Why Deals?

Some of you may be wondering "why deals?" 

"Isn't it a lot of work just to save a little money?"

"Is it even worth it?"

I hope I can answer some of those questions.  My goal is not to recreate what someone else is already doing, teaching or writing about.  I'm hoping that those of you who have asked me get some help from this and maybe someone who isn't ready or able to set up an ultimate coupon binder can still save some money.  (I am not putting the binder down.  I had one...before children.  It's a fun system.  If you want to know more check out Krazy Koupon Lady.)

The reason getting a deal is so great is because I equate time with money.  I'm a mostly stay-at-home mom.  My children, bless them, do not pay me for all I do.  (If you have found a way to get them to, please let me know!).  That means that my husband is gone working.  We kind of like him around here and miss him when he's gone.  He is literally spending his time to make money so that we can function in Western society.  If I can save us money, I am saving his time.  He doesn't have to work as long (whether daily or for his lifespan) because our money goes farther.  Money really isn't a big deal.  There is always more.  Time, however, is finite.  You only get so much of it to spend and you can't ever get more or get any back once it's gone.  And, unlike money, you don't actually know how much you have left so you always have to make the most of what you have right now.  Quite the philosophical answer for saving some money right?!

There's another answer for "why deals?"  They are FUN!  I enjoy finding deals and hope you enjoy the fruit of my findings in these posts.


Do you have another question about deals?  Ask!  I'd love to come up with an answer for you.  :)

What Are Deals?

First, what is a deal? 
In my mind (which is not Webster's btw) a deal is something that you would normally buy that you are saving money on.  Emphasis on normally buy.  If you wouldn't normally buy capers but they are on sale so you buy them, it's not a deal.  If they are free on the other hand, they are a deal.  ;)  If you do use capers and they are on sale, YAY!  If you have a coupon, even better!  (And if you can get a rebate on them you just got a triple play...but we'll go in baby steps.) 

So, what qualifies as a deal?
Any savings on something you would normally buy is great, but 50% or more is a super deal in my mind.  It's what I look for when I'm posting deals for you. 

One of the secrets is not to be brand loyal unless there is a reason to be.  Store brands are often made in the same factory as the name brand product and then a different label is put on it. 

Also, remember that bigger is not always better and smaller is not always a steal.  Sometimes a product is on sale and you might have a coupon for it too.  Many times, you can walk away with an almost free small container.  Other times, something might be on sale and it makes more CENTS (see what I did there? ;) ) to buy the bigger container because it is actually cheaper per ounce.  Beware of stores that post one price breakdown as price per ounce and another brand as price per pound.  Make sure you're comparing ounces to ounces or pounds to pounds.  (Use a unit converter app on your phone to make it easy, but there are 16 ounces in a pound for those of you who just remember things.)  Then you can easily see where the best deal is.

What do I sacrifice deals on?
Ok, maybe sacrifice is a strong word as I still am always on the lookout for deals on these too, but there are certain things I don't really like to skimp on.  I will pay a little more for toilet paper at Costco than the box at Cash and Carry because it really is a better quality.  I will spend more on organic produce (especially the dirty dozen) because my family's health is important to me and I know the effects of GMOs and pesticides on their little bodies.  I am slowly doing the same with cleaners and bath products as well.  The great part is that my budget allows these things because rarely do I pay full price on a cup of coffee (which is still a splurge for me) or even a tank of gas.

More on that to come.  If you would like to know more about couponing, check out www.krazykouponlady.com.  They have full tutorials and great ways to do a lot or a little.  I currently only do a little couponing but I have used them lots in the past.  You can still get great deals without them.  Stay tuned.

What is something you are not willing to sacrifice even if you can't get a deal?

