Class ~ Section 1 Part 1

Class last night was a super packed one, full of the coupon basics. I loved watching the faces of the women present as some you could see got very excited about the material and then in another glance you could see their brows furrow in concentration, wanting to soak in the details I was explaining. I was so happy to see new faces and be able to pass on some knowledge. I look forward to helping others with their savings goals and showing them how to be a better consumer.
With the industry making changes nationwide on couponers, you will see a change in their shopping habits, I believe. No more will people be allowed to clear shelves and managers will get more control on how a couponer is shopping in their stores. Is this a good thing? I am bracing myself for the changes and trying to remind people of coupon ethics. (Yes, you can shop ethically with coupons and be proud for it!) It is unfortunate that some couponers have essentially ruined coupon shopping for others. Will it be impossible to find good deals after the changes? I doubt it but I do believe that it will slow consumer spending in a single transaction. Once again, you will have to be super savvy at the register and be watching the cashier and the register like a hawk for those changes to be effective for you.
Until then... happy savings to you all!

Extreme Couponing Has Taken Off and Retail Chains Are Aware...

Stores Revising Policies To Close Loop Holes On Extreme Couponers

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Several stores and manufacturers are tightening the loopholes that allowed customers to empty store shelves for extremely low prices.
The cable network TLC exposed some of the best ways to go about using coupons in their show called "Extreme Couponing." Since the series began, retailers have been hit hard by people using coupons to get the best deals.
Rite Aid and Target have recently revised their coupon policies and some stores are changing their bar code systems to prevent shoppers from using coupons meant for other items.
Manufacturers are also cracking down. Proctor & Gamble now limits consumers to four of the same coupon per shopping trip.

 

Please make sure you check with your stores for their coupon policies as anyone can copy and paste a store logo onto a document and put it out on the web.

 

Happy Savings!

Classes

The first series of classes will begin on July 6 @ 6:30  PM @ the Hastings Hardback Cafe/RS, WY
Enrollment is required. Cost:$5.00 (pays for materials).
Series 1 part 2 will be on July 10 @ 11 AM @ the Hastings Hardback Cafe/RS, WY
Enrollment is required. Cost is $5.00 or if you want to save $$ pay for both classes on July 2 and save $2.00!
Series 1 part 3 will be on July 14 @ 10 AM @ Albertsons/RS, WY Enrollment is required. Cost is $5.00.

Please contact me via FB @ couponsnmore or my email: couponsnmore@ymail.com should you want to enroll! Bring 2 canned good items to each session to save $1.00 off class, (donations go to RS Food Bank.) Door prizes, freebies, samples and coupons! Please bring a notebook to each session and any of your shopping savvy friends! I look forward to talking coupons with all of you!

Give To The Troops Donation List

Please contact me if you would like to be involved in our "Give 2 The Troops" donation day! Our coupon exchange is busy saving these items for the troop donation day and we would love to have anyone come and help! Thank a service man/woman by helping us out! Thanks so much!

Julie Ann

Give2TheTroops'®
OFFICIAL LIST
of the Most Popular
ITEMS REQUESTED BY OUR TROOPS


Please contact your Nearest Branch
to coordinate donations drives, drop-off dates or other shipping arrangements. LARGE shipments or pallets of items need to be scheduled ahead of time & sent only to our NORTH CAROLINA or CONNECTICUT BRANCHES.
This list is designed specifically for troops registered with our organization and may not be copied or distributed without our permission.

