Coupon Fraud on Extreme Couponing

Coupon Fraud is very real, not to mention, very illegal. Most of all, it is not pleasing to God! Here is a great post about fraud caught on tape on Extreme Couponing on TLC. If you coupon, take the time to educate yourself on the subject so you can spot criminal couponing advice when you see one.

As for the show, I do not have cable, so I did not see this one. However, I did see the pilot, and like some parts of it. Of course I would like to see more "realistic" shopping runs on a reality show.

Words of Wisdom from My Governor

Here are some words of wisdom from my New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on fiscal responsibility. He is a man after my own heart:

Gov. Chris Christie appeared on NJ 101.5 FM this week for his "Ask the Governor" show and left armed with a new viral audio clip.

Gov. Chris Christie

On the call-in show, Penny from Blackwood asked Christie how she, a state worker, was going to pay for the additional costs of her health care plan under the governor's proposal to take more money from state workers' pay for their insurance.

The answer was pure Christie:

"... We can no longer afford to pay 90-plus percent of the cost of your health care. Public workers are getting their health insurance paid for out of your property taxes and state workers are getting their health insurance paid for out of your income taxes. If I'm $67 billion in debt and you don't want me to take any more money out of your paycheck, how am I supposed to pay for it? Am I just supposed to raise taxes? Because if I raise taxes, you're going to pay more taxes. And if your property taxes go up, you're going to pay more taxes. I mean, the money's got to come from somewhere. We can't print it."

Read the whole article here.

Getting a Child Who Hates School to Love School

Or at least do their schoolwork with out a struggle. Recently I wrote a post about when a child hates school and some advice from my friends. This is my follow up post.

School is conducted in peacefulness now thanks to some changes. Here is what worked for us:

• Writing a list of each assignment. This alleviates the anxiety of endless amounts of schoolwork and provides a sense of accomplishment when your child crosses it off. My friend gave me the idea of color coding assignments green for independent work and red for work with mom. This way, if you are caught up with another child, they can still move ahead.
• Adding a fun hands on, educational activity to start our school day. It may be spelling word with our Lego letter blocks or a puzzle, but it is done quietly, seated at the table with the rest of us. I pick something my son will enjoy because I want to show him learning can be fun. It sets a good tone for our school time. Also, I give my younger son a parallel activity as a form of peer pressure.
• Academic Probation. This was my husband's idea, every night he would work with my son on his school work. My husband's reasoning was that my son looked forward to that time to play with his Dad, and missing that special time would motivate him to get his act together. During our normal school time, my son would be given educational tasks and complete some non-battle producing school tasks. Eventually, we were able to do all of his schoolwork during normal school hours.

Three simple changes, but it fixed our school problems.

Math Battle or Teaching Textbooks

Ok, my husband has gently mentioned before that I seem heavy handed in my posts about the struggles of homeschooling, he is right. After this I will try to think of a positive posts, but here is one more:

Next year I was thinking about getting an independent math or language arts program, so I will have time to teach the boys their reading and math. Though, I have felt concerned over the scholastic level of the independent programs. I do not want something that will make my kid a lemming or pencil resistant (hates learning). So, I felt concerned, torn and had a lot of questions.

However, math time has gotten so bad with my oldest, I think I need to switch now. She has a hard time learning math skills, and so hates math. I think doing math actually gives her a tension headache. Teaching Textbooks seems like it may be a great solution for us, though it is a grade or 2 behind in grade level. My daughter is behind anyway, so it might be a good fit for her. She enjoyed the on-line sample lesson, you can find them on their website.

Here is a really good review on Teaching Textbooks by a math tutor:

Time used: one year

Your situation:
started homeschooling middle of last year, went through all the popular math currics, none work for my 10 yr old who is diagnosed with dyscalculia, this year we also decided to homeschool our 8 yr old.

Why you liked/didn't like the book:
I will give the good first, this computer program has worked well for my 5th grader. We used the 4th grade cdroms. My son would cry at school during a math lesson and once we started homeschooling with Saxon and other like that he started banging his head on table, just pulling out the math book sent him into a major melt down. I am confident that this program is a perfect fit for my 10 yr old. 5 days a week he completes one lesson on his own without a fight. I did have to sit beside him for about three months everyday before he was confident on his own. I highly suggest this for kids that seem to have problems with math computations or have anxiety when you pull out a math book.

