Tried to save money but instead was treated like a thief

I have never had a bad experience using coupons ever. That is until yesterday. I was at Fred Meyers on Cornielus Pass/Hwy 26 in Hillsboro Oregon. My daughter and I were having such a wonderful time with each other and had just came from Starbucks. This is a rare time for us due to her being in middle school and me being her "boring mom" and all. You know how they are. Once they hit that age, nothing makes them happy except boys and music. lol.

I was super excited because once again Seventh Generation was 40% off and I had coupons for them. I had walked around and filled my grocery cart full and was walking towards the registers. I did a once over of my coupons to make sure I had everything I needed and didn't want to make it confusing for the cashier. I noticed one of my coupons said "one per purchase" meaning I could not use more than 2 of this same coupon in one transaction. No problem to me so I just decided to run through the u scan and pay for that one separate. When I handed the cashier my coupons, she would not let me use my 2 different coupons on it. She said 1 manufacturer coupon per item. I said very nicely that Ive done it before and had for years and it was the first Ive heard of this rule. She quickly snapped back at me and said no I was not going to be able to do it. It was not a big deal to me so I told her okay never mind and I didn't need to buy it then. I tried to take it back so I could put it back in the aisle and she quickly kept it and turned away and said she would do it. Okay.....so I went about my business and started looking at something else in the store.

A few minutes later I went to get in line to pay for the rest of my groceries and my daughter had some things to pay for too. I'm standing in line and the gentlemen cashier received a phone call so he picked up the phone. I was thinking in my head "Oh no she didn't."He then said a few un huh, uh huh, and then looked straight at me. "Oh yes she did."I couldn't believe it. She was apparently watching me and waiting for me to hit the register so she could warn them. It was like I was going to sneak some of those same coupons past someone else or something. Remember, she took that box of cereal from me and I no longer had it. So to make it easier on them and me, I walked up to the customer service counter and asked what their coupon policy was. I showed her my 2 coupons and asked why I could not use them.

Long story short I ended up speaking to 2 people at the customer service counter. I was confused why I had been using 2 coupons on one item for years and all of the sudden was told no and its been a rule for years. I was being so nice and was just trying to figure out what was going on. I looked around and could not believe my eyes. U scan lady was watching me, gentlemen cashier was looking at me, and I had 2 in front of me judging me. You would of thought I was trying to steal food or something. But no, I was trying to use coupons. I felt sick to my stomach, embarrassed for my daughter and myself, and was in shock of how I was being treated. So to end this whole thing I told them I would not be buying my cart full of groceries and would no longer be shopping at Fred Meyers. They were super nice (of course they had to) and put them away.

My daughter still wanted to buy her birthday presents so we decided to go pay over in the clothing department due to embarrassment. On the way over I spilled my coffee by accident. I truly did and this was just adding to the whole darn situation. Just add it on is what I was thinking to myself. Guess who ended up cleaning it up? U scan lady. I felt bad but kinda not. I believe in Karma you see.....lol. Anyways this whole thing truly urked me!

Could I of just let this whole thing blow over? No. Why? Because I am not the only person in this town who uses more than 1 coupon. Its called stacking. Perfectly legal as long as they are different coupons and you read all the rules on it. Each store is different of course. I was a customer trying to use my coupons, told no and tried to find out why. You think they would be super nice and I would of been on my way. But no. I had to get the following, eye gawking, and phoning each other to warn each other of the "coupon lady". I am still in shock of how I was treated and a bit angry too.

So what I did was this. I found out what the ladies name was and filed a complaint online with the company. I worked a retail job for over 10 yrs and know you cannot treat a customer like that. Not only did they lose a customer who spent $500 each month there ($6,000 annually), lose out on me buying my whole grocery cart full, but they ticked off the wrong lady. The wrong BLOGGING lady I should say. So for now were playing the waiting game. Waiting for the phone call I know will come, waiting to talk to the manager, and waiting to explain how upset I was. So for now, I will no longer shop at Fred Meyers. Which makes me sad because I love the company. I will no longer shop there to make a point. To stand up for our rights to use coupons. Our right to get by in these economic times. OUR RIGHT TO SAVE MONEY!

You have any problems like this? How would of you handled this? Do you think I did the right thing? Suggestions are always welcomed.

Note: I was trying to purchase Honey Sunshine Kashi cereal. I had 1 $1.50 off vocal point coupon and 1 $1.00 off actual manufacturers peelie coupon. Which by the way came off another box of the same cereal I had already bought using the same coupon stacking technique.