September 2016 Deals

Somehow September is halfway over.  I'm not sure how that happened but there are still some deals to get this month in Central Oregon.  If you know of something I didn't post, leave it in the comments and I'll add to the list and repost after it's verified.  :D

One Day Only:


Month Long Deals:

Starbucks: Load $10 or more to your Starbuck's card via app and pay with Visa Checkout to get an email with an additional $10 Starbuck's gift card.  Type that code into your app as well so you get star credit for those purchases towards your free drink/food.  The best use of this is to only load $10 which you will have to choose from the other section on the drop down.  You do have to register a card.  I used my spending money card and got a free $10 worth of coffee.  And since I probably won't pay full price the $20 I now have on my card will last me quite awhile.

Mazatlan, Redmond: Kids eat free on Tuesdays (after 3) with the purchase of an adult entrée.  The person I spoke with didn't know how long this will last, and it seems to me that last year I went and tried this after the sign was down and they were no longer doing it, so make sure you check the sign on the highway.

Dairy Queen: Happy Hour, Weekdays 2:00-5:00 p.m. Small Iced Coffee ($1), Ultimate Frappe or Premium Fruit Smoothies ($2).

All the Time:

Dutch Bros.: Buy a $20 gift card, get a free drink.  The best use of this free drink is to get the biggest size available.  Their blended drinks (Frosts, Freezes and Smoothies) come in a gigantic 32 oz. size.  I get one and share with the whole family (unless it's coffee of course and then I recommend sharing with another adult in your life. ;) )!

Coffee Republic (corner of Greenwood & 8th by The Dough Nut Eastside): $2 Tuesdays for a 16 oz. drink or $3 for a smoothie.  Check and see if they have a punch card too!

What deals do you know of?  Post them in the comments so I can keep our list updated!  :)

REVIVE VoxBox Product Reviews

So, I mentioned on Facebook that I had received a goodie box full of fun stuff to try and was going to be writing reviews about them.  And you may have seen some of those posts on Facebook and Instagram, but in case you didn't, here is a list of everything that I got to try.  Remember that all of these things were sent to me free to try but the opinions are my own because you are my friends and I would not want you to try something that wasn't any good!

I wanted to take a picture of the whole box...you know, unopened and then me opening it and then it all laid out.  But the mail came early that day so it got stuck on the table and my boys opened it.  I thought, "Wow, that must not have had very strong tape on it."  But then Josiah informed me that he had gotten the scissors from the drawer and cut the tape so that they could open it better.  I intervened before Nate opened the cookies and the protein drink powder was dusted all over the entryway!

The Snackwell's Biscuit Thins were the first thing I tried.  Honestly it's because they were cookies and I wasn't sure how long I could keep Nate out of them!  And they have coffee in them which is the LAST thing a 2-year-old needs!  They are so cute with little words on them.  Like my Dutch Bros. lids.  Or a fortune cookie.  Or the little papers on tea bags.  Apparently I need my food and drinks to tell me nice things.

Roses courtesy of Danny for my un-birthday. 
Mug courtesy of a great friend when I needed it.

And they tasted good.  I had the French Vanilla Latte which is exactly what they tasted like...only crunchy.  So they are perfect if you want a cookie, and coffee, and protein all in one crunchy package.

Tell me you don't like your snacks to say nice things to you! ;)

I received three single serve coffee pods to taste test as well.  (Coffee cookies and coffee itself!  These people know me well!  It must be the surveys I filled out telling them all my secrets.)  There was a slight problem though...I don't actually have a K-cup style brewer.  I planned a coffee tasting with a friend who does, but then the boys got sick so we had to cancel.  :(  Instead I just opened one up and poured it into the cutest little tiniest coffee maker you've ever seen.  My dad bought it to make one cup of coffee at a time, which is exactly what it does.  I tried the Kauai Coffee (because I LOVE this coffee when my  brother and sister-in-law bring it from Hawaii) and the Chock full o'Nuts (because I've wanted to try it ever since I started couponing with my mom in late elementary school).  I still love Kauai Coffee but the Chock full o'Nuts was pretty strong for me because in reality I don't actually drink coffee because I like coffee but because I like it as the base for yummy coffee drinks!  Full disclosure on this here blog.

A yummy coffee drink made with a Kauai Coffee Pod.