Now the bad, and this is really bad. I am a math tudor for several public school stundents. This program claims to be the best homeschool math for the 21st century, yet it is a good 2 yrs behind. When I called to ask about this, the lady just blew me off and laughed, "Our program follows state standards." I let her know that I am a math AND standardized tudor for 3 states. I explained that I loved their product; however they need to add so much. If you do use this product, contact your local school district and request a copy of their math standardized test prep. Each state gives each child a s.t.p workbook that has one or two questions that are required for that year. If you only use these product your child will not be considered grade level if you had to put them back in school or wanted them tested, for most homeschool families we are not concerned with "keeping up" with public school. I think those test prep workbooks are only helpful to children if you take time to go over each concept. All my students say that their teacher spent on day on several pages, one page can have up to 5 different concepts. If you can get one of these workbooks, talk your time, use the Teaching Textbooks for "happy time" math everyday and take one concept from the state standard workbook, go over it until your child really gets it. Homeschoolers are not slaves to government produced standards. We have learned that children and ready when they are ready, enforcing concepts too soon, too fast can change a child forever. My 5th grade students are doing stem and leaf proability graphs, which is not explored in this product. Also 5th grade students are required to know mode, median, average. This product has this in their 7th grade program.
To sum it up, my 5th grade LD student is doing the 4th grade lessons, my 2nd grade student is also using the 4th grade lessons. As with any homeschool product, it's not going to fit the perfect mold with state standards. If state standards worked for our kids, we would put them back in school.

Any other helpful hints:
Know what is important to you. Do you want your child to pull out their laptop and do their math lesson on their own, then you can go back and check the grade book
or
do you want to keep up, keep up, until your child is banging their head on the table?

stacey
Review left February 12, 2010

Good Stewards Class Notes: Couponing and Frugality

A friend and I spoke at a women's breakfast at my church on good stewardship of our money. While that is a huge topic, we mostly touched on how to save money by staying out of debt and couponing. Couponing is much more than just clipping coupons, it is a state of mind where wait to get what you need until you can get it at a good price. Once I saved over $700 on our family vacation by keeping my eyes opened and making 1 phone call. Below is more of a list of jumping off points, than a how to. It is the resources to get you started. Here is the hand out with a few added links and notes:

First of all, you may want to read this post I wrote comparing frugality with good stewardship. This part can be easily overlooked, but it is very important to have the right perspective.

There is also this post on couponing myths like, "There is nothing I would use coupons for."

Coupon lingo can be confusion to new be couponers, here is a site that translates for you.

Basic Principle

It is very simple, you use a coupon on a product that is already on sale. But you just don't buy one, you buy enough to last you to the next sale, usually about 3 months. See, the old way of couponing was buying a box of zip locks because I ran out. As an after thought I use 1 coupon as well. The new way is waiting until zip locks go on sale, then using the coupons I have to get several boxes. The old way I would get 1 paper, the new way I would get at least 4!

Four papers may sound like a lot, but you must have several to make your effort pay big. You can ask family and friends for their unwanted coupon inserts. If you cannot find any free paper inserts, even if you buy a paper, it would more than pay for itself.  If you are single or are just maintaining a stockpile, you may be able to get by with 2-3 papers.  As you keep reading, it will make more sense.  It also really depends how good the coupons are that week, I do not get 4 every week.  We will talk more about that too.  

Below there are more notes and links about coupon inserts and printable coupons. I also wrote 2 other posts on couponing here and here.

Here is a no coupon way to save money:

Homemade Laundry-detergent

This laundry detergent saves a huge amount of money. We buy its three ingredients for less than five dollars, and the resulting concentrate lasts our large family(the Duggars, not us) 3 months! It's a watery gel that produces low suds inside the washer. The ingredients are usually available in the laundry-products aisle of the supermarket — or order online. (Check recipes on the Internet; there's also a dry version of this laundry soap that's good for top-loading machines.) ~From 19 and Counting (Duggars) TLC on their recipe page. Added some comments myself. I have post here and here about this before. I have tried the dry recipe, it is not as good.

Ingredients:

1 Fels Naptha soap bar, grated
 1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

(All these ingredients can be found in the laundry isle at Shoprite.) 

Equipment: pot, grader, 5 gallon bucket, an old laundry-detergent bottle

Instructions:

1)Grate the soap bar into a small saucepan. Cover soap with hot water. 2)Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continually, until the soap completely dissolves.

3)Put washing soda and borax in a 5-gallon bucket. Pour in the hot, melted soap mixture. Stir well, until all the powder is dissolved. Fill the bucket to the top with more hot tap water. Stir, cover securely, and let set overnight. 
4)The next morning, stir the mixture. Mix equal amounts of soap concentrate and water in a smaller laundry-detergent dispenser or container. Shake before using.

For top-loading machines: Use 1 cup of the soap mixture per load.

For front-loading machines: Use 1/2 cup per load.

