My Personal Winnings

I'll (try to remember to) post photos of things I've won... starting with this month. I wish I could go back in time & put everything, but I simply can't. I didn't write it down nor can I remember everything! So, this is starting with February 2013

4 Circus Tickets

$20 Avon shopping spree*

Blue snowflake bracelet

Purple Beaded necklace Set

2 pairs of baby booties in my choice of size & colors

Infant sized Toy Story fleece blanket


Pampered Chef goodies!!! Cutting board, taco holder dish, mittens,
pepper grinder, butternut bar board, serving dishes with stand, etc.
(Giving this to my hubby for his birthday so I'll post what's all in it then!)

Some things I don't have photos for: *$15 GC to Owl About DuctTape on FB
* A boys sailboat necklace from Zivas Diva Boutique on FB
* Custom name blocks from Flutterby Expressions on FB
*$10 store credit to AJ's Handmade Creations on FB

Want to be a WINNER??

So, some of y'all that are my friends on Facebook know that I enter contests monthly and that I sometimes win stuff! Hey, who doesn't like to win? I haven't won the lotto or a vacation or anything like that... I've won some paypal cash, bows, hats, shirts, etc. how? Am I super lucky?? HAHAHA... no.

There are a LOT of places on FB that hold monthly contests. What you do is find them, find the album usually for that month. (Some do monthly giveaways, some do giveaways for a milestone, like 3,000 fans etc.) Read the rules. They'll be posted on a photo usually entitled "RULES." Usually you have to "like" the page that's hosting it & "like" the page of who's donating the prize. Sometimes you have to comment on the photo, sometimes you have to share it. Make sure you read the description of a prize because some prizes require you to pay shipping, some have free shipping. It's honestly QUITE simple. I HIGHLY suggest you keep a list of where you entered & what date it ends. I have an ongoing list in the notepad of my computer. Simple, quick access. Check back the day it ends, or the day after. Typically you have 24-72 hours to claim your prize. 99% of the time, these contests, YOU have to check to see if you won. Sometimes the owner of the site will (try to) tag you, but if you've been on FB at all in the past year, you know you may not get notified.

Here are a few starters for you...

Freebies and Giveaways. She holds giveaways EVERY WEEKEND!!! Super simple. It starts Friday morning and ends Sunday night. Read the rules. "like" the prizes you'd like to try to win. (I try for just about anything. Even if I personally wouldn't use it. I know people that could use it, or save it for gifts!!!)

Penny Pinching Polly... Another simple one. Most EVERY Saturday night to Sunday morning she hosts a giveaway! This one you have to click on a link & it will take you to an entry form. Some contests use the "like" method on FB, some use something called Rafflecopter (RC) and some use other entry forms.

If you go here... Tracie's Giveaway Finds.. she keeps a really good list going of contests. Some are "single" (where there's only 1 prize to be won) & some are "multiple" (where there's multiple prizes to be won).

It can take a while to get the hang of it. I found out about stuff like this last June. It can take up some time so make sure you have the time when you sit down to enter! As you click around through sites, you'll probably see other contests on other pages. If you enter them, GOOD LUCK :) just make sure to read the rules & check back at the appropriate time to see if you're a winner! Don't forget to follow me (Google +)!! Now that i'm figuring this thing out, I'll be posting more often :)

Hand skin issues? Never fear! Neutrogena is here!!!

I have always suffered from skin issues (thanks dad). My hands in the winter time are awful. The weather where I live is bipolar. This week alone we have gone from snow and highs in the upper 20's, to warm sunshine and highs in the lower 70's, to thunderstorms and wind. No wonder my skin goes crazy!!! Not to mention being a mom of 4 kids and a housewife... and i crochet! I was part of a BzzAgent campaign where i got to try Neutrogena Norwegian formula lotion free. My hands were in Heaven!!! This is the same brand my dad used when I was little. I remember sneaking to his bedside table & squeezing some onto my hands! My father passed away in 1991, but seeing and smelling this also brings back memories of him. Anyhow, if you have skin issues, I HIGHLY recommend giving this a try!!! Thanks BzzAgent for allowing me to be part of your campaign!

Writing companies for coupons!

So, with my couponing (& no where NEAR being a pro! I'm still a very humble beginner!) I recently saw some articles on writing companies in hopes to get coupons!  You know my thoughts on that when I read it? I slapped myself in the forehead & thought "DUH! WHY did I NOT think of that before?"

I have just skimmed the surface of starting this, but have started!  I will post who I write & any responses & any goodies I get in the mail :-)



Gwaltney-  My husband & I gave up pork products (for health reasons) & have wanted bacon & FINALLY found beef bacon!  We tried it & LOVED it! The first package was beautiful! The second, well, it tasted great, but it was mangled inside.  I wrote and praised & complained and here is the email response I got about 24 hours later!

"Dear Ms. Q,

Thank you for contacting us and for your very kind words about our beef bacon.  I was sorry to read your last experience with our bacon was not entirely positive.  We take disappointments with our products seriously and I am sending your concern that the bacon was “twisted” and difficult to get out of the package in one piece to our quality assurance team for their review.

