Send Your Customers Newsletters: Start Collecting Email Addresses Now!

[DebPC]

Email Customer NewslettersDo you talk to your new consultants about doing one each month?
I ask my new consultants to start collecting email addresses right away and then when they have 35-40 ( hopefully in a couple of months) they can start forwarding mine. I always send my downline my customer newsletter and encourage them to edit the personal info and anything else they want and forward it on to their customer base.
I get a lot of business from mine and don't mind a bit if they forward mine on.
Then down the road they can do their own if they want.

 

[PampMomof3]

I agree and have been telling my team to do so!!

 

[BethCooks4U]

I never thought to forward mine to my downline.

What a great idea! It's a great training tool and a reminder to them too of what's happening in PC!

Thanks!

 

[Admin Greg]

Do you make and stick to your grocery list budgeting? Any tips?

 

[crystalscookingnow]

I make a list from my menu. I usually do two weeks at a time & stock up. I then only need to go to the store for milk if we run out. I check my cabinets as I'm making my menu so I know what I already have. It's really made a difference in our budget & our eating out.

 

[imported_Nikkijo]

Do you make and stick to your grocery list budgeting? Any tips?

Look at the sales ad and make out a weekly schedule of meals. Only buy the items needed.

Now that i gave the advice, do I follow it?? No...but when I do our grocery bill is dramatically reduced and meal planning was a lot less stressful. I have no idea why I do not follow it.

 

[Jennie4PC]

We do a grocery list/ menu every 2 weeks and I usually stay to the list if I take my DH then I dont cause he is always picking up odds and ends. Also one way I stick to my budget is to take a calculator with me. It really helps.

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

I do the grocery game. I buy things from their list when they're at the 'rock bottom' prices and try to stock up - that way I only have to buy things at their best prices. I'm averaging about 40-50% savings so far and I think that'll get better.

 

[imported_heat123]

I used to.. before kids (when it was alot smaller LOL) now I just go down every single food isle section, grab what I need and shop 1x a month for staples then do 2-3 smaller runs throughout the month as we run out of stuff.

 

[JAE]

Every week I get the Meijer ad, and I make a menu from what is on sale. I try to stock up on sale items, so I can make what I want when I want instead of when things are on sale. I don't have a freezer other than the one connected to my frig so it's harder to do that these days. It is much easier to have a list of recipes written out so I remember why I bought what. A week or so ago I actually numbered the recipes so I would make the ones with fresh ingredients first. That way the fresh mushrooms or whatever didn't go bad before I made the recipe.

 

[janetupnorth]

Never Go To The Store Hungry!!!!

 

[kcjodih]

I go every 3 or 4 days. Not that I WANT to but I just can't seem to plan that far ahead. How can I know now what I'll want to eat then? I have to fridge freezers and one deep freezer full of food but I'm always without one half of a pair - meat, no fries. meat, no rice. potatoes, not the right meat LOL I'm pathetic!

 

[chefkristin]

I never stick to the list. I put what I NEED. Then I sort of wing it. I think I might try Pea Pod from Stop-n-Shop. You can shop online and have it delivered. For the $10 they charge it is worth it to avoid bringing my son. Plus they carry the groceries into the house too!!!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Publix just opened a store 2.5 miles from my house....I am there several times a week! I don't really like to freze meat too much, so I usually just pop in a buy it fresh. Plus, I've had 4 bookings from that store!

 

[janetupnorth]

We bought 1/4 cow last year...it was great to go to the freezer to get hamburger, etc. AND the meat was SOOO much better - not the water content either. Then I'd just make sure I shopped for the rest.

I also keep "staples" on hand for spaghetti...noodles, tomato sauce, tomato soup and tomato paste. That is our "go to" meal if we don't have what we need for other things. Matter of fact, I made it last night... Well, after I used some of the hamburger and made a batch of Jamaican Jerk nachos for me with that.

Our other "go to" meal is chicken breats with Italian Dressing poured over them. I always keep a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer for that.

 

[erinyourpclady]

I go once a week. I don't have to storage capabilities to go less then that. Frozen chicken breasts are a go to for me as well. I don't even defrost them! I put some EVOO and seasoning of choice (usually Rosemary) and put them in a cold oven on a stone. I turn on the stone and just a little bit longer then usual, I have juicy chicken breasts!

 

[janetupnorth]

I go once a week. I don't have to storage capabilities to go less then that. Frozen chicken breasts are a go to for me as well. I don't even defrost them! I put some EVOO and seasoning of choice (usually Rosemary) and put them in a cold oven on a stone. I turn on the stone and just a little bit longer then usual, I have juicy chicken breasts!

I use Rosemary and Olive Oil and minced garlic on tenderloin with a whiskey cream sauce...now the rosemary and olive oil is sounding GREAT for chicken - I'll have to try it!!!!

 

[StacieB]

I do not usually make a list. I have an idea in my head and go from there.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I keep a running list on my frig of items...as we use the last of something, or get out the last deoderant/soap/shampoo from the hall closet, we add it to the list.

I put food items on the left side of my list, non-food items on the right. Makes shopping easier. Oh...if I have a coupon for something, I put a little * beside it on the list so I don't forget to use it!