Goodies for Giving *Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix*

I know its early but we need to start planning Christmas gifts. Christmas is only a few shorts weeks away. I know crazy huh? I am glad to announce to everyone my Goodies for Giving series. Starting today there will no longer be any Homemade Goodness recipe's. Just great recipe's for you or to give as a gift. Each recipe will have suggestions and great tips for wrapping the gift.

I'm super excited to share my many recipes that have saved me a ton each Christmas. Each year I try to have a theme. One year it was homemade candles, then spa items, and one year I even did a baking theme. Baking theme was my favorite. I found vintage aprons all year and saved them to put in baskets with my favorite pancake mix, wooden spoon, and vintage Tupperware. It was a hit! Try to make one thing for several people. This will save you the hassle of figuring out what to get each person, plus save you money in the long run.

So here we go and I hope you all get inspiration from all of them.

Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar packed

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

1 cup chopped pecans or nut of choice

Bland together flour, baking soda and salt. Spoon into bottom of wide mouth 1 qt jar, pressing down well. Layer on the remaining ingredients in the order given, packing down tightly between each later.

Tag should read:

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together butter, egg, water and vanilla. Add cookie mix from jar and blend well. Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: You can use any type of container you want but try to make it a clear one. This way people can see the beautiful layers of ingredients.

Frugal fun Halloween

Halloween can be expensive, especially when you have more than one child. I paid a total of $5.00 for all of my girls costumes in the above picture. How you might ask? Well of course im going to tell you all the details silly!

Grim Reaper

Dress and head cover was $1 at a local thrift store. Boots are her own. Weapon is made from cardboard, aluminum foil, shovel stick, and duct tape.

Clown

One piece costume and wig were bought for $1.50 at the same local thrift store. Make up was used from my own personal make up.

Firefighter

Jacket and hat were bought for $1.50 from the thrift store. Dalmatian puppy with small firefighter hat were from my girls toys. Dirty face was easily done with some black eye liner.

Vampire

Dress was only $1 from local thrift store, black pants under were already owned, make up was done with my personal make up, and cape was used from last year's costumes.

Whats the point of this? You do not have to spend a ton of money on Halloween. Recycle old Halloween costumes, and buy from thrift stores. Maybe get together with your fellow mommies and switch or barter old costumes. Try incorporating dress up into their costumes. Use ordinary items from your home and try to recycle. All these things will help you with your frugal Halloween. Make it a fun project and involve the children. Halloween can be fun and frugal.

Goodbye Sponge, I will not miss you

As most of you know me, I'm always on the hunt for a new project, cutting out toxic things in my home, or searching for good deals. One thing Ive been trying to figure out how to exclude in my life was the dreaded sponge. That once new sponge that cleaned your dishes but quickly turned into a germ infested mess. Yep, that thing. I started by looking for earth friendly sponges or a alternative to the regular ones. New Seasons has biodegradable ones you can buy for about $2 but those quickly turned into germ infested squares just like the regular ones. I was cleaning out my knitting bags and had a great idea. Why not knit a sponge? So I came up with a great plan . Again anyone that knows me knows that I do not plan very well or remember how I did things. I'm very scatter brained so I will try my best to describe what I did.

Tools you will need:

Cotton Yarn -try Sugar and Cream cotton yard available at any craft store.

Knitting Needles (short or long will work) size #5 or #6

Large stainless steel needle with blunt tip (usually for kids)

Learn to knit easily by watching these free video's

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

I would say go buy a book but you really only need to watch someone to first learn. Then get a good book or find easy instructions on the Internet for free.

Knit 15 across

This is the same width as a sponge. Do not pearl stitch at all. When you knit only, this gives you lots of grooves and will be used for those though dishes and will not scratch your dishes.

Knitting the rest determines how big your hand is and how long you want your sponge. You want enough so you can fold it over on itself making it 2X as thick. Mine was about 3.5 inches-4. So I needed to knit about 7-8 inches. Once done, just bind off. Learn here how to do this here http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1713550754206421652#.

Once you bind off, simply use the string that you have dangling from your knitted piece to stitch it together. I would keep about 1ft or more then cut it and thread on your needle. Fold over your knitted piece in half, then start to stitch them together. Once done, just knot it and then cut off most of the string but leaving about 2 inches. Use this 2 inches to thread into the piece so you don't have any strands hanging out.

