The Coupon Project

Fashion Swap: a fun way to get clothes for FREE!

My friend Rebecca has been apparently organizing fashion swaps at our church for a few years now. I got to attend my first one ever last nigt. I had such a positive experience and wanted to share with you how it worked in case you wanted to organize something similar with your group of friends, church, etc.

First we were asked to bring clothes we no longer wanted. The ask was that they were keeping with current styles and in good condition. Once I arrived at the church, I was shocked to see how many women were in attendance and how it was set up. It looked like a store!

 
There were three rounds, each lasting about 10-15 minutes. During each round, each lady could pick ONE item. This way there was some control! After the third round, we were able to take as much as we wanted. It was so much fun! There were shoes, handbags, dresses, pants, jewelry...you name it. 

 

I was honestly a little nervous how this would go. After all, what if I left empty handed? What if I didn't find anything I wanted?  Well guess what - I ended up with a garbage bag FULL of new clothes! My favorite find was probably a Polo black sweater. I also found a great brown wool sweater, a couple dressier shirts, a couple skirts and some basic tees. I'm known to usually wear jeans, one of my shirts from my past races, sneakers, and a sweatshirt. My wardrobe got a nice little update last night and it didn't cost me a thing!

 
Thanks, Rebecca - for organizing this. You win TWO extra big gold stars for helping the women of our church look stylish - and still keep it frugal!  

Sometimes, it's important to let yourself off the hook

 

 

It all happens to the best of us.

You forget a coupon at home that you wanted to use. You delay on an online deal and miss it entirely. You buy the wrong item for the rebate offer, but since you've already opened the item, you can't return it. You're excited to learn you've saved 40% at the store, but feel deflated when you learn your friend (who's newer to couponing than you are) tells you how she saved 80%. 

My philosophy? Couponing should be fun. And I think way too many of us take it far too seriously. Ask yourself:

• Have you lost sleep over a lost $2 coupon?
• Have you considered driving back to the store because they forgot to scan your $1 coupon?
• Do you feel guilty for buying a splurge grocery item?
• Do you feel pressure to keep up with your coupons, deals, and offers?
• When you dream, do you see barcodes?

If the answer to any of these is "yes," there's something I want to tell you, friends. Let yourself off the hook! I firmly believe there is no perfect deal. If you get the shampoo for $1, someone else will tell you they got it for free. And then someone else will tell you how they MADE $1 on the same deal. And then someone else will tell you how they made enough money on that shampoo that they were able to head into early retirement. 

Can we just stop this nonsense already? Really?

Today I want to challenge you to relish in your accomplishments saving money - whatever they have been and however seemingly small. Focus on what you're doing RIGHT. This is not a race or a competition. I'll say it again, it should be FUN. Unfortunately there's not an "f" in coupon, but there is a "u" and there is also an "n," so that's 2/3 of the word FUN and I'll take it. You should too.

I want my readers to know that I take a very common sense approach to couponing around here. Yes, saving a buck is always important to me. But you know what else is important? Your time. Your health. Your sanity. So today, celebrate your successes. From one couponer to another, GOOD JOB. You are doing GREAT, my friend.           

Photo credit Sofia Henriques 

Reflections on frugality

One of my favorite bloggers, Get Rich Slowly, had an excellent post today entitled The Basic Law of Frugality that I wanted to direct your attention to. 

Frugality is a term that is very much in vogue these days, and one that can conjure a variety of images ranging from stingy to savvy. J.D. suggests frugality can mean saving in areas that don't matter as much to you in order to spend more in areas that do. The caveat is as long as you remain within your financial balance. And if you remember this post from several months ago, you'll recall that I believe true frugality is achieved when ALL your resources are in balance - time, space, and money. 