Coupon Inserts:

There are a few different publishers of coupons. They are:

Red Plum
Smart Source
P&G Brand Saver (Protector and Gamble products) 
GM Everyday Saver (General Mills)

You will find the title up at the top of the coupon insert. Occasionally, there may be 2 Red Plums and/or 2 Smart SourceS. The date is printed on the spine.

Sources:

Philadelphia Inquirer: Best coupons most of the time, has more coupons per Smart Source insert, but no Red Plum. This paper is best bought on Saturday, if you don't have it delivered and costs about $1.75. However, the some Shoprites sell it for $1 (Medford, NJ).

Burlington Country Times: has less coupons per Smart Source insert, but does have a Red Plum. This paper is best bought on Sunday from the Dollar Tree for $1 of course.

All You: A magazine sold only by Wal-mart, full of a lot of coupons. You can get a subscription from Amazon or from their website www.allyou.com Also, you can print coupons from their website.

Individual Coupons Printed from the Internet: Here are some safe sights to print coupons from:

www.coupons.com

www.smartsource.com

www.target.com

www.redplum.com

There are more available, many companies offer coupons (see “Is this printable coupon legitimate?” ). Remember, you can print 2 coupons per computer. So, the more computers you have access to, the more you can print. You will have to download a program, but it is perfectly safe. It just makes sure you cannot print out more than allowed.  

Weekly Preview: Find out what some of the good coupons, how many inserts, what inserts are in the paper, and how many papers to buy of this weekend. She posts it on Saturday.

www.momsneedtoknow.com

To buy weekly inserts:

www.madcoupons.net www.couponsthingsbydede.com

Ebay – search for inserts by date - “coupon inserts 1/9." You can also buy single coupons. I saved $60 once by buying Almond Milk coupons on Ebay. FYI you are paying for the service to cut and ship, not the coupons - that is illegal.  Yes, there is such a thing as coupon fraud, and it is serious.  

Websites:

www.hip2save.com -watch videos on shopping at a specific stores

www.livingrichwithcoupons.com (local shopping deals, and videos on putting together coupon binder)

www.thekrazycouponlady.com (videos, couponing 101, store policies) – authors of Pick Another Check Out Lane Honey

www.totallytarget.com (Great for all your Target deals!)

What can I buy with coupon and for how much?

Free	Cheap
Toothpaste and Toothbrushes Mouthwash Deodorant Saline Solution Over the Counter Drugs Razors Shaving Cream Feminine Hygiene Products Cake Mix, Pancake Mix, Brownies, Cookie Mix Soap and Body Wash Cosmetics Shampoo and Conditioner Pasta and Sauce Cleaning Products and Dish Soap Laundry-detergent Oatmeal Snacks Toilet Paper Paper Towels Cereal Candy and Gum Vitamins	Flour Sugar Seasonings Diapers Paper Towels Toilet Paper Tea and Coffee Laundry-detergent Cereal Cosmetics Diapers and Wipes Canned Foods

Buy Prices:

What are the items you should put in your stockpile? The list is long, but here are some:

Condiments (BBQ Sauce, steak sauce, mustard, ketchup, mayo)

Rice and Pasta

Snacks (crackers, nachos, salsa, popcorn)

Canned Goods (tomatoes, sauce, soups, vegetables)

Cereals

Cleaning Supplies (cleaners, garbage bags, laundry)

Drinks (water, soda, iced tea, coffee, tea, juice)

Dairy (butter, creamers)

Meats and Fish (keep frozen)

Health and Beauty Products (band aids, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, etc.)

Start your stockpile slowly, only looking for those items that are cheap or free. Within 4 weeks of starting your stockpile you can start to see approximately $50 knocked off your grocery bill. Within 8 weeks you can get to as much as $100 or even more off your weekly bill.

You will NEVER pay full price again!

Meats:

• Ground Beef 80-85% Lean $1.69- $1.99/lb
• Boneless Chicken Breasts $ 1.69- $1.99/lb
• Bone in Chicken Breast $ 0.79/lb
• Whole Chickens $ 0.97/lb
• Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks $ 0.79/lb
• Boneless Pork Chops $ 1.49/lb
• Boneless Pork Loin $0.99/lb
• London Broil $ 1.69/lb
• Top Sirloin Steak $ 3.99/lb
• Flank Steak $ 4.99/lb

Also be sure to check at Acme for “Manager Specials” they're will be a white coupon for an even lower price!!

