A New Win Comes My Way

When I arrived home from the gym I was greeted by my favorite sight, a WIN.  I won a Mountain Dew Soccer ball from the Mountain Dew Soccer TV Sweepstakes at La Michoacana.  Looks like another gift for the prize closet.

Speaking of special deliveries, I received the novel  Ride Around Shining that i won as well!

The tip I've resolved to put to the test this week is to maximize my chances of winning by entering often. The more you enter the better your chances of winning.  I have always used the My Sweeps function on Online-Sweepstakes.  This allows me to save sweepstakes I'm particularly interested in so that I can enter them every day.

What I'm doing differently is making certain that I enter social media and texting sweepstakes as often as the rules allow.  I will let you know how this affects my winning.

Getting My Sweepstakes Mojo Back

Like quite a few other sweepers, I’ve been singing the “Dry Spell Blues”.  Most every sweeper gets them from time to time either because they are not winning at all or the prizes they are winning just aren’t what they used to be. 

I try not to let this get me down.  Over the years I’ve won some great prizes so when I hit a dry spell I remind myself that “this too shall pass” and move on.   Often what I do is take a look at not only how I’ve been entering sweeps but how I have NOT been entering some sweepstakes.  With this in mind I’ve decided to go back through some of my old issues of SweepSheet to see if I can put its tips into practice to turn this hobby around.

This week I remind myself that you have to enter to win.  The best way to put this into practice is to enter at least one sweepstakes every day using the variety of entry methods available, ie., mail, online, text messages, radio call-ins, drop box, send away for game pieces or original entry blanks, obtain game pieces, etc. 

Every day I enter about 400-500 sweeps online through Online-Sweepstakes.com.   I enter about one or two by mail.  I have been really negligent in entering text sweeps so I definitely need to do something there.  As for radio call-ins, that used to be my specialty years ago and now I no longer enter.  Perhaps I should try again. 

This means that the mission, should I accept it, will be to enter more text message sweepstakes this week than I have been entering and then report back with the results.  

Win List

At the close of every year, I enjoy posting all my wins for the year.  It helps motivate me for the year ahead.

Here are my wins for 2013

January

* $20 Subway gift card giveaway. (Blog Win)
* $100 Shop Cowboys GC (TX Lottery Second Place Win)
* 4-night trip for two to New Orleans, LA, Jan. 31 - Feb. 4, 2013, to participate in the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show and attend a private Pepsi Party; includes $500 spending money (ARV $7,000).
* $5 Target Gift Card. (Pinterest Win)
* Coming Out In New York by D Luis Meyer (Autographed) $12.98
* Readers' edition of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (ARV $5)
* 40 MyCokeRewards points
* Free Large one-topping Pappa John's pizza
* $3 McDonald's Arch card
* $50 Visa Card From Dollar General

February

* $100 Open Table gift card and $30 Fandango bucks (ARV $130).
* Digital IHOP gift card (ARV $5).

March

* Digistal IHOP gift card (ARV $5)
* Autographed Plankton print signed by voice actor Mr. Lawrence (50 cents)
* I WON a Coupon redeemable for one free 10.5 or larger package of OREO cookies (ARV up to $4.49).
* Mr. Potato Head toy
* $25 Turkey Gift Check (Pinterest win)
* Digital IHOP gift card (ARV $5)
* $10 Walgreens gift card
* Digital IHOP gift card (ARV $5)

April

* Starbucks e-Gift Card for $10 (Pinterest win)
* Digital IHOP gift card (ARV $5).
* Todd May Rickenbacker Girls CD
* 1 year subscription to Better Home and Garden Magazine
* t-shirt at Pink Impact

May

* SavagePeace Justice CD
* Free 1-year subscription of Ladies' Home Journal Magazine

June

* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* $10 Live Nation® Concert Cash® in the Music First Game. (bud light scan)
* Music First Song Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $0.99 value (bud light scan)
* 2 tickets to Empire of the Sun on August 1, 2013 at Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater in Austin, TX. $395 (bud light scan)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* $25 Live Nation® Concert Cash® in the Music First Game. (bud light scan)
* 10 Song Music First Download Music Download(s) from Universal Music Group. $9.99 value (bud light scan)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)

