Cloth Diapers: Newborns

What a journey this parenting adventure has been!  I have to admit up front and honestly that it pretty much consumes my life these days and I'm 100% ok with that fact.  That being said, I wouldn't be doing my ex couponing/money saving/renovation blogger duty if I didn't write a post on cloth diapering.

It took a while for Colin and I to decide on cloth diapering, and even longer for us to decide WHICH cloth diapers we were going to go with.  I had started researching it in my crazy pregnancy "must make all of the right choices for my baby" haze, but didn't know anyone who used them so I wasn't convinced (and Colin was FAR from convinced).  Then, I found out that my cousin Lauren used them, and got to see them in practice and ask questions over winter break.  This pretty much solidified my feelings about wanting to use cloth with my baby, too.

Of course I was met with a lot of resistance from our parents generation who has nightmares about diaper pins and plastic pants - the diapers of old.  Cloth diapers today can be like that, but they don't have to be.  After doing a ton of researching and understanding about 25% of what I was reading, I made the decision to go with cottonbabies brand.  They have multiple different diaper lines, and we sampled some from each of them.

A lot of people ask me how on earth I got my husband to agree to this system, so aside from the fact that he's super cheap and saw $$$ in his head once I spelled it all out for him, here's what my argument was - Would you use paper plates, napkins, cups, and plastic silverware every day just so you didn't have to do the dishes (he happens to be a dishes nazi)??  No one in their right mind would say yes to this.  It just doesn't make any sense.  That's how I felt about disposable diapers after I educated myself on the differences.

I'm going to do a few posts on our chosen system, and why we love love love it now, starting with newborn diapers:

We weren't going to cloth from the start, but did receive some BumGenius newborn cloth diapers as a gift and bought some on clearance, so we figured we would test them out, but not use them full time.  After spending nearly $100 on disposables in the first two weeks (we started with 100 that were given to us as shower gifts) and an unbelievably gross diaper blow out in the middle of the night that left me, the bed, the baby, and all of our bedding covered, we quickly ordered a few more of the newborn cloths and switched over!

The outside of a diaper

The inside of a diaper

This is the all in one diaper that we used for the first 10 weeks.  It is exactly like a disposable.  You just take it off, put it in a diaper pail or wet bag, and put on a new one. When it's time to clean them you just throw them all in the wash, no extra prep work. Easy peasy!  Did I mention that the only real leaks we had from these were when she was too small for them and we first tested, or when we forgot to change her for too long and she leaked out the side?  Not a single blow out.  Not one.  And we still haven't had one.  That in itself is enough evidence for Colin.

Now I have to mention that although we got 10 weeks of use out of these, I've read that this isn't the norm, so really do your research before deciding to buy newborn sized diapers.  These were purchased from cottonbabies website during a "seconds sale" for roughly half price at $7.50 each.  They sell for around $14 normally and I'm not sure it would be worth it to have a full set of around 20 (we have 23 right now) bought at full price.  I also bought some from a local cloth diaper group for even cheaper.  A woman bought them for her son and didn't even get to use them all before he grew out of them.  I bought 6 brand new from her for $6 each.  If you can find deals like these, then I would highly recommend it! I was so sad having to pack these up and see them go.  Besides being super cute they worked great, were unreasonably easy, and dried in no time! Cloth diapering made simple.

Final Disclaimer: These diapers didn't fit Emmalyn well until she was close to 8 pounds.  It says they fit 6-12 pounds, but there was no way the 6.5 pound baby I brought home from the hospital was going to get a tight seal around her skinny little legs at that point.  And realistically although they still fit her now, she probably outgrew the absorbancy around the 10 pound mark.

Have any questions about our newborn cloth diapers? I'll have more posts to come about washing them, and what we do now that she's grown out of these beauties so be on the lookout!

How to Renovate a House on a Budget - Without Using Credit!

