Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Readers Comments and Answers

A few days ago I was so excited to received such a wonderful comment from Patty over at My Homemade Life. She asked a lot of good questions and thought it would be nice to address them in a new post - in case anyone else had the same questions.


(Pattys comments are highlighted in blue)


Hi, yesterday I found a link to your blog on Money Saving Mom’s blog. I have really enjoyed reading about you and your family. I have a few comments and a few questions for you.

Where do you get multiple coupons?


Hi Patty, thank you for your encouragement.

I get multiple coupons in a few different ways -

1. The older kids great grandma saves the ones she dosn't use and sends them to me.

2. I have a friend who lives about 3 hours away. She will collect coupon inserts from all her friends and neighbors and every few weeks she mails them to me in a priority envelope. In return about once a month I will send her a priority box full of freebies I've gotten - that helps her out.

3. I trade coupons with friends.

4. I also like riding on coupon trains and that is a good way to get some extra coupons.

There are many other ways to get multiple coupons - the possibilities are endless.

You mentioned on you blog about wanting a stand up style freezer in the future instead of a chest freezer so you can organize it better. I wanted to comment on this; I have always been a stock up person and I have had both types of freezers. The chest style holds more than a stand up style. It can be very aggravating to open up a stand up style freezer and have items fall out. The chest freezer holds a lot more and can be packed to the brim.


I guess I will have to sit down and out way the pros and cons with a stand up or chest freezer. I never thought about all my stuff falling out - that would be a pain I wouldn't want to deal with all the time. You have inspired me to investigate this a little more.

Do you ever shop at warehouse stores to save money on your shopping? My family and I have shopped at Sam’s for years. You don’t always get the best deal on everything at a warehouse store but I have found you can save quit a bit on several items such as sugar, spices, honey, hot cocoa, cheese... and non-food items such as movies. I tend to shop the sales at my regular grocery store and use Sam’s for items that do not go on sale very often.


I remember my mom shopping at a warehouse store when I was a kid. They had these huge wheeled-dolly-cart-things that didn't have any sides. She would buy huge boxes of stuff and stack them up on her cart. I don't know if Sam's is like that or not - I've never been to Sam's. I don't even know where one is at - to be honest. I have 4 main stores I shop at that are 5 minutes from my house and practically on the same block. We rarely go anywhere else to shop for groceries or household items cause I don't like driving far away for that stuff. I know we have a Target and a Walmart but they are both about 20 minutes away and I would just rather not take the time to go that far.

However, I know there are some good deals to be had at Sam's Club and other warehouse type stores - a lot of people have had success with that, so thanks for bringing that up and pointing that out. It gives more people options to save money.

Have you heard of The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn? I used to get her newsletter and really learned a lot from her. She and her husband have 6 kids and at the time she wrote here newsletter they fed the family on $200 a month.


No - I don't' think I have ever heard of her. Wow! 6 kids! I love to meet other big families like mine. Looks like I could use some tips from her. I have 5 kids and I try to keep our budget around $250 a month. That's including groceries, household items, dog and cat food. (I've been overspending though the last few months) Thanks for suggesting her. I will look into her newsletter. There is always more to learn from other people.


On you blog you mentioned getting a used sewing machine for $19.99, what a bargain! I love to sew and at one time I taught young girls how to sew using the older machines similar to the one you purchased. The older machines were built to last and they are so easy to care for as long as you keep them oiled.


Yes! I love that sewing machine. Not only because it reminds me of the one my mom used when I was a kid, but also because it's so simple to use. Your right - they don't make things like they used to. Although I haven't been doing much sewing lately - just haven't had the time. That's great you used to teach young girls how to sew. It's a valuable lesson you can use your whole life and do anything with. I noticed you have sewn some beautiful quilts - Ohhhh you must have some steel plated patients!

Have you considered using your sewing skills to make extra money? Have you heard of etsy? This site is similar to e-bay except all things sold on etsy are handmade or vintage. All items are sold at a set price and it is so cheap to sell items on etsy. I used to sell handmade doll clothes on e-bay and did very well, but e-bay kept going up on their prices and their fees so I decided to give etsy a try last year. So far I am very pleased with etsy and I try to tell everyone about etsy, I think they will soon become e-bays competition.


I have heard of etsy before - and have come across a few people selling stuff on there. I haven't really looked into it though. I've got so many things I want to make for the kids - and it's sometimes hard to find the time to do those things. It would be nice thought to be able to make some extra money selling things you have made. I'm wondering if it was ever heard for you to part with any of your doll cloths. I know sometimes I feel attached to something I have worked hard to make and I don't want to let it go.

Once again I enjoyed your blog,

Patty


Thanks for your wonderful comments and suggestions, Patty!

2 comments:

Nattydam said...

Look for The Tightwad Gazette in the library. THere are at least 3 versions of the book, the newsletter is out of print now. She quit and moved on to something else w/her family but was THE FIRST really frugal hacker.

One Mom, Five Kids said...

Thanks for that tip! I'm going to go down to my library this weekend and see if they have it.

 
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