Click Here for a printable version of this list

Due to our Policies and Regulations, we CANNOT ACCEPT these items: HOME-BAKED FOOD GLASS BOTTLES or GLASS JARS AEROSOL CANS or AEROSOL SPRAYS EXPIRED FOOD CANNED FOOD CANDLES, LIGHTERS, MATCHES or LIGHTER FLUID HOTEL SAMPLES VHS TAPES or CASSETTE TAPES CONTRABAND ITEMS (live plants, tobacco, alcohol, knives, nudity, etc.) HARD-COVER BOOKS & MUSIC CDS* (*CDs accepted only at our North Carolina Branch)
Click here for Shipping Instructions
For security and sanitary reasons, please leave all items in their original packages. When purchasing items, please choose the latest expiration date possible. Thank you for your cooperation and support! * Items in PURPLE are the MOST NEEDED & REQUESTED * FOOD (SNACKS) & ENTERTAINMENT ITEMS ARE ALWAYS THE #1 REQUEST!
FOOD, SNACKS AND DRINKS: BEEF JERKY / SLIM JIMS COFFEE (Ground or whole; instant or drip. Ground is preferred) POWDER DRINK MIX (Gatorade, Kool-Aid, Crystal Light) SUNFLOWER SEEDS & PUMPKIN SEEDS TUNA & CHICKEN SALAD (in foil pouches, or ready-to-eat kits (no cans) PROTEIN POWDER & PROTEIN BARS CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS accepted from OCTOBER through MARCH (it will melt in high temperatures!) Hot Chocolate packets, Herbal teas Hard Pretzels / Cheetos / Fritos / Chex Mix / Wheat Thins / Ritz Gum / Hard Candy (must be individually wrapped in large bags) Granola Bars / Power Bars / Cereal Bars / Cliff Bars Fig Newtons, Oreos, Cheese & Crackers - Small Packs Trail Mix, Dried Fruit, Granola, Fruit Roll-Ups / Fruit By The Foot / Fruit Gummies DRY SOUP: (Ramen Noodles / Cup-O-Soup: just add water) NUTS: Peanuts, Mixed Nuts (salted preferred) MICROWAVE FOOD (Popcorn, Chef-Boy-R-Dee, Mac'n'Cheese...) COOKIES / Girl Scout Cookies (with chocolate: Oct. - Feb. only!) Rice Krispie Treats (Store-bought only) Little Debbies® & Hostess® cake products Oatmeal Packs (Instant: just add water) Cereal (Small, individual boxes) Condiments, Spices; Sugar; Salad Dressing (no glass jars) Caffeinated gum or candy (to stay alert) TOILETRIES: NO HOTEL SAMPLES! (Note: Some troops have allergies & need Brand Name toiletries which list all ingredients. The military issues and/or sells toiletries to our troops, however troops often miss their favorite brand of shampoo or soap. Our goal is to send troops reminders of home & items they miss ... not free samples.) BABY WIPES (travel size) HAND SANITIZER (travel size) Body Wash, Liquid Soap, Facial Cleanser Shampoo /Conditioner (travel size) Hair Gel (for female troops to pull hair back) Combs / Brushes / Bobby Pins (in original packaging, please) Deodorant (travel size) Razors (disposable or "Intuition" or "Mach 3" types) Shaving Cream in Tubes / Shaving Soap (No CANS of Shaving Cream, please!) Lip balm / Chap Stick / Carmex / Blistex Baby Powder & Foot Powder (travel size) Tissues (individual packs; travel size only) Hand & Body Lotion / Moisturizer (travel size) Sunblock, SPF 45, Zinc, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera Gel Bug Spray / DEET / Skin-So-Soft Mouthwash (travel size) Toothpaste & Toothbrushes & Dental Floss Breath Mints / Breath Strips Lozenges / Cough Drops Loufa Sponges / Buff Puffs / Washcloths Nail files / Emery Boards / Nail Clippers Feminine Hygiene Products Cotton Swabs (i.e. Q-tips) - also used to clean guns! Cotton Balls Band-aids, Gauze Pads, First Aid Kits / Ace bandages, Icy Hot or Bengay cream Moleskin Shoe Insole Cushions (gel kind is best) Tylenol, Motrin, Advil or Aspirin Packets Eye Drops (i.e. Visine) Nasal Spray Vitamins (multi-vitamins are always needed!) ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS: BATTERIES: (AA, AAA, C & 9 Volt are the most requested) DVD Movies (new or used - recent releases only, please!) Xbox Games, PSP, PS2 & PS3 Games (new or used) iTunes® Gift Cards 35 mm disposable cameras Computer Flash Drives & Thumb Drives Portable CD players / head phones Electronic handheld games Small homemade gifts - reminders & comforts of "home" Small photographs or posters of scenery for their tents & walls Pens & mechanical pencils, small note pads Stationery & Envelopes; blank cards to send home Double-sided tape, small crafts kits, scrap-booking items Day planners / Calendars / Small, Pocket Calendars Game Books: (Crossword Puzzles / Word Search Books / Math Puzzle books / MAD LIBS / Logic Problems / Sudoku) Yo-Yo's, Dominoes, Playing Cards (new), Poker Chips & Mats, Dice Board games (UNO, Othello, Checkers - travel size is great, too!) Dart Boards (regular or magnetic - any size) Nerf Footballs / Whiffle bats, balls & Mitts / Sports equipment Frisbees / Hackey sacks Music CDs, Magazines & Books (Accepted ONLY at our NORTH CAROLINA BRANCH) OTHER: LINENS: Pillow cases, twin sheets, towels (green & tan) T-SHIRTS: Cotton green & tan under shirts - new (Sizes: M, L & XL) [Note: The DOD banned "Under-Armor" shirts due to its material being potentially flammable & bad reactions to open wounds.] LAUNDRY DETERGENT & FABRIC SOFTENER SHEETS: (Click HERE for types) FLASHLIGHTS - SMALL (battery operated. Surefire Brand preferred) AIR FRESHENERS (standalone-not plug-in. Car types are also good) SOCKS: Black, Olive Green & White (cotton or wool) PHONE CARDS - Pre-Paid (Click HERE for Where to Buy and What Types of Phone Cards to Buy from Third-Party Vendors) Gift Cards to send home to loved ones (for Restaurants, Supermarkets) Small toys (Beanie babies) & school supplies for Iraqi & Afghan children Patriotic knick-knacks, USA flags, flags from your state, bandanas, baseball hats, football jerseys, banners to tack on their walls or tents. Black or Green duct tape, small tool kits, dust masks, carpentry tools, Fly swatters, fly paper, mosquito netting, bug repellent in plastic pump bottles only (NO AEROSOL CANS, PLEASE!) Paint brushes, adhesive wall hooks, sponges Gun cleaning supplies (lube) such as Militec-1 & CLP Generic sunglasses (Ballistic, black only. No "mirror" types) Alarm Clocks (Small in size; wind-up or battery-operated) Small, portable heaters & fans (110 voltage okay) Fleece Blankets (Yes, it gets very cold in the winter over there!!) Disposable Hand warmers and Foot warmers (in the wintertime) Winter Hats (Yes, it snows in the winter over there! Hand knitted hats in black, tan or green are always welcome!) Water Bottles, Travel Mugs & Thermoses with Lids, (for Coffee, Tea & Soup) Coffee Makers & Filters (110 voltage okay) Coffee Bean Grinders - small (electric or battery-operated) Microwave Ovens (55 pounds max; 110 voltage okay) Hot Pots - Small Elixir & Water Purification Tablets for Camelbaks Combat Application Tourniquets (black only) Religious booklets, small bibles, inspirational readings Holiday and Seasonal Decorations - see our PROGRAMS PAGE for details K-9 items: Dog treats, toys, shampoo, flea collars, etc. (Note: CLICK HERE to see our restrictions and guidelines if you wish to donate items to the dogs. Thank you.) CARDS & LETTERS: The troops love to hear from all of us and Mail brightens their days! These are the MOST IMPORTANT items we can send the troops & we can never have too many, so please keep writing! consider making a patriotic banner or poster to send inside one of our care packages! Note: Our troops do not need stamps as they're in war zones & may send mail home to their loved ones at no charge, but our branches can always use stamps to send correspondence.		Marine LCpl. Jon Michael Turner thanks us for the Xbox system & games we sent. (Fallujah, Iraq) Iraqi children thank us for the gifts we sent them. Sgt. Michael Loston gives an Iraqi girl donated supplies at a school in Mosul, Iraq. Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army Army soldiers in Afghanistan going through one of the boxes we sent. Marines in Fallujah, Iraq thank us for their care packages. Soldiers in Iraq thank us for their care packages. Soldiers thank us for their treats. A Marine in Iraq with one of our boxes SSgt. Paul Barentine and "Kisma" thank us for the canine gifts. Two G2TT recipients! Our K-9's appreciate the support as do their handlers!