Since renovations have really been in the forefront of our minds lately (and realistically, running our lives), I figured I should write a post about how to create a nice home on a thrifty budget - without borrowing!  Here's how we've been able to pull it off:

1.  Start Saving Early! - 

About a year ago, Colin and I knew that there was a possibility we would be buying a home at our next duty station.  We also knew that houses come with increase costs.  Therefore, as silly as it sounds, we started putting $25 of each pay check into our savings account.  Sure, it's only $50 a month, but after a year, it magically turns into $600 that you didn't even miss from your checking account!  This is even easier if your online banking allows you to set up a direct withdrawal like ours did.  We didn't even notice the $25 being shifted after a while! 

In addition to this, we also started putting any checks we received into our savings.  This includes holiday money (yay for still getting money from your grandma on your birthday!), refund checks from rebates, closing accounts (like cable/electric), etc. etc.  Now, I understand that sometimes these checks are worth a lot, or you need a deposit from one thing to pay for the next.  Those checks can definitely be exceptions.

2.  Comparison Shopping - 

I am a huge believer in comparison shopping.  Now, I will admit that it takes a serious amount of extra time, but in the end I promise it pays off!  Every time we had something we knew we were going to need, I would look around online to see what the going rate was, and how I could beat it.  A lot of times a company you may never have heard of has a great deal on some wholesale product.  That's how we found our flooring!  I was determined to find someone who would sell us high quality flooring for under $2/ sq ft, and in the end I found it!

Something important to remember is that people have a lot of negative feelings about big box stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.), and rightfully so.  BUT if you cash in on sales and study the store policies, you can get some great deals there too!  For instance, Home Depot has a really great program where if you find an add where someone else sells something for cheaper, they'll match that price and then beat it by 10%.  I'm pretty sure they bank on no one taking the time to read newspaper circulars, so prove them wrong!


3.  Waiting for Sales - 

When you move into a new house and the inspector hands you a list a mile long of things that "should" be fixed, it can be seriously overwhelming.  I know I personally had a miniature heart attack during the inspection, and definitely started to get the "in over my head" feeling.  However, once I broke the list down and put it into categories, and realized that not everything was going to get done right away, it wasn't nearly as scary.

The first thing I did was write down exactly how much each thing would cost at two different places.  Then, I mercilessly scanned the weekly newspaper circulars in our FREE Friday newspaper for what was on sale that coming week.  So yes, our dryer went without a vent hood for an extra week, but we saved money in the long run.

Holiday weekends are especially great for this.  However, if it's something that has a rebate, make sure you don't forget to send it in.  We bought all of our paint for the whole house over 4th of July weekend because Home Depot was running a special where for each 5 gallon you bought, they gave you $20 back, and for each 1 gallon you bought, they gave you $5.  So we bought what we needed for every room (even though we haven't even painted them all yet!), and went home to put in the rebate!  Then, Home Depot sent us visa cards in the mail for $75 that we can now use anywhere! So yes, we may have bought more than we needed right then, but it saved us almost $100 in the end!

Now, I just have to note here that this can also go the other way.  Something that drives Colin nuts is when a sale is going on, I feel like I should cash in on it because I know we'll be paying more for it later - even if we don't have the storage for whatever it is, or the money in the budget.  Sometimes it's definitely worth it to go for it, but if it overextends the budget, remember that sales usually do come back around.  For instance, the 4th of July paint sale that I mentioned earlier came back for Labor Day.

4.  Prioritizing -

Colin is a huge believer in this one.  Prioritizing can be difficult, especially when you feel like everything needs to be done and it all feels important.  We took one day after we actually moved into the house to sit down and look at what needed to be done, then we made a list of things that needed to be done due to safety concerns, and those immediately moved to the head of the line.  After that, we made a list that was dependent on when things typically go on sale.  For instance, getting chimney's swept is cheaper in the summer because people aren't thinking about lighting fires, so have someone come out in July, and yard stuff is nearly always on clearance at the end of the summer/early fall, so work on the yard projects then.  We also planned all of our big projects around holiday weekends.  That way we could buy the supplies on sale.  Once we were done we had a whole years worth of projects prioritized by season and necessity. 


