturer's coupon, and a great sale and you have the makings for some incredible deals. Many times a store's  coupons can be found in the isles as you shop. Catalinas are found in the little machines where you can pluck them and they spit out another. Also, vendors will post manufacturer coupons in the isles that you can peal from a pad. Yet another way to get them is to buy something with a coupon on it that you can use at the time of purchase. There are coupons, sometimes, on the insides of packaging as well.

One of my favorite ways to get coupons is to go directly to the manufacturer. Companies want to sell their items and often will send out samples or coupons if you sign up to their pages or newsletters. For instance, if you like a certain cleaning product, write the company that makes it explaining how much you love their product. In their appreciation, they will often send coupons and/or samples. P&G Everyday offers samples that can be tailored to your preferences. 

Like to shop online with coupons? Click here to check out how to do it on Amazon!

Finally, we come to apps. Many stores have their own apps where you can find mobile coupons, search ads, or even shop. Digital coupons are growing fast in popularity. Not having to search or clip through them makes life a little easier. They send out regular texts to let you know when a new batch of digital coupons are available. 

Check it out, see how many coupons you can find in these places and then start saving money. Who knows, you may even have fun!

PastelPriceless: Coffee and Tea With Me!

PastelPriceless: Coffee and Tea With Me!:     As I have explained before, and I am sure many of you can identify, I have a horrible time getting going in the morning. Making things e...

Coffee and Tea With Me!

    As I have explained before, and I am sure many of you can identify, I have a horrible time getting going in the morning. Making things easier for myself is a must. Everything needs to be easily accessible so that I don't trip over myself in the morning trying to get it ready to use.

Introducing The Coffee Station

No, it is nothing too complicated but it certainly helps in the morning not to have to look for everything just to make a great cup of coffee. My Coffee Station is located at the end of the counter, near the sink, below the cabinets where my favorite coffee mugs are stored. 

We don't use the coffee pot for just coffee. It is used to heat water for instant coffee, tea, and cocoa as well as my Ready-Made Pecan Raisin Oatmeal. All of these things are conveniently stored in a basket or jar in the coffee station.

Waking up and making coffee shouldn't be a chore. Having it all set out and ready to use helps start the day right by making it easier. For more a more detailed look at The Coffee Station, check out this video!

Relaxed mornings make for better days! 

PastelPriceless: Important Learning Experience For Your Couponing

PastelPriceless: Important Learning Experience For Your Couponing:      I just recently started couponing again after a six month break. It wasn't that I got tired of couponing or couldn't find any c...

An Easy Time Saver For Your Morning

    Picture this. You are trying to wake up in the morning on a Monday. You stumble to the kitchen in search of the coffee container and the filters. The fingers aren't working well enough to separate the coffee filters. Then you misjudge the angle while scooping the coffee grounds into the filter because you are still only half awake, so now there is coffee all over the counter in front of you. Great, a mess to clean up first thing in the morning. Yawning on your way to the Coffee Maker, you leave a trail of coffee grounds behind you. The messes are multiplying! Hope there is enough in the filter to make at least a cup. Now you have to sweep the floor and clean the counter. Yeah, I know. I have been there and done that. Mondays are hard enough without the extra work, right?

    I worked at a nursing home a couple years ago and they had a solution for this problem which I now use at home. Yay, I get to avoid the mess!! Anything I can do to make life more efficient and easier is a plus. 

                   Introducing the pre-measured coffee filters! 

       On a weekend day, mine is Sunday, I take the time to do a few things around the house that will make it easier for me to function during the week. One of those things is pre-measuring and storing my coffee. It is pretty simple really. Grab a clean small to medium size resealable bowl, your coffee, and filters. Place an empty filter in the bowl. Now add as many scoops of your favorite coffee as you like to make your perfect pot of coffee. Mine is five scoops of Chocolate Mint Coffee for my 12 cup Coffee Maker! Yes, I love coffee. Now, even it out and stack another filter on top of the filled one and fill it. Keep repeating till your bowl is sufficiently full but you are still able to seal it. Place an empty filter on top and mold it to the top of the previously filled one to keep it from shifting and maintain freshness, then seal the bowl and place it near your coffee maker. Now all you have to do is fill you coffee maker with water. 

Check out my video for visual instruction!

That's it! Easy, huh? A lot easier than getting out the rag for the counter and the broom for the floor on a Monday morning! 

PastelPriceless: Turkey Vegetable Soup In The Crock-Pot!

PastelPriceless: Turkey Vegetable Soup In The Crock-Pot!:           I absolutely love veggies! The Crock-Pot is also my favorite way to cook. Nothing better than throwing some ingredients into...

Turkey Vegetable Soup In The Crock-Pot!

 

      I absolutely love veggies! The Crock-Pot is also my favorite way to cook. Nothing better than throwing some ingredients into it, letting the smell fill your home, and having a nice hot meal at the end of a long day.  On the menu today is a Turkey Vegetable Soup. Keep in mind that all of the ingredients in this recipe can be switched up for either another meat or another vegetable. I switch it up often and very rarely make it the same way twice. This is a variation. Give it a shot!

Turkey Vegetable Soup

     1 lb of Ground Turkey

     1 1/2 cup of pre-sliced Onions and Bell Peppers

     1/2 package of Frozen Green Beans

     1/2 package of Frozen Cut Carrots

     2 cubes of minced Frozen Oregano

     2 cubes of minced Frozen Cilantro 

     16 ounce can of Stewed Tomatoes

     1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Salt

     1/2 teaspoon of Mrs Dash

     3/4 cup of Water

     Salt and Pepper to taste

     Turn the Crock-Pot on high. Put in thawed and lightly cooked Ground Turkey , Onions and Peppers, Oregano cubes, and Cilantro cubes. Let cook for three hours. At this point your home smells incredibly good. Now, here comes the veggies! Add Green Beans, Carrots, Tomatoes, Garlic Salt, and Mrs Dash (Find Mrs Dash at Amazon). Cook for an hour. Add 3/4 cup of water. Let cook for two hours. Salt and Pepper to taste. Enjoy!

     Pretty simple, huh?!?