Be Our Guest

  I am a homebody. My favorite place in the winter is to be warm and snug in the house, in the summer it is puttering around the yard. All this home time can get a bit lonely though. I look forward to having friends and family over to visit. If it is for a coffee break, or to stay a while I always want them to feel welcomed. I grew up with 4 sisters and very outgoing parents. There were always people coming to our home. Growing up I just expected to run into people I knew ANYWHERE we went. Mom's pantry was always ready for a last minute get together, and weekly cleaning charts insured that the house was clean enough for drop by visitors.   Well my house may not always be as clean as my mom's, but I do want people to feel welcomed and want to come back. I always hope that people will make themselves at home when they visit, but in case they are afraid to let me know they need something I try to be ready. Think like a hotel. When you travel, what items are left in your hotel room? What items can you get from the front desk? Then using my couponing skills, I just assembled a small basket of commonly forgotten toiletries. With my guests basic needs seen too, it is time to have some fun. Many years ago, one of my sisters came to visit me, and was completed appalled that I was unaware of a large festival happening in a town nearby. Now I keep a current copy of Explore Minnesota and any regional happenings books I come across, in my guest room. The paper, and signs hanging in local businesses are a great source of local happenings too. Don't get me wrong, I am not professing to be an expert hostess. I only hope that my guests will overlook my shortfalls by knowing we have put forth the effort to make them feel welcomed and loved. Be sure to book your stay soon!

My Walls are Talking, Please Make Them Stop!

[caption id="attachment_1041" align="aligncenter" width="300"] If snow melts away from your house in the dead of winter, you have a problem too.[/caption]

My Vet and I have been working for a few months to improve our home's energy footprint. In addition to improving insulation and filling the gaps, I've been contemplating spending a few hundred dollars on a Home Energy Audit. Which is when someone comes in and tells you where your home is wasting energy.

Imagine my surprise when I opened my March 2013 issue of All You. All You is a magazine that is dedicated to saving around the house, and is chock full of coupons that you can't find anywhere else. It featured a 4 page article on how to invest in your home to improve your bottom line. I read a lot of tips I already knew and turned the page, and there it was in a little pink box on page 106. A Thermal Leak Detector for the DIYer! I could hardly wait for My Vet to get home. After showing My Vet I was even more excited. He started shopping online right away, then before clicking "buy", he remembered a friend who already had one! He borrowed it soon after. It works just like a scanner at self check, or when you sign up for a gift registry, this was going to be fun. I started on what always feels like the coldest wall in the house.

67 degrees Fahrenheit. Not exactly what I expected, maybe I should have tried a colder day? It didn't make any sense. Then I wondered if the wall was warm because it was reflecting the inside temperature? I went into a back bedroom were we keep the furnace vents covered and the door closed. and tried to get a more accurate reading. Well that's better. Well not really, but you know what I mean. Hmmmm.. How do I get a more accurate reading in an area that is heated better? I place some snow pants along the base of that wall to insulate that portion from the inside temperature. A few hours later I tested it again. Yeah! Crap! That's a 21 degree difference on the same wall and it's actually a pretty nice day out. I wonder what the other side of that wall feels like from the outside? Ouch! That is a 4.5 degree difference between inside and outside. We suspected this was one of our biggest problem areas, and already plan on attacking it this summer. I just didn't imagine it was THAT bad! Hopefully that will be the biggest improvement to our enegry consumption.

Coupon Policy Test Run

On Thursday I get to talk to a group of mom's about couponing! I look forward to it for many reasons. I love helping to empower others, I also learn things from other moms. The art of saving is constantly changing, and every store has their own policy.

A new Walmart opened recently in our town, and I wanted to see how well their cashiers knew their policy. Using some of my favorite blogs, I created a shopping list and assembled my coupons and ads. I also printed off a Coupon Policy from the Walmart website to have with me. I used a competitors store coupon to price match and used a manufacturer coupon on the same item. I used multiple competitor ads to price match. If the competitor had a quantity limit, Walmart enforced that limit, if no limit was mentioned I was able to purchase as many as I wanted. Using multiple computers I printed 8 of the same coupon. I was able to use all in a single transaction. I had coupons that exceeded the value of the item, and received credit for the rest of my purchases. I had a coupon for free product that was mailed from the manufacturer honored. I exceeded 40 coupons in a single transaction with no problems. The girls and I went early in the day, to avoid creating long lines. There weren't enough cashiers on duty to profile, so I just picked one. She was courteous, and knowledgable. As I placed items on the counter, I placed my competitors ad with the item circled, on top of the product. I was then able to keep track of the girls without missing a savings. The only problem I encountered was that on a couple of items the size/brand I wanted wasn't available. That being said, I still managed to save 45% of the total. [caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I brought some coupons hoping to score a deal before they expired. If I didn't find an item with a low enough price, I left my coupons behind for a another shopper to use.[/caption] Not spectacular, but I was able to restock my pantry with coffee and toilet paper! I was surprised to see that my receipt did not have a "You Saved XX" portion. Most other stores have that convenient feature. Finding: It was convenient to not have to go from store to store, But I also impulse bought 35% of my receipt total on items I hadn't intended on purchasing in the first place. (Items I would have needed in the next few weeks, but didn't have coupons for, or even know if I paid the "best" price.) I guess the oldest tips for saving is still the best. Eat before you shop, and stick to your list.