Done!

Directions: Machine wash anytime you need to freshen it up. Throw it in the dryer to shrink it back up again. This will last you for years if taken care of properly. If it gets too discolored just soak it in bleach water then wash it again. Should come out nice and clean.

Im so excited to decided to try this out. No more buying those sponges and no more worries about how yucky and filled with germs they are. Yahoo!

Need money now? Instant ways to save, plus ways to make money

Fact- Christmas is only 11 weeks and 3 days away! Are you ready yet? I'm sure not! Now is the time to start saving money little by little. So here is easy ways to save money little by little. You might be thinking that they only save me pennies, why bother? Well it all add's up and saves you money that's why! So for now, I will tell you all the ways you can save money. In the future I will show you many ways to make frugal gifts that go a long way. So here we go!

1. Stop buying these things: Saran Wrap, aluminum foil, Ziploc bags, paper towels, dryer sheets, or any other convenient product. I can hear you all shrieking.....lol. How do I get around this? Easy! Read here how to get around all this http://hannaqueen.blogspot.com/2009/08/stop.html

2. Start my Food Savings plan . I guarantee you will save money if you stick to this list. http://hannaqueen.blogspot.com/2009/09/slash-your-grocery-bill-in-half.html

Be open to everything you read. Some things sound extreme but once you do them, you will wonder why you did not do them before.

3. Save on your energy bill. Check my handy list of ways to save money http://hannaqueen.blogspot.com/2009/09/energy-saving-tips-plus-more.html

You will thank me later when you get your energy bill in the mail.

4. Cut the cable. Its simply has to go. This alone will save you at least $50 a month. Hey, I will let you in on a little secret. Now days regular TV has more than channel 2, 6, 8, 10 and 12. You get channel 2, 2 this (movies), 6, 8, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 12, 16-2 bohemia, 16-3 local, 22-1 ion, 22-2 qubo (kids 24/7 cartoon channel, 22-3 ion life, 32-1 , 32-2 sports, and 49-1. See you have lots of channels to watch. And its all FREE!

5. NO FAST FOOD or eating out. This alone will save you a bundle. You might think your getting a great deal on the dollar menu but think about how that food was prepared and whats going into your bodies. You will pay for it dearly later! Instead pack healthy snacks and a bottle of water for your kids anytime you leave the house. This way your not tempted to stop and get something to eat.

6. NO COFFEE! Just kidding, just no stopping and getting coffee from the drive through. Don't have a coffee maker? Goodwill always has them on hand for around $5. Buy inexpensive coffee grounds and make your own. Just add milk and sugar instead of fancy creamers. Want mocha? Add some baking cocoa. Want a vanilla latte? Add some vanilla. Get creative. You pick: Coffee from the drive through and pay $3-$5 or make your own at home and cost about 5 cents?

7. Check out my household money saving tips http://hannaqueen.blogspot.com/2009/09/household-money-saving-tips.html

This could save you some green too!

8. Try doing it the natural way. Anytime you or a family member gets sick, try to get better the natural way. This will save you some money on co payments and insurance bills. Try http://www.earthclinic.com/. Click on ailments and find what your ailment is. There are lots of great ways to get better the natural way. People rate how effective each option is. You can try anything you want. Most are things you have in your pantry so try them out. Apple Cider Vinegar is a favorite so you might want to pick up a bottle of it. We use it daily for so many things. Read up on it here http://hannaqueen.blogspot.com/2009/08/acv-your-new-best-friend.html

Ways to make money

First set up a dummy email you use just for these things. Do not clutter up your personal email. Try maybe hotmail, aol, or gmail.

1. Mypoints http://www.mypoints.com/emp/u/index.vm

Sign up for free! This is the best way to earn points for gift cards. How? Easy! Sign up, and do their little survey so they know what kinds of emails to send you. I signed up for everything this way I get more emails. Each email is worth 5 points. You can get a $10 gift card for as low as 1,400 points. They will send you survey emails too. These are great because you can earn up to 50 points if you qualify for it or 10 points just for trying. You can sign up with my points once per email (hint hint). They have over 80 companies on board so you can choose from any one you want. I usually choose Target so I can use it to get groceries or gifts. I myself have already earned over $100 worth of gift cards and Ive only been signed up for a year or so now. Once you earn enough points simply choose the reward you want and they send it for free. Takes about 2 weeks to get it so remember this when your planning.

