Back (from a rest)

Divas I'm back from a rest. Ok I've really been busy. For now on I'm also writing for Google Knols so instead of maintaining 2 sites, I'm just going to be setting a link from this webpage to my latest and greatest Knol.

http://knol.google.com/k/the-frugal-diva/how-to-have-a-stress-free-shopping/3g3uzobt78a18/2?domain=knol.google.com&locale=en#

Click away and enjoy the tip!

The Frugal Diva

Lesson 4 - Divas help Divas with their C.A.P.

Divas

You all thought that naming/implementing/executing your C.A.P. (Coupon Attack Plan) was the *only* way to get to the Diva Lifestyle? No way! Here's a concept, if you're unable to execute your C.A.P. because the sale that you had seen is BETTER in a different supermarket, enlist the help of another Diva.

Yes Divas can band together to save $$$.

Here's your gameplan...... If you're finding fabulous values in another supermarket chain, one that you normally do not go to and isn't easy for you to get to (however is easy for a friend or a family member). Make your list, pull your coupons, and ask a FAVOR if they'd pick your things up for you while they're there. Of course you will gladly return the favor if/when they would need your help. What does this buy you? A C.A.P. ON STEROIDS!! Yes, by enlisting the help of friends/family/other Divas, you are fully MAXIMIZING your C.A.P. and potential savings. Of course you should be logging these savings also in your Diva Dollars notebook.

Now remember your manners here....... A Diva is always courteous and doesn't expect another Diva to front her money for the favor to be done. PLEASE keep your Diva network intact by first making the list of what you would like picked up, your coupons pulled and clipped and lastly, DO NOT MAKE YOUR NETWORK CHASE YOU DOWN FOR MONEY!! Yes that means either give your friend/family member the money either before or immediately after the favor has been made. A stress free transaction will always lead to another stress free transaction which will in turn save you precious money.

Now this week The Original Frugal Diva enlisted me in her C.A.P. Here's how it went:

F.D.: Yes?
O.F.D.: Listen I need you to go to Shop Rite and pick up DeCecco Olive oil that's on sale!
F.D. : What's it on sale for?
O.F.D.: It usually goes for $14/liter but it's on sale for $7
F.D.: Really??????
O.F.D.: Yes really, we're out of stock down here but since you have a Shop Rite up by you fly by and pick me up 4 bottles?
F.D.: geezzz that's a $28 savings!!
O.F.D.: darned tutin' that's a tank of gas! Oh yeah you'd be well served if you did the same for yourself!
F.D.: true! The $28 WILL BE a tank of gas for the truck!
O.F.D.: you're welcome............

Now let's analyze this..... We had an item that was heavily used and on a 50% off sale and was out of stock in a local store. The same chain had a store up by where I worked. The Original Frugal Diva enlisted me in her C.A.P. to pick her up 4 bottles which led to a $28 savings and also reminded ME to pick up 4 bottles for another $28 savings! Net result? A total of a $58 savings which led to 2 tanks of gas for both our trucks. Sweet huh?

Here please read this Yahoo Finance article and concentrate on the Food section where weekly coupon savings is discussed. http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/moneyhappy/119952On average a household using coupons will be saving 50-100 dollars a week!! Add that up for the year and that's over 5k!! Not small change here.

Remember Divas, all good and bad habits are formed in 90 days. PLEASE do not abandon your C.A.P. until you get to your 90 day mark!

Lastly remember, enlisting the help of your fellow Divas will help maximize BOTH your savings!! Use the help but NEVER abuse the relationship!

Another Pep Talk - A Distressing Day

Divas, I hope you all enjoyed your Sunday, you've established your routine of grabbing the coupon section from your significant other, clipping them and happily filing them away in your envelopes. You've also executed your Coupon Attack Plan this week, having your weekly sales circulars emailed to you weekly, and while having your quiet time, you've been looking at the store's sales for the week and happily pulling your coupons from your envelopes (and clipping them together for when you go shopping). And lastly Divas, you've been logging in your other notebook the amount of Diva Dollars you've been contributing back to your household because you CARE about your family and the Diva lifestyle you and they were meant to lead. We've been doing this for 2 weeks now, and I want you to add the amount saved up, take a deep breath and feel only 1 thing. VICTORY!! I want you to feel victorious and proud of yourselves because you've had the common sense to use a simple but true method of saving your hard earned dollars so YOU can contribute money that you've worked for, and have already paid taxes on BACK to your family to either reallocate back to the household or (better yet) into a "family fund" so you all can experience the Diva Lifestyle as a Unit. Now Divas, last week I spoke about somebody leaving a $2 off coupon off a total total grocery purchase. Today I saw that someone had left 2 $5 off coupons your total purchase at the bagging area!! Divas, that's a 1/2 tank gas of a subcompact car!!! Oh the Humanity!! Somebody could've used that to contribute $10 BACK to their Budget!! I need you all to repeat after me again........ "Coupons are Good, Coupons are my Friends, Coupons contribute to a Diva Lifestyle" I want you to repeat that at any time you feel the urge to drop out of your Coupon Attack Plan. I want you to repeat that whenever you look at your notebook and you smile when you see the amount of Diva Dollars you've contributed back to your families! I WANT YOU TO REPEAT THAT AT ANY TIME YOU FEEL UNWORTHY OF THE DIVA LIFESTYLE!! Remember Divas, I am your biggest fan, you can do this, and most importantly

!!!! DIVAS UNITE!!!!!