Pennsylvania donors from St. Andrews Church Host A "Block Party" Fundraiser For Give2TheTroops!

How To Donate To The Troops

Give2TheTroops® Shipping Instructions

Thank you for your interest in mailing donations to us! We're happy to receive your items and forward them on to the troops for you! Below are our shipping instructions should you decide to mail boxes to one of our branches. INCLUDE A NOTE INSIDE EACH BOX Please include a note inside each box you send us with the Donor Name and Address. That way, we can make sure we send you an acknowledgement letter/receipt for your donation. Be sure to include the name of the donor(s), and the full address where we should mail the letter as well as any other special instructions you may require. We also suggest you clearly mark each box with your return mailing address. If your box is lost in the mail, the post office can return it to you. SEPARATE TOILETRIES FROM FOOD ITEMS Please prepare liquids & gels for shipping to us by taping the flip tops and placing these items in Zip-Loc bag Also, bag all items with strong odors such as bar soap, dryer sheets, and peppermint. Any items that can make a mess if spilled such as coffee, powders, etc. should also be placed in bags. Please keep food products separate from toiletries. Strong aromas from toiletries will spoil the taste of the food. On occasion, we've received boxes soaked from a bottle of shampoo or conditioner which opened during shipment to us. It's best to put a piece of tape over the caps on any liquids and then insert them into Zip-Loc bags. We also received a box full of ants because some of the food items were not sealed well and spilled in the box. USE ORIGINAL PACKAGING Please do not open up packages of candy, razors, combs, brushes, Q-tips, etc. Not only is it unsanitary fo the toops, but sometimes it's not safe! Several of our volunteers cut themselves from loose razors in boxes. NO STYROFOAM PEANUTS Please do not use foam packing peanuts as they are difficult for us to dispose of. If the items need to be cushioned, use rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, or packages of socks or washcloths, which can then be send onto the troops. NO EXPIRED FOOD Please look at the expiration dates of food you donate to us. We discard all expired food for the troops' safety. NO GLASS, AEROSOL CANS, CANNED GOODS or HOMEMADE FOOD Please do not send us glass bottles or aerosol cans of any kind (including cans of shaving cream, deodorant, "Silly String", etc.) For our troops' safety, we cannot accept homemade food. Also, we do not accept most canned foods except for SPAM or sardines. * We appreciate your thoughts, but cannot ship such items to the troops and will have to find another charity to donate these items to. Also - we also do not accept hotel samples or tinfoil mailing samples of toiletries. Many troops have allergies. They need to see the ingredients. Additionally, our troops receive generic shampoo. They are really looking for a reminder from home or a nice BRAND NAME product - not "Ramada Inn" or "Sheraton Hotel" *Our North Carolina Branch will take canned pastas and soups, as we pack food boxes for the troops in North Carolina to take with them in their connexes when they deploy, or send on resupply flights. NO CHILD'S PERSONAL ADDRESS For privacy and safety reasons, all letters from children should contain their first name only.We ask that children write their school's name (or the name of their Girl Scout troop, Boy Scout Den, religious institution, etc.) as the return address. Our Privacy Policy prohibts us from forwarding mail which clearly identifies a child's home address. All letters are screened for content by our volunteers before they are placed inside care packages. For this reason, and due to the anthrax scare, we ask you not to place letters in separate envelopes. Instead, please put all letters from classrooms or Scouts in one large manilla envelope. Note to Teachers and Scout Leaders: our Give2TheTroops "RULES FOR SCHOOL"™ document contains helpful hints on children writing to the troops. EMAIL US to receive a copy. LARGE SHIPMENTS OF DONATIONS Our Connecticut, Texas and North Carolina branches have the capacity to handle pallets and trucks, but you must coordinate those large freightline shipments with us prior to shipment so we are prepared. RECEIPTS FOR YOUR BOXES Please allow up to 6 weeks to receive an acknowledgment letter from us - we have only a few part-time administrative assistants and the rest of us are volunteers. We receive literally hundreds of boxes each week. If for some reason you still haven't received a letter from us after that time, please contact us at info@give2thetroops.org so we can track your donation and your acknowledgment letter.

Changes in Coupon Buying Policies

I reposted this for my coupon exchange group!

Change coming for Coupon “buying”?

June 16, 2011 by The Bargain Sleuth
Filed under: Coupons

If you are like me and buy some of your newspaper coupon inserts from a service, there is a major development. Today two sites that I know of (and probably more) posted that they are temporarily unable to process new orders but did not go into detail. One actually sent an email to customers explaining the situation.

As many of you know I am a newspaper manager. We received emails today from our corporate office regarding coupon distribution and disposal.
Apparently Red Plum, Smart Source and P&G are filing suit against eBay for allowing the buying and selling of coupons. They are also in talks regarding the same with TLC. According to them it`s all considered coupon fraud.
Before, we were allowed to give away the leftover q`s and those returned from papers that did not sell. We must now destroy all leftover inserts immediately. Newspaper employees are allowed to take home ONE insert per family member , per household.
They are going to do everything possible to make it almost impossible to get coupons without buying the actual newspapers. They are also going to shut down all online sites that sell whole coupon inserts.
So, it appears MAJOR change is coming.

Of course, I’ve had lots of crazy theories over the years: that the insert services had someone who worked at the printer and ran extra copies, someone worked for the newspaper and the bosses let them have all the extra inserts, someone worked for the newspapers and did unauthorized collection of inserts, that they worked at gas stations or places that sold a lot of newspapers, were newspaper delivery people, etc. Or that they simple buy a huge subscription amount that gives them a discount which then allows them to get many copies of inserts. But again, these are all just my theories, not facts.
I do know for a fact that the Green Bay Press-Gazette does not give away extra inserts because Circulation Manager Dave Sielski told me when I interviewed him a few weeks ago. He said they have strict agreements with the advertisers to destroy extra inserts.
Now, don’t panic. My favorite go-to site for whole inserts is appropriately called Whole Coupon Inserts. They posted the following statement on their Facebook page:

I was contacted by, a representative from, SVP News America Marketing, GM Smart Source iGroup. After looking into sources of our supply, I received an email back stating that “As long as you are buying the newspapers at retail rates or subscriber rates, I don’t believe there is an issue”.