2. Inbox Dollars http://www.inboxdollars.com/. Same idea as above but you get paid per email you receive. Sign up for free, get lots of emails. Once you check your email, just click on the box below to get credit. Once you get $30 you can cash out. What they do not tell you is that there is a processing fee of $3 so you only get $27. But hey, its free money so I'm not complaining! Takes about a month to get your check. I have received a check already and almost ready to cash out on my next one.

3. Sendearnings http://www.sendearnings.com/ I believe Inbox dollars and Send Earnings are the same company but have yet to prove it. Just weird how each of these companies send the same identical emails....??? Oh well. Just like I stated above, you get emails send and you can cash out when you get to $30.

4. Tell everyone you know that you are looking to make some money and will do just about anything to get it. Maybe babysit? Maybe clean their house? Just let them know your saving up for Christmas or trying to make some extra cash and someone usually needs help doing something. Be open to anything that comes your way.

5. Opportunities that come your way. Last week I received a letter stating that a representative from Michigan State was looking for families to participate in a survey. If I was qualified I could get $40 in cash. Well the lady came to my door and asked me a few questions and I qualified! She came yesterday and we did the simple survey and I was handed $40 cash. Yahoo! So be open to ways to make money. This is a random one in a lifetime thing for me but hey, I made money. Just be careful to check ID and make sure its legit.

6. Can deposits-Remember walking and looking for cans so you could take them in and get money? Yep, its still a option. You would be amazed how many careless people throw cans out the window or in the garbage. My husband will not take in cans or bottles. But I do! So I sneak them out of the recycling bin and take them in. These things do add up. Have friends and family who wont either? Ask them if you can have them. Ive even seen people drive around inspecting peoples recycling bin looking for them. Maybe take a walk and look for them with the kids.

7. Garage Sale. This is always an option for you. Do not have a driveway? Maybe a friend has one so go in with her. This makes it easier for the both of you. You help her, she lets you use her drive way. Maybe take some clothes into a consignment shop? Some places will give you money for your clothes. Start making phone calls to local consignment shops.

Have I not given you enough information to save money? Have a friend or family member in need? Pass on this blog to everyone you know.

Simplify your money

Just read a great article about many different moves to simplify your finances. I thought I would switch it up a bit and give a few tips on the same subject. Maybe give you a break from all these many pumpkin recipe's lately. lol.

Cash

When you are paying for routine things like food, gas and other items. Try paying with cash. This way you wont overdraft your account and worry about fee's or interest. My bank charges $25 each transaction you overdraft. No matter if its $8 or 2 pennies. Speaking from personal experience , it just sucks having to go in and beg for them to drop one of them.

Envelopes

I do not use the envelope system but many people have great luck with it. Get a stack of envelopes and label one for each of the ways you'll be spending your cash. Food, gas, and so on. Place the amount your going to spend for the week in each envelope and stash them in a safe place. There is your spending plan.

Use a gift card

Most retailers have gift cards in their store. They make it easier for you to get a gift for someone at the last minute. Use this to your advantage. Lets say you shop at Safeway and spend about $400 a month on groceries. Try to challenge yourself. Buy a $350 gift card to Safeway and see if you can do it for $50 less. Not only are you giving yourself a challenge but your sticking to your budget.

Kids on a budget

If your children get an allowance, try to set a budget for them. When your child wants to spend their money on something they have been wanting, remind them that if they spend x amount, then there will be only Y amount left. Makes them think "Is it worth it?" Maybe they can have a envelope with their name on it. Once they see that money, they wont want to let go of it so easily. Currently my girls do not have a allowance but they are allowed to earn money if they want. It does not happen very often but when they want money they just ask. The money they make will be saved for something they have been wanting. Lately its been books but since Christmas is not that far away, they are saving to buy each other something.

Banking

Use direct deposit and save some tree's. This way there is no misplaced checks! Most places offer free checking if you do direct deposits only. Plus your money goes into the bank automatically, meaning no waiting in lines to deposit it, no trying to get to the bank on time, and it just makes your life much easier.

Hover Online

You already check your email, facebook, and other sites daily. Why not add your bank to this list too? Register with your banks site and you will be able to check your account 24/7. This has made it so much easier for me to check to see if checks have cleared, deposits, and to see how much my ledger is. Check our account each time you check your email.

Bill Paying

Add bill due dates to your calendar. Just in case a bill does not show up for some reason, you will know that its due and you can call or make payments online.