5. Do the Work Yourself (or with friends!) -

 We have been so fortunate to have lots of great people come and help us with the dirty work of renovating a house (pulling up carpet, breaking up tile, chopping down trees).  Not only is it a great way to spend time with friends and family, but it's also much cheaper than hiring someone!  When we started this reno we were beyond beginners when it came to any household projects, but thanks to youtube and some parental direction we figured it out!  We have spent hours on end watching youtube about anything you can imagine (installing moulding, tiling entryways, installing new light fixtures where there wasn't one before) and it really has paid off.  Lowes.com also has great DIY videos with supply lists that I would recommend. 

The biggest obstacle that comes with doing the work yourself is buying the tools.  Now, borrowing is also an option, and one that we use frequently, but some tools are worth the investment.  We searched craigslist, garage sales, and pawn shops, but had a hard time finding inexpensive, used alternatives.  I'm pretty sure this is just a product of living in such a small area, but the end result was lots of tools that we had to buy new.  I had a hard time with this at first, but really once you buy a tool, chances are you keep it for life, so next time you work on a project the labor will truly be free!

6.  Get to Know Your Local Hardware Store - 

This one is so important!  I would recommend taking a trip to your local hardware store and just look around at everything.  Ask where they keep clearance items, and what their policy is on special orders.  For instance, our Home Depot (we don't have much else up here) has a clearance section for random items at the end of the isle by the light fixtures, but they also put all of the big clearance items (tools, cabinets, bathroom vanities), in the front of the store next to the contractor counter.  Knowing where these items are and checking them every time you visit can really help your budget.  We bought nearly all of our indoor and outdoor light fixtures from the clearance section and saved a bundle!

One important tip I learned from a Home Depot associate was that they tend to stock middle of the road products, and special ordering isn't always more expensive.  Therefore, if you have a price point in mind, ask someone about what they can do to help you meet it, instead of settling for something that costs more, or something that you don't really like.  When we were trying to find inexpensive door moulding, I asked someone about their special orders, and ended up finding something that I loved for only .51/ linear foot, when everything in the store that wasn't just a plain white line was over $1.  They set up the order, shipped it to the store for free in 1 week, and we got moulding for the entire house for less than $150. 





Now, obviously every case is going to be different, but these tips have worked for us (so far!) and we've learned an invaluable lesson about not buying what you can't afford, and the importance of saving for those good deals!  Not everything in your house has to be expensive, just look like it is :)  If you have any questions about our renovations, or would like referrals about products used, feel free to email me directly or leave it in the comments!

Embarrassing confessions

I have a confession to make.  I am a celebrity "novel" junky.  I've read it all from Perez Hilton to the Kardashians and let me just say, some are totally worth it, while others should get new ghost writers.  I've even gone as far as gifting someone (who will remain nameless for her own protection) Spencer and Heidi's "book." Your Welcome (to those of you who I didn't send this book for the gift of not having to forever explain why it's in your collection, and to that special someone who received it -  I know it's been enjoyed).

Some of my past favorites include Kendra Wilkinson's Sliding into Home (like you've never wondered what goes on in the playboy mansion!!  And it's worse!), and Perez Hilton's Red Carpet Suicide: A Survival Guide on Keeping up with the Hiltons (say what you want about him, but this book is hilariously true).

However, today I read a book that rocked my celeb loving world.  Let me introduce you to Tina Fey's Bossypants.  It is absolutely one of the best books I've ever read.  I don't care if you aren't into reading (or whatever), don't like 30 Rock, or have a "thing" against funny books - Go out and buy a copy.  Who cares how much it costs!  Do it!

I love this book on so many different levels.  I love it as a woman.  I love it as a fan of her work.  I love it as a fan of comedy.  I love it as a fan of reading.  And I love it as a fan of equality.  And I assure you you don't need to feel the same about all of these things as I do.  You WILL find something you love about this book.

So in conclusion yes, I have read Kardashian Konfidential (and it is the worst book known to man), but I promise you I'm right about this.  To make it easier for you, I'm including direct amazon links to my favorite celeb books.  Buy them!