JULY

* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* $50 Live Nation® Concert Cash® in the Music First Game. (bud light scan)
* Latin Grilling by Lourdes Castro
* 100 Kellogg's rewards points (twitter)
* Monster DNA™ Headphones $199.95 (bud light scan)
* Two tickets to see the Rangers vs. the Angles (text) $88
* International Delight Iced Coffee tumbler (ARV $5)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* $10 Live Nation Concert Cash code.
* I won a custom cheese board & chalk set plus a can of Delights With Cheddar in the Fancy Feast® Cheese Affair Pin to Win Sweepstakes! (Pinterest)
* code for a FREE music download from Coke & Church's Chicken.
* First Prize winner of the Win the Shirt off 1D's Back sweepstakes! (Ritz t-shirt) (Twitter win)

AUGUST

* I won a music download from Coors Light!! $0.99 value (text)
* code for a FREE music download from Coke & Church's Chicken.
* code for a FREE music download from Coke & Church's Chicken.
* $100 Visa Gift Card - blog win
* I won an order of Chips & Queso from Taco Bueno®!
* Jane Iredale Facial Primer & Brightener and Jane Iredale Forever Pink Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain [$25 ARV) won on Twitter
* free flowers from FTD (Facebook win)
* The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism - book
* Digital fine art download; Text message (ARV $5 each)
* Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood - book
* Bottle of Dial Hello Kitty Hand Sanitizer (ARV $3).
* Inner Compass - book
* The Stingy Minion - book

SEPTEMBER

* Coupon for H-E-B Tortilla Chips,
* $100 Visa gift card - blog win
* Coupon for H-E-B Big Chip Cookies
* My Basmati Bat Mitzvah (book win)

OCTOBER

* Bliss (book win)
* Won a JCPenney coupon of $10 off $50
* BOGO Culvers coupon
* A PURELL Pal with an 8oz bottle of PURELL Hand Sanitizer
* A free HD movie download of
* The Hunger Games (2012) at Amazon Instant Video.
* Luxury trip to Germany!!! Doesn't include airfare but it is still a big win $5200 worth!

NOVEMBER

* We Own The Night from The Wanted
* Touch & Go (book win)
* $50 VISA Gift Card
* A free HD movie download of
* The Hunger Games (2012) at Amazon Instant Video.
* $25 Zaxby's Gift Card & Official Chicken of College Fanz T-shirt ($35)
* $100 Visa Gift Card
# I won a Music Download Code from DD_Rocks
* The Gift of a Legacy (book win)
* $100 Visa Gift Card

DECEMBER

* Dear Mr. President ... Reagan/Gorbachev and the Correspondence that Ended the Cold War (book win)
* The Duke and the Decoy (book win)
* My Name is Rapunzel (Book Win)
* A year of papa Murphy's pizza (text win)
* Congratulations, you are the winner of the Cockspur Rum prize pack which includes: one (1) Small Black T-Shirt and one (1) Beach Ball (twitter win)
* Violet CD by Shauna
* Congratulations on winning a copy of my EP, Endlessly!
* $100 American Express Gift Card
* free copy of Ten Women - book win

The Winner's Circle

If you're a sweeper like me, then you've heard these words many times. "Oh nobody wins those things." or "You must just be lucky."

Trust me, luck has very little to do with it. As a matter of fact if you actually calculate the number of times I actually enter sweepstakes my luck must be incredibly bad.

This does not deter me however. I continue to enter sweepstakes and contests and I continue to win.

Here are my wins for the year 2010. Where possible I have placed the ARV of the prize.

January
Advance reading copy of Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff (ARV $5).
$100 gift card from Arbor Mist
Good Eats: The Early Years by Alton Brown (ARV $37.50).

February
$100 VISA gift card from the Tom's of Maine giveaway
Hill's Prescription Diet pet food for one year awarded in the form of coupons (ARV $$774/dog)
Prize: Fender Squire bass guitar, Ibanez electric guitar, Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, and Evans drumhead all signed and played by Saosin in the Changing music video.
Copy of Love & City Dreaming Poems by Margaret Havill Reid.
$50 snapfish gift card

March
Absolute Power by David Baldacci (audio book)
Marrying For King's Millions by Maureen Child (book)
$1,000, two tickets to Daytona and a Meet and Greet

April
Bake Me A Wish Cake
Photo notebook
Get Rid of the Performance Review! (book win)
A Touch of Scandal (book win)
Cienfuegos (book win)
This Ain't No Hearts and Flowers Love Story Pt 2 (book win)
Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet (book win)
$25 Rite Aid Gift Card