Change your due dates

If you have bills due all over the month, try calling the company and asking if they can switch your due date. You might have to pay a once time fee charge but it might be worth it. This way it will be easier for you to pay them. Get them all done and out of the way and have the rest of the month to budget.

Auto bill pay

Sign up with auto bill pay if its a option. This way it will automatically come out of your account and you will not have to worry about it. I did this with my Gap card (since paid off thankfully!). After missing 2 payments by 1 day and having to pay $25 for each time which made my payoff date even further off. I opted for auto pay. I never missed a payment again and have since paid it off and cut up that card. This was obviously when I had only 2 children and not such a tight budget. No way would I pay those prices for clothes again. Yikes!

Pay online

Instead of using your paper checks (save some tree's?), go online and just make a one time payment electronically. The money will be immediately deducted from your available balance.

Plastic

Slim down your wallet or purse! First of all try not to have too many credit cards. Only have the ones that truly will help you. Then only carry the ones on you that you use regularly. Keep the rest in a safe secure spot. This way if your purse or wallet is stolen, you know which card to call and warn. Plus you can fit everything into your wallet or purse. What an idea!

Manage Store Discount Cards

Many stores have those discount cards you have to have to save with their sales. Those things can really add up in weight! Make it easier on your arm . www.keyringthing.com offers a clever way to consolidate up to six loyalty cards into one for free. There's a quick demo video on how it works.

Log on Daily

Now were not talking about your checking account card, this is your credit card. Most credit card companies have a online site that you can check on your account. This is a great way to keep an eye out on what your charging and any weird mystery fee's, or purchases you didn't make.

Separate Accounts

A long time ago when we first started our family out, my husband was the only one working. We each had a card for our account together. This made things really difficult considering we didn't have the convenience of checking our accounts online (not an option back then...yes I'm old) and things would come through later , he would spend some money, I would spend some money, and long story short it messed up our account. So I decided to get my own account for food and household items. This way I knew how much money I had to stretch as far as I did. And it also meant that he knew how much money he had to pay the bills. We still do this to this day. It has saved us many arguments and stress. We get along much better lol. I have since worked, and now I'm not working again luckily. Now my husband gets paid once a month and we each have our own budget. He keeps an eye on his, and I do the same with mine. We all get along perfectly now! No more overdraft charges, and no more worrying if he spend any money and did I have enough to buy what I needed. Might want to try this out if your having those type of issues.

Homemade Goodness "Pumpkin Pasta"

I was a little sketchy with this one but I was soooo wrong! It is so super yummy and I swear you could pass it off with your little ones as mac n cheese. Its super rich and yummy! Please say you will try this one. Again I would recommend making your own puree. I find that the canned pumpkin is too sweet for a recipe like this one.

Pumpkin Pasta

2 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cups-2 cups of pumpkin puree . Try Golden Nugget or Golden Hubbard with this one. Super thick, creamy and tasty. Above picture is the Golden Nugget and is my favorite. Use what you like.

1 cup of broth. (your choice...I used vegetable broth)

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp sage (optional..I don't have any and ours turned out fine)

1/4 cup of cheese of your choice. (suggest a harder cheese like Parmesan or something)

1 lb of whole wheat pasta

Optional: Sausage or any kind

Start by getting your pasta going in hot water with a pinch of salt. Then put olive oil and garlic into a sauce pan and saute on medium heat. If you added meat, this is where you would add it. Let it brown up with the garlic. Pour in broth, milk, sour cream, pumpkin and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pasta should be done by now so just turn it off. Instead of draining all the water out, simply use a spoon and take out the pasta one scoop at a time into the sauce. Sauce tends to be thick and the little bit of water that didn't drain out will help the sauce to be perfect. Once all pasta is into sauce, simply stir and serve.

Side Note: The Golden Nugget is actually a squash but looks like a pumpkin. Try out many pumpkins and squash to see which you like. Once you do, you will know which pumpkin/squash works best with each recipe. This Golden Nugget is super thick and creamy and you will not need to add any extra butter or anything. Once baked for 1 hr at 350 degree's, you will be able to take a large spoon and just spoon it out. No mashing required.

www.thepumpkinpatch.com . This place is at Sauvie Island and has over a dozen varieties of pumpkin/squash for only 45 cents per lb. Plus they are organic! If you find a better deal somewhere else, snatch it up!