No Lesson Today - A Pep Talk..........

Divas it's yet another Sunday and I'm hoping that you're trying to establish your new routine by grabbing the coupon section, clipping away, storing them in your envelope system and are fervently persuing your C.A.P (Coupon Attack Plan). I also hope that you're logging in your book the week and the amount of dollars saved on your shopping trip so you can quantify how many Diva Dollars you contributed back to your household so you and yours could lead the Diva Lifestyle that you DESERVE. A side note here, all habits both good and bad gets established in 90 days, so all I'm asking is to try out this system for the next 3 months before you decide if this is for you or not. One thing I ask though, is add up the amount of Diva Dollars saved and ask yourself would have this been saved if you have NOT been following the Frugal Diva method. Ok that being said, let me tell you what happened to me today at the supermarket. I was in a major chain store, checking out with my pound of apples ($1.69/pound) and on the coupon dispenser a prior customer LEFT a stack of coupons, one of them being a store gratuity coupon taking $2 off your next shopping purchase. Divas, those $2 could've been a loaf of bread for the house, those $2 could have been 2 cans of soup, those $2 could've been towards a quart of milk, those $2 left could've let that person contribute to a Diva Lifestyle! Divas, COUPONS MATTER, COUPONS ARE YOUR FRIEND, COUPONS HELP CONTRIBUTE $$ BACK TO YOUR BUDGET SO YOU MAY PERSUE A DIVA LIFESTYLE!!! So back to my story.. I took the coupons, used the $2 off coupon, and with the 30 cents extra got a tic tack pack for later.... Didn't pay extra, walked out totally even. Oh yeah the apples are going into a pie tonite.
Remember Divas, long deep breaths, follow the methods, Live the Diva Lifestyle!!

DIVAS UNITE!!!!!!!

Lesson 3 - The C.A.P. (Coupon Attack Plan)

Ok Divas one more time with feeling .

Let's rehash last weekend's lesson. You have the Sunday paper, the hubby/significant other is reading the paper and you're in HEAVEN clipping your coupons and putting them in your envelopes that you labelled last week. Now it's time for your C.A.P. or Coupon Attack Plan.

When it's time for you to go shopping, you have really 2 lists:
1. Stuff you need for the week
2. Stuff you need for the month/months after (ie. long term planning)

To effectively deal with your shopping I want you to keep 2 lists on your fridge and so to save time as you think of what you need (or anybody else in your household for that matter) to just write it down. This is going to save you and your family time.
1. Stuff for the week
2. Stuff for the month

This is going to save you valuable time, it makes EVERYBODY in the house an active participant in the "Diva Plan" (ok maybe not the dog and cat).

Now where does the C.A.P. come in to play here? Gather round it's time.......

If you're reading my blog I'm going to operate under the assumption that you're internet savvy. Most major supermarkets keep a website of their sales circulars for the week that can very easily be looked up on the web. Also they'll EMAIL you the sales circulars for the week!! This will be your timesaver. Sign up and have them emailed to you weekly. Now near your pc I want you to keep 2 notebooks and label them accordingly:
1. Sales for the week
2. Weekly log of Diva Dollars saved

I understand that it's hard for you Divas to sit down and get quality time with the sales circular so I want you to keep your time with your coupons as YOUR time, as your QUALITY time taking care of you and those you love in your household. Your time to deal with the online sales circular is going to be during your quiet time your www surfing time (even if it is at 11pm). Let's say it's the end of the week and you had your favorite supermarket circular (or circulars if you have multiple nearby) emailed to you. With your weekly/long term shopping lists at hand I want you to go through the circular to see what's on sale and if it's a brand that you use or think you'll use for either the long or short term. Put that down on your list and keep on going until you finish the circular. Now with your list I want you to go through your coupon envelopes (which is already sorted by topic) and pull the coupons for the items that the store has on sale. Note your savings INCREASE combining your coupons with the supermarket store sales. For example if a store has toothpaste on sale (normally $3/per) on sale for 99 cents and you have a $1 coupon, you saved $3!! That's $3 that can easily be put towards something else. Note, the Original Frugal Diva this week by combining her store coupons with store sales reduced a $67 grocery bill to $37 (yes a $30 savings which by the way is about a tank of gas). Ok now we have all our coupons pulled and I want you to clip those coupons together with the paperclips you bought last week and put them (with your lists) in your handbag/briefcase/carrying thing of choice. Shop away for the week and when all's said and done I want you look at the bottom of the sales receipt to see your booty, your newly found $$$, your path to the Diva Lifestyle for you and yours! Get that sales receipt, get the $ you saved and put that in your Diva Dollars notebook (don't forget to mark the date down). Why do I want you to do this? I want you to see and quantify how much $$$ you just contributed back to your household, newly found income, income that's not taxable (because you are the Frugal Diva), $$$ that is going to contribute to your Diva Lifestyle.

Remember and repeat after me, "Coupons are my Friends, Coupons help me live the Diva Life, Coupons are the New Black".

Most of all Divas, remember I'm your #1 Fan! Turn others onto the Diva Lifestyle.......

DIVAS UNITE!!!!!!!!

Lesson 3 - The C.A.P. (Coupon Attack Plan)