Your complete satisfaction is our priority.  Because this bacon did not meet expectations, we are sending you product coupons to fully offset the purchase price.  Please look for these coupons in the mail in the next week.

Thank you for sharing your concern with us and for giving us the opportunity to address it.

Gwaltney Consumer Affairs"

Heinz - I wrote them praising their product (as I honestly love them and can not stand other brands of ketchup!)  Here is the email response I got from them within about 48 hours... 

"Dear Noelle,

Thanks for visiting our website and taking the time to tell us how much you enjoy Heinz Ketchup.

We certainly will forward your comments to our Management -- they'll be delighted to hear what you had to say. Our dedicated marketing, research, and advertising staffs are continually working to introduce new products and state-of-the art packaging to the marketplace. We hope that the results of these efforts have made many of our products favorites in your home.

We appreciate your kind words.  As a way of thanking you for your continued patronage, we are sending coupons to you through the regular postal mail.   These should arrive within the next 2 weeks.   In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 1-800-255-5750 - our regular office hours are 8:30 am until 6:00 pm (Eastern time), Monday through Friday.

Heinz Consumer Resource Center
Heinzconsumeraffairs@us.hjheinz.com"

Frito-Lay -  I wrote them telling them how we love their chips & typically buy their brands over others even though they cost more. I feel the taste & quality are better!  Here is the email response I got from them within 48 hours..

"Hi Noelle,

Thank you so much for sharing such nice comments about Frito-Lay products. It's always a pleasure to hear from our consumers, especially when you tell us how much you enjoy our snacks. Fans like you keep us energized to provide you with the highest quality, best-tasting snacks on the market.

Again, we appreciate you writing to us and hope you continue to enjoy great-tasting snacks from Frito-Lay.

Best regards,

Frito-Lay Consumer Relations"

Q-Tips -  I wrote them because, well, i LOVE them!  My kids & I all have this *thing* about having our ears cleaned! I also use them for crafts, makeup, etc!   I got a response from them via email about 48 hours later...

"Thank you for contacting us regarding our Q-Tips .

It is truly rewarding when our consumers feel strongly about our brands and take the time to communicate with us directly.

Our goal has always been to provide consumers with the finest products that scientific research and human skills can develop. A personal commendation such as yours is most welcome and greatly appreciated. It assures us that we are achieving our goal. We will be pleased to share your comments with the appropriate staff.

Please feel free to register on to our website, where we frequently have coupons and special offers.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Q-Tips"

Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce- let's face it... they're DELICIOUS!  I wrote & told them so!  Here is their email response within 48 hours!

"Dear Noelle,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and letting us know you enjoy our products. Because we appreciate your patronage; we will mail you a coupon for money off your next purchase of Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce. You could only use the coupon at a retail store not with any online orders. Thank you and you have a nice day.

 Consumer Line

Sweet Baby Ray's"

Tropicana Orange Juice-  love them! We use them in recipes, drinks, etc.  Here is their email response I got within 48 hours.

"Noelle:

We're so glad your family loves Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice and even use it to accent your recipes and cocktails.

Everybody here at Tropicana works very hard to bring you fresh, straight from the orange flavor and we're glad you can taste it. Please be assured that we'll always do our best to produce high-quality juice for you to enjoy each and every day.

Since you're a fan of our juices, we invite you to join our family at the link below to get exciting Tropicana offers: 

http://www.tropicana.com/?jr=1#/trop_join/join.swf

We very much appreciate your business, Noelle, and thank you for your kind words.

Tropicana Consumer Relations
A Division of PepsiCo"

Saving money on groceries!!! EVERY cent counts!

As a SAHM (that's "Stay At Home Mom" for those of you who don't know) and in this day and age, when spending money, saving every single penny helps!  I am far from the folks you see on Extreme Couponing on TLC, but I do clip coupons from the Sunday paper, print them from a few sites online, etc.
I would LOVE to pay $10 for $300 + worth of groceries (or even "get paid" as some people do!) but let's face it, it's a lot to it, and I don't have that much time or brain power! LOL!   I DO typically save $50-$100 on a $250-$400 grocery shopping trip.  I'm happy if I can save $1; saving more? Yes, please!!!

Saving this much is honestly simple!  Look, if *I* can do it, anyone can!  My husband & I shop 99% at Kroger.  We love it!  We have Food Lion, Martin's (used to be Ukrop's locally & we can't STAND Martin's!,) and Walmart all within 5 miles of us.  Kroger is our #1 favorite hands down.  Their sales are great most of the time.  They often have 10/$10 sales which are great!  They also have online coupons available to load to your savings card, but keep in mind that these coupons do NOT double.  (Check your local store. coupon rules vary. At our Kroger they double up to and including 50 cent coupons daily. Never double/triple anything higher.)  I also make sure to check www.savingstar.com! They have coupons available that upload to your savings cards! Yes, that's plural... savings cardS.  You put in all your information to your various cards & they're automatically uploaded to them all!    I make sure I have the apps loaded onto my Android phone so I can glance & remember what exactly I have on there!