It's funnier if you read his blog before he "changed" into a better person, but still good even if you just follow celebrity gossip.  Plus it's cheap.  Like real cheap.











What initially drew me to this book was the curiosity of a ridiculously old man having a ridiculous number of girlfriends, and while you will find the answer to all those gross mansion questions, you'll also probably be surprised that it's a pretty good book.  The best part about it is that you get to learn about Kendra without having to deal with that obnoxious laugh.









 This one's the kicker.  Like I said, worth every penny.  Without a doubt in my all time top five books I've ever read.  Please do yourself a favor (especially if you're a female, but it would be excellent education for males too), and buy this book.  Now.  The link is right there.  Super easy.






After being inspired by this read, I think I'm going to move on to Chelsea Handler and Ellen Degeneres.  Keep an eye out for how those fair on my list of celeb novel endeavors, now that I'm officially out.

Do you secretly read trashy celeb books, too?  What's your favorite? Have a different embarrassing (yet still PG-13) confession?  You know what to do.

Living Social

I know a lot of people have already jumped on the Groupon train, but have you started using Living Social yet?  It's a great service that I actually like better than Groupon.  They still have city specific deals, but they also have escapes (vacation packages), and family deals for most large cities.  Then, to top it all off, if you share the referral link they provide after purchasing the deal, and three other people use it to buy the same deal, you get yours free!  Awesome, right?  It's a great site that I highly suggest you all check out for some fun savings.  Who knows, it may just introduce you to some new activity in your city that you never even knew existed!  (And did I mention that they have an easy to use app for your phone, too?)

Today's deal is particularly enticing for us, since living in a hotel makes it difficult to get out and do things (we didn't really pack accordingly), we've been going to the movies way more than we normally do.  And with prices for tickets, popcorn, etc through the roof lately, I just couldn't pass this up!  The daily deal on Living Social today is $9 for TWO movie tickets through fandango!  That's 70% savings!  And with all of the awesome movies coming out this summer, how can you not?

Of course, here is my referral link: https://livingsocial.com/deals/57725?ref=personalized-link-box-13695481&rpi=13695481 don't feel like you have to click it, but it sure would be nice :)  And of course if you do score this deal, make sure to post your own link on facebook, blogs, in emails, etc!

What great deals have you scored through living social?  Have you ever gotten one of their "escapes?"  What movies are you going to see with your new super cheap fandango tickets?

Accidentally stumbling on Cabela's

Since I've been a lazy blogger this past week, I figured it was time for a little update.  This week, after unsuccessfully trying to sell Versa ourselves, we decided to give up and just buy a good quality Thule roof rack to help us make the trip.  Then, once we eventually make it back out west, we'll look into selling/buying again.  Unfortunately, fit kits for little Nissan Versa's are tough to come by, so we had to drive up to an L.L. Bean in Hartford to get the pieces.  On our way home Maggie was failing us, and we desperately needed a gas station, so we pulled off the freeway and ended up dead ending right into a giant Cabela's.  All of the sudden the dire hunt for the gas station seemed less important, and Colin's eyes just sort of glassed over.  I thought he just may have died.  Apparently, unbeknown to me, they have an "incredible fishing section."  Now, I'm not a huge fan, but Colin swears it's an amusement park for adults - ha.

Since I'm not really into the whole thing, I spent most of the time looking at all the "unique" items they sell.  This one was definitely my favorite:

"Hurry Honey, get the baby hoochie!!!"  I mean really?  There's nothing better that they could have named this?  Do they also sell a fully grown hoochie?

Apparently even guns get cold feet.  Who knew?

Now, I'm sure they're not promoting hunting house cats on purpose, but this looks a whole lot like a persian cat catching a bird.  Of all of the animals stuffed on this giant mountain in the middle of this store, the "cat" was the only one not labeled.  Suspicious, no?

I'll admit, the museum they had about local animals was pretty cool, but I still prefer my animals warm and cuddly over cold and stuffed.  Luckily, we made it out without purchasing anything, but Colin did fall in love with something that prompted him to rush toward me and say "Honey, I need about $350..."