Here is a sample buy price list, make your own according to the things you buy:

Cheese $1 or less for a bag of shredded cheese Ground Beef $1.75/lb Chicken $1.67/lb Milk $2.50/gallon (whole)- I freeze my milk if it's lower than this and I want to really stock up Cleaning Supplies (lysol wipes, bathroom & kitchen cleaners) $.50 or less Toothpaste/brushes FREE Cereal $.75 per box or less

Brownie and Cookie Mixes Less than $.50 or FREE Dish Soap $.25 or FREE Scott TP less then $.25 a roll Kotex Pads FREE Saline Solution FREE Granola Bars $.50 Chinet Paper Plates $.50 Bisquick $.90 or FREE Fruit Snacks $ .50 or less Deodorant FREE Body Wash FREE

Cooking:

Plan your meals, save money. Plan your meals around what you brought cheap or for free, save A LOT OF MONEY!

www.allrecipes.com (ingredient searches)

www.savingdinner.com (season dinner planning, easy, whole foods and healthy)

Monthly Meal Planner

Donations:

Only keep what you can use before it expires or 3 months to a year's worth at most. I might be able to get 20 tubes of free toothpaste, but I cannot possibly use them before they expire. While you are shopping for your household, pick up some items you can get FREE to donate!

Food shelters, missionary housing, charities that work with the needy ( i.e. homeless, women's shelter, aid to single mothers, pregnancy centers etc.) are just a few ideas. Keep your ears open, and you will hear how you can make a big difference just by spending your time. If your neighbor loses their job, you can just go to your stockpile to grab some things to help them. I have asked some people evolved with different ministries in our church, specifically what they need and how many people they plan to reach. This gives me an idea of what to look out for in "free" products, while making sure all my efforts and perfectly good supplies are not wasted.

Links to Helpful Handouts:

• What is a catalina?
• Coupon fraud alert
• Is this printable coupon legitimate?
• Coupon lingo
• Frequently asked couponing questions answered by Living Rich with Coupons
• Ten steps to becoming a crazy coupon lady by the crazy coupon ladies of course
• Coupon Basics for couponing newbies by Hip2Save
• Couponing 101 by Living Rich with Coupons
• Coupon fraud caught on tape

Final word
All this free and cheap items can make a newbie couponer go a little crazy.  Just please be sure not to clear the shelf, other shoppers are buying too.  A practical rule I use is no more than 4 items per store, unless it is a deal where you have to spend a certain about.  For example, buy $10 of Hunts products and get a $5 catalina off your next order).  It doesn't matter if you are going to donate them all.  There are families who seriously depend on these deals to make it, I am speaking of basic needs here, like heat, food and shelter.  If it is the last day of the sale and the store still has tons, then it is FINE to go crazy.  God wants us to be good stewards of our money, no matter what your income!  Other than that, please remember the biblical practice of gleaning in the wheat fields!

Books and Resources

• America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams by Steve and Annette Economides www.americascheapestfamily.com

-Lots of U Tube videos (link from their website)

-Great chapters on budgeting, saving and getting out of debt – very practical and realistic

• The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey www.daveramsy.com/home

-Great debt free living book

• The Duggars: 20 and counting! By Michelle and Jim Duggar www.duggarfamily.com & www.discovery.com/tv/duggars

-Great testimony of debt free living and good money saving tips

-This is where I got my recipe for Homemade Laundry-detergent

• Green This! Volume I: Greening Your Cleaning by Deirdre Imus

-Easy to implement with good information, excluding her conspiracy theories:-)

-She has other volumes available on green living

• Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely www.savingdinner.com

-She has a few other cookbooks as well.

-Weekly dinner menu plans based on season available foods, on a healthy, whole foods diet. She includes side suggestions.

-Simple, cheap and easy dinners that taste good too!
-Her books are great, but I think her eBooks and subscriptions are outrageously priced 

• Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey! By Joanie Demer and Heather Wheeler www.thekrazycouponlady.com

-Excellent book on how to coupon, and fun to read!

*Use your local library to read these books for FREE. Even if your library does not have the book, you can ask for it through inter-library loan.

Coupon Lingo

Don't speak coupon? Here is a post that translates it for you.

Watoto Children's Choir

Wow! As a family, we were fortunate to see Watoto Children's Choir in person, and it was a great show and experience. The choir is made up of orphan children from Uganda, and they put on an excellent show. Better yet, they have an awesome testimony how Jesus gave them hope when they had none. Here is a link to a video about the concert we saw and to their website http://www.watoto.com . The ministry transforms orphans and widows lives, meeting their physical needs, shows them love, and disciple them in Christ - where their true hope rests. If they ever come to your area, don't miss it, oh, and don't forget to bring the whole family. You can also book a stop on their tour. Check out more about their story at their website.