So for those who get their inserts through legitimate sources don’t have anything to worry about. For those that buy them off eBay or some sites where their acquisition of inserts is unknown, the future is questionable.
And you can be sure that this is further backlash from the TV show Extreme Couponing.
But don’t get me started on that one…

Choctaw Blackberry Cobbler

I also had this served at my wedding and was amazing since it was a warm summer's night! Enjoy!

2 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 c. blackberries
2 c. boiling water
Cream 1 cup sugar and butter then add flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Mix well and pour into 12x8x2 inch pan. Pour the blackberries over batter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Pour the boiling water over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or cold. May be served with cream.

Choctaw Hunter's Stew

Hunting season is sneaking up on us again. I hear the wives talking about the "free time" they will have when their husbands and sons head off for the great hunt. So I thought I would share this recipe with you all as it is from my heritage: Choctaw. I had it served at our wedding ceremony as we tried to incorporate many of my traditions as well as recipes with our guest. Enjoy!

2 lbs. deer meat
2 tbsp. beef suet
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 to 8 carrots
3 ribs celery
2 lg. onions
2 lg. potatoes
1 lg. can tomatoes
1 lg. can whole kernel corn
Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and brown in suet then add the salt and pepper, cover with water and cook until done. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables and cut into bite-size pieces. Add these to the tender meat and simmer until done. This is very good served with cornbread or fry bread.

Amish Friendship Bread Instructions

Following are the recipe and instructions for Amish Friendship Bread as it was given to me. You can also go to our Recipe Box for an easily printable version of the recipe by clicking here.
NOTE: Do not refrigerate starter. It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment. If air gets in the bag, let it out.
Day 1: Do nothing.
Day 2: Mash the bag.
Day 3: Mash the bag.
Day 4: Mash the bag.
Day 5: Mash the bag.
Day 6: Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mash the bag.
Day 7: Mash the bag.
Day 8: Mash the bag.
Day 9: Mash the bag.
Day 10: Follow the directions below:

1. Pour the entire bag into a nonmetal bowl.
2. Add 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup milk.
3. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 1-gallon Ziploc bags.
4. Keep one of the bags fr yourself, and give the other bags to 3 friendship along with the recipe.

REMEMBER: If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking in 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift. Only the Amish know how to make a starter, so if you give all the bags away, you will have to wait for someone to give you a starter back.
Should this recipe not be passed onto a friend on the first day, make sure to tell them which day it is when you present it to them.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. To the remaining batter in a bowl add the following:

a. 3 eggs
b. 1 cup oil
c. 1/2 cup milk
d. 1 cup sugar
e. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
f. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
g. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
h. 1/2 teaspoon salt
i. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
j. 2 cups flour
k. 1-2 boxes instant pudding (any flavor)

i. Optional: 1 cup nuts and 1 cup raisins

3. Grease 2 large loaf pans

a. In a bowl mix an additional 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
b. Dust the greased pans with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

4. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on the top.
5. Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
6. ENJOY!

---

Need a Starter? THE RECIPE!
If you ask around, chances are you’ll find somebody you know with an Amish Friendship Bread starter to share (exercise good judgment if accepting a starter from someone you do not know). If not, here is the recipe for making your own:
Ingredients

1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a 2 quart glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added.
3. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
4. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread.

Is It A Good Online Coupon Or A Fraud?

There are a lot of online coupons out there. (Called Bricks) You may come across offers that appear to be legitimate coupons, but you aren't sure. Here are some simple guidelines on how to verify and get the most from online coupons.

• You should never see the actual coupon on your screen, only an offer to print it. Real coupons require special software to print proper barcodes and limit the number of prints of each coupon.
• Print coupons only from the brand website for the products you are interested in, or well-known savings sites like Coupons.com or major websites that you trust.
• Avoid coupon-swapping sites and websites that post images of coupons.
• Never pay for a online coupon.
• Don't buy coupons on auction sites.
• Don't make or use copies of coupons or printouts of scanned images of coupons.
• Be suspicious of printable coupons for a free product or one that seems too good to be true. It probably is!