May
Little Billy's Letters (book win)
The Swimming Pool (book win)
Work Song (book win)
Still Missing (book win)
Corked (book win)

June
music download from Universal Music
$500 grocery gc
won the Guide To Online Dating.
Poison by Sara Poole (book win)

July
Focus Features DVD pack (ARV $80). Movies included Brokeback Mountain, Atonement, Away We Go, Etrenal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Pride & Prejudice.
Gary Allen Get Off On The Pain CD
Matched by Allie Condle (book win)

August
$100 Visa gift card
$25 Rite Aid Card
If I Stop Talking You'll know I'm Dead audio book win

September
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse "Team Jacob," "Team Bella," and "Team Edward" 1-liter aluminum water bottle set (ARV $30).
$100 Visa Card.

October
100 MyCokeRewards
1 bag of Ghirardelli Squares Chocolate
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards
30 MyCokeRewards

November
Troll2 DVD
Tarizon: Conquest Earth (Tarizon Trilogy)
Francesca Battistelli t-shirt, CD, and bag; and Satellites and Sirens CD, poster, sticker, button, and guitar picks (ARV $60).
Jonah Hex DVD
$20 Dollar General Gift Card
Corona Summer Beach Kit with Weber Smokey Joe Gold grill, two beach chairs and beach umbrella (ARV $125).

December
Commemorative R.W. Knudsen Family® anniversary bottle of Sparkling Concord grape juice
$2 scratch-off ticket
3 FREE scratch off lottery tickets
Free Fries from Wendy's
Breakfast from Hardees for my Department from local radio station WLAQ
A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel's Victims of Terrorism - book win
The Devotion of Suspect X - book win
The Flirt Club - book win
$100 Publix GC
$10 Family Dollar Gift Card

BlogHer Day One

The great people at Kraft Foods have sponsored my trip to Chicago and I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this trip as has been so far. I can't honestly say that I'd ever been on vacation all by myself in my whole life. Vacations have always been a family oriented event and I'll admit I was a little nervous about leaving Mr. Thrifty behind. Then again, someone had to take care of our dogs.

The flight to Chicago went off without at hitch. As a matter of fact not only did Kevin, the WONDERFUL rep from Weber Shandwick, did such a great job of planning my trip out here I felt like a Super-Star. (Everyone should have a Kevin!) While I'm not certain he had anything to do with how short the lines were at security, I'd like to believe he was. I'd also like to believe that he was responsible for getting such a great seat on the plane. Not only was I sitting on a window seat but I had the whole row to myself. The flight went smoothly and I even got some reading in on the flight.

When I arrived at the airport, I headed straight for the baggage claim. The driver that Kevin had arranged was waiting for me right at the gate. (Note to self. Ask Mr. Thrifty for my very own Kevin). My driver was so nice and helpful. I was brought to my car with tinted glass which fit my new rock star status.

When the car arrived at the Sheraton I just couldn't believe that a company would be willing to do all this for me. I knew I loved Kraft before but now I'm contemplating having a heart with the word Kraft Foods tattooed on my ankle. (Well maybe not tattooed but I do love Kraft.) Everyone at the hotel was helpful and friendly.

You should see my room. I'm staying on the 24th floor and the room is pure luxury. I'm within walking distance of the Magnificent Mile and the Navy Pier. It's close to just about everything you'd want to see in downtown Chicago. I also have internet access in my room.

Thursday is the day scheduled for my tour of the Kraft Kitchens. I look forward to receiving their magazine every month and then making many of the recipes contained in the magazine. So for this Mom who loves to cook this opportunity is actually a trip of a lifetime. You should have seen my Mom's expression when I told her I was going. For years she told me that if I kept eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese I would turn into Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I guess my obsession with all things Kraft (especially stove top stuffing) did turn me into a Kraft Fan Forever.

I think that some companies recognize that product loyalty is won in small increments by providing consistently good products but also in showing they care about their customers by reaching out with their magazine, their website, providing coupons, corporate outreach (like with Crystal Light's Global Water Challenge), running contests, sweepstakes, and listening to customer feedback.

I don't think that I can thank the people at Kraft Foods enough. I hope to learn many things that I can take home to my students. I am looking forward to telling you more about my trip.