After quickly reminding him how ridiculously overpriced that backpack was, he proceeded to walk around wearing it while he looked at everything else this giant super store had to offer.  The last section we visited was the sea of camo.  I was pretty sad to find that they didn't have anything in pink.  I guess there just isn't as many fields filled with cupcakes, rainbows, and cotton candy to hide in these days.

All in all, I guess I can admit that it was a pretty fun detour.  It definitely wouldn't have been my first choice for a visit, but Colin loved it and I never would have known about the existence of "baby hoochies" otherwise.  Next time, maybe we'll unexpectedly dead end into a giant comic book store or Coach outlet. 

I'm not a big fan of beer but...

I couldn't help but notice this at the Stop & Shop grocery today.  Not only were these signs on every alcohol display, but there were also giant green tarps down over everything alcohol related.  How utterly ridiculous.  Separation of church and state anyone?

Whatever you do, DO NOT use Purex Laundry Sheets!!!!

Let me say it again - Purex® Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets are absolutely no good.  If you're unfamiliar with the product, it's a cloth like sheet that is supposed to be laundry detergent, fabric softener, and a dryer sheet all in one.  Sounds great, right?  Wrong.

A few months back, I received a free sample of this product and was super excited to give it a try.  After one wash that included a $150 duvet cover, two dresses, and a couple of Colin's shirts, I noticed that there was some kind of stain on all of the laundry after I took it out of the dryer.  At first, I thought it was chap stick.  It wouldn't be the first time something like that accidentally ended up the wash (chap stick, lil' kickers stamps, pens, I've ruined more clothes by not emptying pockets than I'd like to admit).  Of course, after I realized that there were no pants, I moved on to other theories.  I called both of my parents to ask if it was possible that the dryer was burning the clothes, or maybe the grease from the seal had gotten on them.  Of course, both are possibilities, so I did a test run of towels (sans the Purex) and nothing happened.   Since I couldn't see how something like a laundry sheet could do this, I dismissed it - but also stopped using the product just in case.

Then today my friend posted this picture on her facebook of her brand new sheets with grease stains all over them from a Purex Laundry Sheet!  Ah!  It's so satisfying to have confirmation, but also so frustrating to know that this product ruins clothes instead of cleans them.  I decided to check the amazon listing for Purex Complete 3-in-1 Spring Oasis, 20-Count Boxes, and found that not only were people complaining about the stains on their clothes, but also that it ruins front loading washers.  PLEASE steer clear of this product!

(Photo courtesy of Amazon.com)

New freebies!

Alright, it's been a while since I posted about any great freebies that I've gotten, so I have quite the list!  The best part is that some of them are still available for YOU to request!  I've received all of this awesome stuff in the last week and a half!

This week's haul!

Alright so lets start with this first lot.  Keep in mind that I got all of this stuff for FREE by following hip2save.  In this picture you see:

1 packet of Tide laundry detergent (2 loads worth)
1 package of Tide Stain Booster packs
1 travel size Secret deodorant
1 full size Febreeze woodwick candle
1 Febreeze flameless luminary starter kit (1 stand, two shades, 2 batteries)

1 packet of Wisk laundry detergent

1 package of Seattle's Best coffee (STILL AVAILABLE!)
1 can of Ocean Spray sparkling cranberry juice
1 coupon for a FREE bic lighter

2 Starbucks instant readybrew sticks

2 Coffeemate french vanilla packets

2 Gum soft tooth picks

*Not pictured because they didn't last that long - 2 biscotti :)

Now, the majority of these fun freebies (everything in purple) came in a sample pack I actually requested from the post office!  It's a program called Sample Showcase, and every now and then they release sample boxes!  So sign up, and then wait for the next showcase to roll around.  There were also various coupons in the showcase for the products listed.

