Author Archives: Jody Connolly (Benjaminna)

About Jody Connolly (Benjaminna)

I am a married SAHM of five (and one cat)! My oldest daughter is 12, a diva ready to take over the world. My 10-year-old son, my informer, loves to make sure everyone is doing what he or she is supposed to (although he is no angel). I have an 8 year old daughter, who is just one of a kind. My 2 1/2 year old daughter, her own little personality is shinning through, and so are her terrible twos. And last but not least, my 1-year-old son, who is just the happiest and most content baby in the world. Things I love to do: coupons, rebates, read, color with sidewalk chalk, blow bubbles

Rebates – Getting Started

Now that you have read my rebate blogs (hopefully), you are probably excited and want to get started right away. However, wherever do you find all those rebates? Following are some tips on finding mail in rebate forms. *Check in your Sunday coupon inserts. *Check your local drug stores, such as Longs, Rite-Aid or Walgreen’s. They have monthly rebate programs, which are easy to follow. *Look in your grocery store for products which might have rebates on them or on tearpads, which might contain rebate forms. *You can also trade for rebate forms. Rebates are just like coupons and are … Continue reading →

Rebate Tips

I have a confession to make. I do not photocopy my rebates! I have been doing rebates for almost three years and on an average, I send away for about 15- 20 rebates a month. In the three years I have been doing rebates, I have had maybe less than five of them not come or are denied. To me, that is such a small number when I look at how many I have sent and that is where I justify not doing the extra work of making copies. In addition, of the ones I did not receive or were … Continue reading →

Checking Traders Feedback

When someone contacts you for a trade, take a few minutes to check his or her feedback to see what kind of trader they are. If you see they don’t have any feedback, ask them if they have a feedback link from another board. It could be they just signed up with Families.com and haven’t yet established feedback at our board. If they are new to trading coupons and haven’t established any feedback, ask if they have any feedback from ebay or any other site, which might allow you to see they are a trustworthy person. If they don’t have … Continue reading →

Mail-in-rebates – Keeping Organized

Following is my method in organizing my rebates and forms. In my filing cabinet, I have a special file just for my rebate forms. When I get a new rebate form, I make out an envelope for that rebate, as if I am ready to mail it, except do not put a stamp on it. In the place where you place the stamp, write the date when the product needs to be purchased. I draw a line under that date and then write the date the rebate needs to be postmarked. I store all these envelopes in my rebate file. … Continue reading →

What is a mail-in-rebate?

Rebates are fun and easy to do! I would bet, everyone loves to get checks in the mail. Sometimes it may only be a few dollars, sometimes more, but everything adds up quickly. During most months of doing rebates, I can count on cashing in $70 – $100. I save them up and once a month I take them to the bank for a big pay out. Now who wouldn’t love to have an extra $100 a month? The standard return rate of rebates are usually 6-8 weeks. Some people feel that is too long to wait to receive a … Continue reading →

Why do you trade for coupons?

Some of you may be wondering what is the big deal about trading coupons, and why would you need to when you can just clip the coupons out of the Sunday paper. There are many reasons to trade for coupons. Following are some reason why trading for coupons can be very beneficial in saving big bucks on your grocery bill. *Different Valued Coupons – This can play a big part in the reason people trade for coupons. As I have stated in my previous blogs, values of coupons can change from region to region. Chances are, you will not get … Continue reading →

Get Started Trading Coupons

When starting out trading coupons, it can be a bit overwhelming and frustrating. As with any new thing you do, you will soon start learning the ropes and become more knowledgeable. I wish there were someone around, when I first started out to show me the ropes. I hope that this will give you a great start in getting started trading coupons. There isn’t one right or wrong way to trade coupons. Everyone has their own method, as to what works best for them. There is no requirement that you need to make a wishlist or a haveslist. Many great … Continue reading →

Make it a fast easy trade

Don’t be afraid to make your first trade. If you see someone’s wishlist and you have the coupons they are looking for, you also see something they have, and you want it – go for it! Here are some tips on making a fast, easy trade that should get good results. A trade usually shouldn’t take more than 3 or 4 PM’s (between both parties). 1st PM: When contacting someone, you want to fist tell him or her what you have from their wishlist. Type the specific coupons you have for them, including the value, any size restrictions, how many … Continue reading →

How do you add coupons to the Coupon Database?

Adding coupons to the Coupon Database is a quick and easy process, from which everyone benefits. Not only does it keep coupons current, but it also makes searches more productive. First, before entering any coupons, perform a search to see if someone else hasn’t already entered it. If it hasn’t been entered, click on the “Add” button. Below the search box, you will see some blank boxes, a place where you are able to enter your coupons. Below is what you will enter in each box: *Description: This is where you enter the product and size the coupon is good … Continue reading →

What is a price book?

A price book is a journal you create so you can keep an inventory of store sale prices. Keeping track of food and household items that are on sale can be very helpful to a smart and frugal shopper. Keeping track of store sales prices can help you in many different ways. For example: *Is it really a sale? Just because something is in the store’s sales ad doesn’t mean it’s on sale. A lot of times a store will place a regular priced item in their flyer, with the hopes that you will think it’s a sale and buy … Continue reading →