After I checked into my hotel I headed down to the Concierge desk to find out how to get to the local Hair Cuttery. I used to have a Hair Cuttery near me but no more. That would be all well and good except I had a gift certificate that Darryl had won for me last year and I hadn't been able to use it.

Darryl had written this really nice essay about how I deserved a make-over and his essay was chosen the winner. The prize had included a $125 gift certificate for a makeover from Hair Cuttery. I decided to check online to see if there was on in Chicago and there was one. I quickly put away my suitcases and headed off to catch a bus to Randolph Street. There I had my hair dyed and foiled for a frisky new look. I didn't need a hair cut and since I normally dye my own hair I think I was a bit shocked at the sticker price for having this work down at a salon. It cost me $110 for all that. I just can't imagine spending that kind of money on my hair every day. Still it was a treat and one that I might never have had if it wasn't for my darling husband.

After two hours in the salon I took the bus back to my hotel and took a little walk down the Magnificent Mile. Lots going on down there. I even had a couple of interesting conversations with a protester and an activist. Ah the city, makes me miss DC. We just don't have all those huge buildings in DC or Rome, GA for that matter.

I actually heard the protesters before I saw them. I heard some music and wondered what was going on. As I got closer I realized that there was a protest going on. Turns out that NBC does not treat their employees right. I was all over the story. I noticed that a couple of the local city officials were there being interviewed by the local news. That's the moment I said, "Hey wait. I'm a blogger. Bloggers can report what's going on. No scratch that bloggers report what's going on."

I decided to ask one of the protesters and almost immediately I realized that I might not be on top of my game. I prefer planning out what I'm going to say. This was spur of the moment and I had no background whatsoever on the story I was covering. Can we say rookie mistake?

I asked one of the women participating in the protest and almost immediately she invaded my personal space. We were so close we almost touched and I had to tell her that she was too close to the camera. It turns out the people she's striking with have been working for four months without a contract. I asked her a couple of questions and she was obviously very anxious to let me know her viewpoint. I think it kind of amazed me that someone who didn't know me would be willing to talk to my little pink Vado Video Camera and treat me like she thought I was some journalist.



After speaking with her I felt a little empowered. Would everyone be so willing to speak to a handheld camera? I found out when I talked to the Green Peace Activist. Originally he wanted money which I didn't have. I have a husband who is unemployed thank you very much. He originally called me over saying, "You look like you care about the earth."

Honestly, at first I wondered if there was just something about me. Just a few weeks ago, Darryl and I had checked out some cars at a local dealership and the salesman actually asked us if we were "tree huggers". I wondered what would cause him to ask that. Darryl thought it was his sandals. I thought it was my tie-dye tee shirt with the peace symbol. We both missed part of the equation. You see the salesman had told us that while those things played into his question we were also the only couple to ever show up on his lot so concerned about the mileage of the cars we were looking at and asking about the cash for clunkers deal.

When the Green Peace guy said I looked like I cared about the earth I wondered what made him think I did or was that simply his pick up line. I suppose it was my peasant skirt which gave me a bit of a bohemian look. More than likely it was the fact that I was carrying an organic cotton carry all that said Earth on it with a stencil of two elephants on it. I had won the carry all from a blog giveaway a few months ago and I brought it to help me carry swag.

He and I discussed Al Gore, derivatives, carbon credits their founder's belief in Nuclear power, and about how Green Peace does not back Obama's Cap and trade policy. I think he was a little surprised that some random woman on the street actually knew something about Green Peace or their agenda.

So even though I didn't give Mr. Green Peace any money I did allow him to tell me about a cause that Green Peace is involved in and that he wanted others to know about. It's nice to be young and have a passion burning in your heart. Once again I was surprised at someone's willingness to talk to my Vado Video camera.




My Green Peace friend was taken in by the "fact" that Al Gore is donating "All his money back to the cause" This is not quite true and here's a little background on that.

Former Vice President Al Gore has built a Green money-making machine capable of eventually generating billions of dollars for investors, including himself, but he set it up so that the average Joe can't afford to play on Gore's terms. And the US portion is headed up by a former Gore staffer and fund raiser who previously ran afoul of both the FEC and the DOJ, before Janet Reno jumped in and shut down an investigation during the Clinton years.