The Seattle's best sample is also still available.  Head to their facebook page, "like" them, then take the "what level are you?" quiz, and they just may offer you a sample!  I haven't tried mine yet, but I'm super excited to see what "level 4" tastes like :)

The Ocean Spray, Tide, and Febreeze freebies were all from giveaways on their facebook pages as well, so seek out your favorite brands, like them, and sit tight waiting for them to give something away!  These facebook giveaways can often be frustrating because facebook tends to crash (especially with the more popular brands like Tide) when the event goes live - but if you stick it out, you can usually get a full size freebie for all of your patience!

The only thing I didn't mention above is a super cool freebie that I actually got for purchasing mother's day presents at drugstore.com.  Since at least one of the four mother figures in our lives is probably reading this, I don't want to go into too much detail about what I ordered, but let me assure you it was a great deal!  Mothers - avert your eyes!

My 7th Generation loot

Drugstore.com is running a great deal right now where if you order $40 worth of products from their website, you get a free 7th Generation lunch sack filled to the brim with freebies.  Now, don't let the name of the website deter you, they have all sorts of great gift packs.  I ordered mine on Monday and it got here yesterday (FREE shipping!), so there is still time to get your moms some great gifts!  The 7th Generation promotion (one of my favorite green brands) is going on through May 4th.  Here's what came in my bag:

1 Funky Monkey dried banana fruit snack pack
2 Balance bars
1 Kind+ bar
1 Luna bar
1 Numi organic tea bag
3 Fish oil pills
1 trial size Buddy Wash dog shampoo
1 Goji Berry green tea water enhancer tablet
1 Teeccino herbal coffee pack (Chocolate flavor! Yum!)
1 Package of Emergen-c
1 package of Clean Well sanitizing wipes
1 package of De Luxe rosemary mint shampoo and conditioner
1 packet Fekkai shampoo
1 packet Fekkai 3 minute hair repair mask
1 packet 7th Generation disinfectant wipes
1 bar of Kiss My Face soap
1 pack of Puristics feminine hygiene products
1 box of 7th Generation organic tampons
1 Crystal natural deodorant
1 Burt's Bees foot cream
1 bottle of Dream Water sleep supplement
1 bottle of Weleda body oil

My oh my what a list!  And possibly the best part about this deal, is that you can pair it with other deals.  Before placing your order, be sure to check out Retail Me Not for any coupon codes that may work for your order, and search drugstore for any other brand deals they may be running.  Of course, you'll get free shipping as well.  I was actually able to get great gifts for all 4 mothers, plus these great freebies, for under $40!  *New customers get $5 off their first order too!

Make sure to check out all of these great deals, and don't forget to add hip2save to your bookmarks - it really pays off!

If you place an order through drugstore.com, come back and let us know what great deals you scored!

BzzAgent

BzzAgent is a website that creates "bzz" about products simply by word of mouth.  Once you sign up and qualify for a campaign, they send you FREE products to use and share with your friends.  The only thing they ask in return is that you spread the word about whatever it is they sent you.  Usually, your bzz kit comes with coupons to give away as well.  You can bzz about the product on facebook, twitter, your blog, their website, or simply in those regular every day conversations! 

As you participate in more and more campaigns, you start to earn honey combs.  The more honey combs you earn, the higher your bee status is.  This gives you early access to new campaigns, guaranteeing you the opportunity to get more free stuff! 

Just today, I got my first free bzz campaign kit!  It was for Cover Girl Natureluxe makeup.  They sent me a full size foundation and lipstick (which I love).  I haven't tried the foundation yet - so I'll have to give an update on that later.  The kit also came with a bunch of $2 off coupons.  So if you'd like one, just email me and I'll send it your way! 

My campaign package!

After doing a little price checking research, the foundation goes for about $11 and the lipstick for $6 at Target.  I think it's a little pricey considering the size of the products, but if it works well, then I guess it's worth it! 

Make sure to check out BzzAgent, and let us know if you qualify for any campaigns!

Rewards Programs

Since I didn't post about anything thrifty on Sunday, I'm going to take today to talk about some great rewards programs I'm a part of.