Think about it. If organic produce is important to you, perhaps you could save on shampoo or toothpaste or toilet paper. Frugal? Absolutely in my book. Or maybe you decide to place all the rebates and gift cards you earn throughout the year to buy Christmas gifts. Savvy? I'd say. In his post, J.D. also suggests there is room in frugality for wants. Yes, I agree with that too! I believe the whole process of becoming a frugal process can - and should - be fulfilling and enjoyable.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about 2010 and the direction I want to propel this blog into. And I'm pretty sure frugality is going to be an overarching theme. Yes, I will continue to post all the deals that I do and my store scenarios...but I also want to share with you ways my family is striving to achieve frugality beyond the shopping cart.

What does frugality mean to you? Have you achieved frugality? If not, how will you know when you've "arrived?"   

What does it mean to be frugal? Here's one perspective.

When you hear the word "frugal," what comes to mind? 

Here's my list: avid couponer, bargain-hunter, garage-sale goer, master haggler.  Someone who has learned to make do with less.  Perhaps someone that can be creative in a pinch.

Do you think of something similar?

I have been reading Your Money or Your Life, and was challenged in my thinking on what it means to be frugal.  In Chapter 6 ("The American Dream - On a Shoestring"), author Joe Dominguez writes:

Frugality means we are to enjoy what we have.  If you have ten dresses but still feel you have nothing to wear, you are probably a spendthrift.  But if you have ten dresses and have enjoyed wearing all of them for years, you are frugal.  Waste lies not in the number of possessions but in the failure to enjoy them.  Your success at being frugal is measured not by your penny-pinching but by your degree of enjoyment of the material world.

Now that sort of spun my thinking on its head, and I've been mulling over these statements for a few days now.  And I think he's right.  And I think there can be a great irony for couponers here.  

Consider this.  When I started couponing, I found myself snagging up as many freebies as I could.  My stash soon began to overflow with toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, soup mixes, cereal, foot cream, eye cream, who-knows-what-its-for cream.  Each week I was astounded at my savings.  And yet...had I achieved true frugality?

Now for confession time.  I have a bag of Garnier I mean to donate, but haven't yet.  It's in my closet stealing precious floor space.  Although I don't have allergies, I have five unopened boxes of allergy medicine that will expire within the year (that probably earned me some Register Rewards at Walgreens that have since been spent on other "useful" items).  I have several kinds of salad dressing sitting in my pantry though I would prefer to nibble on fresh veggies anyday than prepare a salad.  Would I have been more frugal if I would have paid full price for only items my family and I use?  Granted, I can give these items away (which I most certainly will), but have I missed the overarching point of helping my family save money on the things we use? 

A few paragraphs later, Dominguez offers that frugality is "the wise stewarding of money, time, energy, space and possessions."  When I'm focused on one small deal (yes, even if it's a money-maker), it's possible I can miss the bigger picture of what it means to be frugal.  So I can make $8 at Rite Aid this week.  But what if I have no use for Zantac or ReNu MultiPlus solution?  Again, I can donate it.  But what about the hour spent finding the deal, clipping the coupons, going to the store, waiting in line, returning home, and submitting for my rebates?  What about the space in my closet I'll have to make until I decide what to do with it?  What about the time I'll spend figuring out where to donate these items, and the time and gas money I'll inevitably spend hauling it away?  Is all of this worth $8?  I can't make that judgment call for you, because I don't know your specific situation.  But in mine, I think I could spend that time and effort more wisely.

Recently, I've shifted from feeling the need to snatch up every last deal to focusing on those that make sense for my family.  Interestingly enough, my overall savings rate has gone down a bit.  (I used to save 65% or more per month, now I'm hovering closer to 50%).  However, my budget feels easier to manage because I'm not going to the stores multiple times each week.  In short, I'm actually spending less.  Without setting out to, I think I'm evolving into more and more of a frugal person.

My conclusion?  It's not about getting every deal, every freebie, stockpiling years of shampoo and dish soap.  It's about creating balance in all aspects of my life.  I don't know that I can state it any more eloquently than Dominguez: "Frugality is...not too much, not too little, but just right.  Nothing is wasted.  Or left unused.  It's a clean machine.  Sleek.  Perfect.  Simple yet elegant.  It's that magic word - enough."   

Photo credit Michael Slonecker