Here is how Gore buys his "carbon offsets," as revealed by The Tennessean raises serious questions. According to the newspaper's report, Gore buys his carbon offsets through Generation Investment Management:

Gore helped found Generation Investment Management, through which he and others pay for offsets. The firm invests the money in solar, wind and other projects that reduce energy consumption around the globe...

Gore is chairman of the firm and, presumably, draws an income or will make money as its investments prosper. In other words, he "buys" his "carbon offsets" from himself, through a transaction designed to boost his own investments and return a profit to himself. To be blunt, Gore doesn't buy "carbon offsets" through Generation Investment Management - he buys stocks.

Here's a list indicating what it takes to make money along with Al. Funds associated with these companies have placed millions of dollars under Al Gore's control. And, as you'll see below, Gore's selection for the US President of GIM might raise a few eyebrows as well.

AFLAC INC - AQUANTIVE INC - AUTODESK INC - BECTON DICKINSON & CO BLACKBAUD INC - GENERAL ELECTRIC CO - GREENHILL & CO INC - JOHNSON CTLS INC - LABORATORY CORP AMER HLDGS - METABOLIX INC - NORTHERN TR CORP - NUVEEN INVTS INC -STAPLES INC - SYSCO CORP - TECHNE CORP - UBS AG - VCA ANTECH INC - WATERS CORP - WHOLE FOODS MKT INC

According to their own documents, GIM intends to invest in, or buy companies poised to cash in on Global Warming concerns.

Putting this in perspective, for years the mainstream media have posited that George W. Bush (oh almost forgot EVIL George W. Bush) started war with Iraq to benefit the company Vice President Dick Cheney used to run, Halliburton, as well as Bush’s oil tycoon friends. It almost seemed you couldn't find a reporter who couldn't find a way to introduce Cheney without mentioning his ties to Halliburton.

Yet, as the former Vice President continues to plug global warming as a coming crisis in need of immediate attention, the same media completely ignore his obvious financial conflicts of interest.

If Gore's motivation in pushing Global Warming is so altruistic, was it really necessarily for the already wealthy Gore to establish a multi-million dollar corporation in England to cash in? And given the history of Gore and Knight, are these people we should trust to drive a re-vamping of the world economy at the same time they're lining their pockets because of our much smaller carbon footprints?

Then again this is why I like reading on both sides of the spectrum. I've always heard there are three sides to every story, his, hers, and the truth. Neither the far right no the far left have a real grip of what's real that isn't clouded by their bias. So Green Peace guy, because I know you are reading this, see what happens when you talk to some old lady walking down the street with a Disney Earth bag?

I also tried to get a little of the "Obama is the Russian's Puppet" guy but I decided not to interview him because I felt that would be exploitative.



Dinner tonight was the Cheesecake Factory. Anyone who does not believe that sweepstakes influence your buying decision must not know the people I know. We tend to be loyal to companies that regularly have sweepstakes and contests. For the last several weeks I have been entering a contest/sweepstakes that was sponsored by the Cheesecake Factory. You had to write an essay in the contest portion of the promotion but you had the opportunity to win a gift card instantly.

I did NOT win. Every day, day after day I would go to that site to play the instant portion of the game and every day I'd say, wow that really looks good. So I made a conscious decision to throw caution to the wind and despite my thrifty challenge I purchased lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. What a lunch it was. I ordered a Southwestern Salad and it was so huge I was too full to eat dinner tonight. I had also ordered a margarita and a cheesecake. I had to take the piece of cheesecake with me along with half of my salad.

Finally I have a sad death to report. Gidget, the chihuahua from Taco Bell and Legally Blonde passed away. She was 15 years old. Quoting the dog’s owner, Karen McElhatton, as saying Gidget “lived like a queen” and “had a great life.” I hope wherever you are Gidget you can always head for the border for some tacos.

So tomorrow's the big day and I can hardly wait. Come back tomorrow to find out what I learned

Thanks for stopping by and let me know if there's anything you want to tell the people at Kraft Foods.

Confessions Of A ThriftyMaven

Rome News-Tribune Features Editor

SAvila@RN-T.com / 706-290-5255

In tough economic times, most people are looking to save a few bucks here and there. But Rome High School teacher Catherine Copeland’s home is stocked with brand new electronics and fancy gadgets and she’s taking trips all over the country, even being picked up at the airport in limousines. The catch is that she isn’t paying for any of it.

Copeland, who teaches business at Rome High, has been sweeping since she was 19 years old.