The first is Swagbucks.  I have very mixed feelings about this program.  There are lots of ways to earn "swagbucks" (points), but to be honest the only thing I really use is the search feature.  You can rack up the bucks by watching different ads on SBTV, answering polls, buying products through different websites, printing and using coupons, finding swag codes (on facebook, in your sawgbucks mail, etc.) and filling out surveys.  I did the survey thing for a while, but eventually I stopped qualifying for them and just sort of moved on.

So lets get back to the search feature, and of course the rewards!  After reading rave reviews on both Totally Target and hip2save and deciding to join the program myself, I installed the toolbar on my browser.  Now, instead of using google, I just type whatever I'm searching for into the toolbar, and every now and then I earn bucks!  You don't earn bucks every time you search, and when you do seems pretty random, but eventually it pays off.  Granted, it's not as good of a search engine as google, so if I'm looking for something super specific, I still revert back.

The rewards are really the best part.  Some require way more bucks then they're worth, but there are some great gift cards.  Already I've earned $25 in $5 amazon gift cards at 450 points each (just for searching the web!).  Of course, if I had saved my points and traded them in for a $25 gift card, instead of 5 $5 ones, I could have earned way more, but what can I say - it's the instant gratification of it all!  :) 

Once you get rolling, you can start referring your friends, and swagbucks will give you a buck for each buck they earn!  This is really the best way to start getting bigger and better rewards.  That being said, here is my referral link :)  I would love the referrals, but feel free to join through the website itself if you'd like. 


So that's it!  Research it, check it out, sign up, and tell us what you think!

Saratoga Target Update

Last Friday I posted about a less than pleasant trip to the new Saratoga Springs super Target (you can view my original post here).  I mentioned that I contacted their customer service department about the visit, and this was the response I received:

"Dear Kristin Podelnyk,

It sounds like you have some concerns about the team member you dealt with. We're sorry you didn't receive the type of service you've come to expect at our Saratoga Springs Target store.

The team member attitude and behavior you described isn't part of our guest service philosophy. We expect our team members to behave in a professional manner. From the experience you described, it sounds like we didn't meet your expectations. Hearing your comments is very important to us, and I’ve shared them with the Store Leadership team for further review. It's just one way we can keep working to provide you with the experience you've come to expect at Target.

While you're in the store, you can always visit the Guest Service Desk and ask to speak with the Guest Service Team Leader. They'll do their best to help you. In the meantime, we'll keep working to provide you with the service you deserve.

Thanks for helping us make Target even better.

Sincerely,

Daniel
Target Guest Relations"

I'd like to start by saying that they actually got back to me in less than 24 hours.  Because of Colin's visit this weekend, I wasn't able to post this when it came in.  I was thoroughly impressed by how quickly they responded, especially since they sent an automated email stating that they'll would get back to me in 48 business hours.  Not to mention, it was the weekend.  

The response seems pretty generic, and they didn't offer a way for me to respond back for a follow up (besides the standard 1-800 automated number for store information).  However, if the store really was notified, then what more can you want?

The only other gripe I have about the situation, is that the email made it sound like my expectations were to blame, not the behavior of their team member.  After working in guest relations this past summer, I know how important it is to protect your employee, while still making the customer feel like they are your number one priority.  It's a tough balance to maintain, and I'm probably just being too sensitive about it since this sort of thing used to be my job.  Overall, I'd say it was a fairly impressive response.

What do you think, was Target's response to my experience satisfactory?

Coupon Sunday!

In honor of Sunday being a day filled with coupons, I'm going to talk about where to find good coupons if you're just getting started.  The easiest place to find free coupons is on coupon websites.  All you have to do is go to the sites, choose the coupons you're interested in, click, print, and cut!  Here are a few of my favorites:

Coupons.com definitely has the biggest database of coupons to choose from, and is one of my favorites!  (You'll find a link to their website on the right hand side of my page)

RedPlum:  Redplum is hit or miss.  You'll also find Redplum inserts in the Sunday newspaper that yield better results.