But the best thing about these coffee pods are that they are compostable!  That's cool whether you have worm beds or compost piles or not.  It turns out that coffee pods are the new water bottle of the Earth.  Remember when bottled water first came out and plastic bottles were everywhere until a deposit started being charged on them so they would be recycled?  This year alone, enough coffee pods will be sold to circle the Earth 13 times!  That's a lot of times.  So, compostable is cool and worms really like coffee grounds FYI.

 

 

This is the bottom of the coffee pod.
Kind of like a mini coffee filter instead of a plastic cup.

One of the other things I received to try were some protein and meal replacement powders from The Vitamin Shoppe.  Now, I am not a fan of protein powders to begin with.  I would rather just use natural sources of protein and I can taste fake sweeteners so they always taste off to me.  I tried the Body Tech Whey Tech Pro 24 in Strawberries & Cream blended into a strawberry banana smoothie.  I didn't like it, but Danny said it tasted fine.  (He does like protein powders and uses them often.)

Then I tried the Next Step Fit N' Full Shake in Cookies n Cream because I like cookies and cream.  I made it mixed with water and blended with a little ice so that it would be more shake like.  I could barely get a quarter of it down.  :P

Cookies n Cream

For the Plnt Plant Protein in Vanilla, I decided just to add a scoop to my Orange Creamsicle Smoothie.  That was much better.  It added a little extra flavor and didn't taste fake.  Plus, there are no GMOs in it so you know I like that.

I realize this Orange Creamsicle Smoothie does not look wonderful, but it really is good. 
And the leftovers make yummy popsicles.

Here's the recipe for the Orange Creamsicle Smoothie:
 

1 can frozen orange juice
1 cup milk
1 cup water
10 ice cubes
1/4 cup oatmeal (optional)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

If using oatmeal and chia, blend them to a powder. Add remaining ingredients and blend until slushy. Omit protein powder if serving to kids, pour theirs and then add the powder to yours. Makes enough for two adults and two small children.

This is the last product I got to try.  Some of you may know that I once had hair down to my knees.  Having it to my feet was my goal.  It goes back to my childhood and watching Elvira on commercials around Halloween.  I now realize she may not have been the best role model for a five-year-old, but all I knew was that she was beautiful and had incredibly long hair.  Actually, that's about all I still know about her.  Is she famous for something other than being a Halloween mascot?

Anyway, my hair is now to the middle of my back (the shortest it's ever been by the way, which goes back to being bald until I was two and pictures in which I look like a boy after my mom hacked it off when I was three for not letting her brush it.  All my hair issues stem from childhood.  I won't even get started on bangs right now!).  So, even though my hair is shorter, it is still a thick, curly, {often} frizzy tangle.  I only wash my hair a couple of times a week or it would never dry.  All of that to say I had to wait for hair washing day before I could try this shampoo and crème rinse, which I adore!

Those are great curls and I had nothing to do with them.  I just washed like normal using the SheaMoisture shampoo and crème rinse and used a little hairspray like I normally do after washing because it makes me feel like I did something to my hair.  And the shampoo smells nice according to Danny (and me too but it's nice when someone else notices).

I love it!  And it's sulfate free and other gunky stuff free so you don't have to worry about that!

Like I said before, I got all of this stuff free to try from Influenster.  I participated in a few online reviews of products I had already tried on my own and filled out a few surveys.  That was it.  Then I got this box of goodies, tried them and wrote the reviews where they asked me to.  Easy and fun!  (Well, except when I wrote this blog the first time and almost all of it self-destructed...but the rest was fun!)  If you'd like to sign up and try it out, follow this link and I get some points for referring you: www.influenster.com/r/2032137

And, if you follow any of the links below so that you can try these products yourself, I get a small percentage back, which is fun for me and costs you nothing extra.  It's a little way for me to make money and not have annoying pop-up ads which drive me bonkers.  :)  So, thanks!




Do you like your snacks to tell you nice things?

Who was a role model for you when you were young?

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.