“Sweeping is when you enter sweepstakes,” Copeland said. “A long time ago I discovered that with patience and perseverance you can win a lot of stuff just by entering sweepstakes and contests.”

And for most of her adult life, Copeland has enjoyed the thrill of sweepstakes and contests and the chance at winning prizes and gifts.

She started with call-in radio contests and won more than 100 albums and saw 70 concerts including Billy Joel, Elton John and Queen for free.

Copeland then graduated to “snail mail,” filling out 3x5 cards and mailing them out to various sweepstakes.

And now, the Internet offers her thousands of choices for entering contests.

She is a member of the Georgia Peaches Sweepers Club as well as onlinesweepers.com. Through those groups, she shares information with other avid sweepers and gets information on thousands of contests.

“On average I enter about 500 sweepstakes per day,” she said. “But you have programs that make doing that very easy. It’s mindless. I could sit and watch television and send those out.”

There is also a big difference between sweepstakes and contests, as Copeland is quick to point out.

“Sweepstakes usually just require you to send in your name and address,” she said. “Contests require some sort of skill.”

Copeland has entered and won contests for recipes, photography, videos and even essays.

And that time spent has certainly paid off. Her home is filled with her prizes including radios, cameras, laptops, printers, gift cards and iPods.

She has won trips to the Bahamas, Disney World, Aruba, St. Lucia, several U.S. cities and even as far away as Scotland.

Her most unusual prize, she guesses, was a double ghost tour of New Orleans and Chicago.

And the most valuable?

“We sweepers have what we call ‘hall of fame’ wins,” she said. “Those are prizes that are worth at least $5,000. I’ve won three of those. Two were trips and one was an electronics package.”

But Copeland isn’t keeping all the wealth to herself. She’s taken to the Internet with a blog, thriftymaven.com, in an effort to share all her thrifty secrets with the community.

“The blog is a byproduct of what I teach my students,” she said. “I’m thrifty. I teach about good business and saving money and marketing and company strategies. So the blog is somewhere people can go to learn about some of those things.

Copeland blogs about everything from how and where to find deals to contests and sweepstakes and even coupons.

Readers can get special promotions, recipes as well as product reviews.

“I just want people to be aware of these money-saving strategies,” she said. “With rising joblessness, housing woes and other economic problems people are looking for ways to cut costs.”

Today is the day that my article appeared in the Rome News Tribune. Some 56 new subscribers signed up in one day. That's about the same number of people who signed up in one day after I began the Home Depot Contest.

I had posted that I had appeared in the paper on OLS and a couple of people were upset because I talked about sweeping and about OLS. They felt that this would keep them from winning because more people would sign up. That was fine. I guess I understand that. I do know that most of the people I turn on to sweeping generally lose interest quickly. They might enter a couple of sweeps and that's it, they're through with it. See I told you I never win!

One person though really lashed into me. She wanted to know why I talked about entering sweeps mindlessly while watching TV. Well if that person talked to my husband she would know that I don't watch TV in the sense that I stare mindlessly at the screen. I have the TV on, I listen to it, as I hit roboform. The reporter had wanted to know how in the world I entered 500 sweeps a day. I had chatted with the reporter about sweeping and I showed him Roboform. He thought that was pretty cool. He said "I guess you could just do that while you are entering sweeps." I said yes. The reporter had gotten the name of OLS wrong and he had put the mindlessly watching TV thing in his article and this bothered the heck out of this person on OLS.

Not once, but three separate times she came at me. Finally I had enough and I confronted her. She had been so snarky and then she said "Why are you being so defensive?" Uh hello? Are you following the same conversation I am I asked? As always I took it personally. So I told her look, some people will always believe they are right. It doesn't matter what is said THEY are always right so "YOU ARE RIGHT." She stopped posting. After that a few people posted how happy they were about my article.

So wish me luck, I'm still growing my blog.

To Couponing & Back Again

Years ago I read an article in a woman’s magazine and it featured a woman who purchased a whole shopping cart filled of food and after coupons and rebates walked out paying about a dollar or so for everything. She was a stay at home mom and she made it seem that by clipping coupons one could make this a reality. That’ what I wanted! I wanted to stay at home, watch my kids grow, be all fussy with the house and the cooking. What a dream! Did this ever happen for me? NO!