Smartsource:  Also a Sunday paper insert company, they are more reliable for good deals than Redplum, but still not as good as coupons.com

Those are the "Big three"  that don't require you to sign up for anything in order to print coupons, although you can.  There are other websites such as rightathome.com and allyou.com that also have coupons, but require you to register with their site.

The coupons you'll find at any of these sites are manufacture coupons, and can often be paired with store specific coupons for a great deal!  Especially if the item is on sale.  That's how I end up getting a lot of my FREE or nearly free products.  Before your first coupon shopping trip, you may want to check your local store's coupon policy.  For instance, Target allows you to pair a manufacturer's coupon with a target coupon, but Hannaford grocery requires you to choose one or the other.  Some stores have a coupon dollar amount limit, or even number limit.  This will help you to feel more confident when you approach the cashier to check out, and will also give you ground to stand on in case one of your coupons doesn't go through or "beeps" for whatever reason.

These coupons also reset at least once at the beginning of every month, but new ones are added as often as every Sunday.  If it's something you know you'll buy multiples of, make sure to print as many coupons as you need.  However, keep in mind that some coupons have a print limit, and you may only be able to get a few.

Other great places to find coupons that I'll be discussing in detail at a later date:  The Sunday newspaper, brand websites, facebook, and magazines.

Does anyone else have any reliable, easy to use coupon website suggestions? Make sure to post them in the comments!

New Super Target in Saratoga Springs

Today I decided to make the trek to the new super Target in Saratoga Springs.  I was super excited about this because while I was in Portland, my mom and I shopped at the newly renovated one there and it was nothing short of amazing.

I was hoping that, based on what I saw in Portland, I could start making just one shopping trip a week down in Saratoga, instead of a Target trip and regular grocery trip.  However, when I got there I realized that it was nothing like the one I had visited.  Now, this target has never been particularly great, and if I had to choose I would stick with our smaller, cleaner Glens Falls location.  Not to mention I've heard stories about their unfriendly cashiers when it comes to coupons and bringing your own bags.  I tried to go in with a clear head and an open mind, despite what I had heard and experienced.

When I got there I immediately noticed that the grocery section was smaller than the ones I had previously visited.  I took with me only a list of things I needed for this weekend, instead of doing freebie/deals shopping.  I was so surprised to learn that I couldn't even get half of my shopping list!  Things that I regularly find at our normal Target weren't even available (Idaho Instant Potatoes, breakstone sour cream).

Their produce and meat section, which is now certified organic, was the most disappointing part.  The potatoes were small and mushy, and the meat all looked like it had been sitting on the shelf too long.  This may just be because today is Thursday, but I'd like to think that the products they sell would be good all week.  On a side note, my mom has tried the meat (hamburger sliders) and said they were amazing.  I'm thinking about giving this section another shot.

The worst part of the visit came when I went to check out.  I handed the cashier my reusable bags and he said "Oh, you have your own bags, that means you bag your own groceries!"  I sort of laughed and thought he was joking, but he just kept holding my bags for me with a completely straight face.  Now, I don't mind bagging my own groceries, what bothers me is basically being punished for using reusable bags.  Of course there was a huge line of people behind me, so I tried to be discrete and ask if this was a new policy.  He just sort of laughed and said, "yeah, it's my new policy."  UGH!  So I bagged my groceries and just figured I'd write a letter to corporate once I got home.  Now this part gets a little personal, but I think it's important.  My favorite cheap-o Target bras were on sale this week, so I bought a cute gray one.  I didn't think anything of it until he went to scan it and said "Oh, now we're getting to the embarrassing stuff.  Take this from me quick I can't hold it anymore!"  And physically handed me the bra instead of placing it on the counter like he had the rest of my stuff.

The whole situation was just weird and awkward and enough to make me never want to go back.  I did end up emailing corporate, so we'll see what happens.

On the plus side, their new shopping carts are amazing!  I don't know why, but they're just so smooth and quiet and awesome.  Try one, you'll see what I mean.

Has anyone else shopped at one of these new super targets?  What was your experience like?