When I married my first husband I wanted to prove to him that I could save so much money and live so frugally so that I could stay home and he could work. He had a very good job with great benefits. The problem was that he felt I should have a job and my pay should go for everything from food, to rent, to utilities, and he would be responsible for his car, his gym membership, and his nights out with his friends.

I started out pretty naively. I would get good deals and try to show my husband that we could afford for me to be a full-time mom with just a little more budget cutting. This conversation had the reverse effect as my husband felt that there was even more disposable income for him to burn through. I would skimp and go without but those words were not in his vocabulary.

Still I was proud of how mmuch I was saving and I used to write my parents and my sister and brag about the good deals until one day my sister made a comment about how she doesn’t use coupons anymore because her husband makes enough where she doesn’t have to anymore. The not so subtle message was that her husband was more successful than mine.

It was a lonely hobby and it wasn’t paying off the way my other hobby was which was doing radio contests. With that hobby my ex-husband and I went to concerts all the time and won albums, t-shirts, movie premiers, sporting events, and more. These were the times that we would actually go out as a couple and it was almost like we were dating again.

A marriage does not work if only one person is committed to it. I was desperately in love with my husband and was willing to sacrifice anything and everything to make him happy. When there was abuse, I blamed myself. When he belittled me, I vowed to do better.

Then one day I went into the hospital to deliver my youngest son and the next day my husband moved in with his mistress. He cleared out the bank account and left us with nothing. I was forced to go on welfare.

It was at that point I took account of my situation, returned to college and got a degree in education. The dream I had once held of being a stay-at-home mom was now the hope of making it alone without a husband. I had been so beaten down I wondered if I had my doubts.

I tried again after I graduated from college and started again this time with two young sons. I did much better then. I was able to stock pile free or nearly free laundry detergent, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. I would send away for some of the premiums and after all those years on welfare it felt good to be using all name brand items and buying them far cheaper than the store brand. This time I was way more organized than before. I would go to stores that offered double and even triple coupons and mail away for rebates. I began to start saving up the little checks here and there and depositing them into my account and even opened an account for my sons.

By the time I moved to Newport News I had saving down to a system. I had quit buying all my clothes at the second hand stores. Now I bought everything brand spanking new and not at Walmart. I shopped at Dillards and Hechts where there weren’t children running through the store screaming. I’d buy $60 dollar dresses for $10. I’d buy Mike a $100 coat for $15. They were all name brands even my darn shoes which I’d buy at 90% off. What a hoot.

Groceries were great at Harris Teeter. I’d buy what was on sale, especially if it was buy one get one free. If I had a coupon even better. They would print out extra coupons for you to use on your next visit. I’d buy our dog food at Pet Smart by going to the back of the store looking for bags that had been marked down sometimes up to40% because there were tears in the bags and then I’d use a coupon.

Then after years of being alone, I married my husband and I moved to Georgia.  My husband didn't see a need for me to do any couponing because he felt it was just nickle and diming things.  He just told me to watch what I spent without specifics.  That is until I spent $100 buying a bunch of cleaning supplies which included a new broom, a new mop, etc., bleach, etc., etc.  I guess it's back to couponing I go. 

Then yesterday I happened upon a coupon site by going to the Sweepsheet site. I’m glad I subscribed to this site. Three is some chat there but most of it is about sweeping not about political, anti-religious, sex, drug use, etc. I still love my other site but this was just a different avenue for me to do more snails. After all I used to do snails and I would win things. I even won a bike for Mike years ago. It was so great to be able to give him a bike. I have only won a couple of things that were only mentioned on that site. One was a Reeses t-shirt and the other was a $40 gift card that went to Mike. I’m keeping my fingers crossed though. I do win lots more on Online-Sweepstakes.com I’ve won lots of stuff from that including 2 of our vacations for the next year.

Well that’s when I took a look at the link for coupons. I used to subscribe to the magazine Refundable Bundle. I remember looking through it years ago for things I would use I let my subscription lapse all those years ago and didn’t renew.

Couponing used to be such a solitary hobby. Wow have things changed. I clicked on to the link and people were actually taking pictures of all the stuff they got for free and had ideas that I hadn’t thought of or hadn’t tried. Things like buying things really cheap or free and selling them at a yard sale.

So I said what the heck. I’ve been kind of doing money saving stuff by looking for red coke caps and plugging them in to get merchandise as gifts for my boys. I started doing my points. Doing the surveys. Heck. Maybe I still have it in me.