Before I had Evan, I did a lot of planning off of sale ads and I ran to different stores. Now that I have him (2.5 yrs.) it's just too much to go to 3 different stores! So, I usually get most of what we need from a Super WalMart.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I do the grocery game. I buy things from their list when they're at the 'rock bottom' prices and try to stock up - that way I only have to buy things at their best prices. I'm averaging about 40-50% savings so far and I think that'll get better.

I just looked there...here are the stores available in my area:

Giant Eagle (big grocery store...I would sign up for there for sure)
CVS (drug store but they do carry some food items)
Walgreens (drug store)
Rite Aid (drug store)

What stores do you use? How many per month?

How much time are you investing in this?

Thanks for any input! I don't want to spend the $$ if it's not gonna be a good deal!

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

I just looked there...here are the stores available in my area:

Giant Eagle (big grocery store...I would sign up for there for sure)
CVS (drug store but they do carry some food items)
Walgreens (drug store)
Rite Aid (drug store)

What stores do you use? How many per month?

How much time are you investing in this?

Thanks for any input! I don't want to spend the $$ if it's not gonna be a good deal!

Well, first of all, you can try them ALL for one month for $1. That's the best part.

I'm not familiar with Giant Eagle, but they sound like your absolute best bet.

I have yet to try it, but I undstand you can get some SMOKIN' deals from CVS. They have a loyalty card that gives you back I think 2% on your purchases - usable at CVS of course. There are also purchases that are, say, $5 after sales and coupons - but they give you $5 in their bonus dollars. There's a knack to "rolling" those bonus bucks and basically buying a few things out of pocket, getting bonus bucks, buying stuff with those that get you more... apparently you can get a lot of stuff free there.

The closest CVS is a bit out of my way to try right now, but I understand it's pretty cool the way that works. I could direct you to a discussion of it on the grocery game message boards.

Even if you just keep it simple and just do Giant Eagle... you can really get some great deals, knowing WHEN the best times to buy and what coupons to use... and that's what the grocery game does for you.

I hope that helps a little - it's late and my brain is swimming. Ask me more questions and I'll answer them!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Looks like I just need to try it and see!

Do you spend a bunch of time...or do they basically spell it out for you so all you have to do is cut the coupons and go during the sales?

BTW- does everyone in the country get the same coupons in their papers?

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

Different parts of the country get different coupons, often times. But your list will be specific to your region, so the coupons you get will make sense.Your list will have a set of rules that will explain how your store does doubling, what to buy and how much and when to maximize savings. I printed it out and read through it a couple times to make sure I got it. Now it's just second nature.Basically, you'll buy the biggest paper in your area. I was buying the Lansing paper here in Michigan, but the Detroit paper has more coupons, so now I buy that. I buy three of them every week, just so I can get more coupons. I *easily* save more than the $9 a week I spend in papers, so it's worth it.I clip my coupons on Sunday. My store's list posts on Tuesday. I go through it and decide which things on the list I want to buy - I pull the coupons, print the list, and shop. Easy as pie. I'm averaging 40%-50% off my totals every week so far.There is a message board linked from the grocery game page - lots of "sticky" threads with good information about how people organize their coupons. I'm a neat freak and I've got a rather extensive system with a binder and a ton of photo pages but it doesn't have to be that big - lots of people use check-sized accordion files for their coupons.So it's really just:
* clip the coupons
* file them
* narrow down the list to what you'll use
* pull the coupons you'll use
* go shopping
* buy extras of what's a "blue" or "green" sale to build a "stockpile" so you don't have to buy those things at regular price until the sales roll around again (about 12 weeks)
that's it!

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

I'm off to bed. Tomorrow I'll answer anything my rambling posts didn't cover for you. Check out the grocery game forums - especially their sticky posts. You don't have to be signed up for the game to use the forums.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Thank you soooooo much! I will definately need to sign up there and give it a try!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I have 2 methods of using a grocery list....
1. write it and leave it on the counter
2. take it, get sidetracked in the store and forget to turn it over or lay it in my purse and don't cross it off and forget the main thing I needed

 

[Shawnna]

Teresa...you sound like me. I don't even bother with a list anymore. I would always leave it at home or in the car...or I would lose it before I got to the store. Too funny!

 

[Shawnna]

I checked it out...the only store available to me is WalGreens. I guess I will pass. I have been to WalGreens twice in my life...when we were on vacation in Floriday. I was hoping for WalMart, Price Cutter or IGA. Those are the grocery stores in my area...well, within 75 miles anyway.

 

[TwinGirlsMom]

Does one have to sign up in order to find out what stores they use, or is there some way to tell before?

 

[TwinGirlsMom]

OK...looks like WalGreens is IT for me as well...

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

Oh, man. Bummer to both of you. The store I go to is actually about 15 miles away from me and I had to put in a different zip code to get it to show up... but I shop in that town anyway so it worked out just fine. But 75 miles is a wee bit far to drive even for good sales.

 

[jrstephens]

I make one but buy way more than is on there. I do not put the things I know I have to buy each week on it just what is different and that I need to remember.

 

[imported_whiteyteresa]

I only follow my shopping list when I am shopping for my shows - I have laminated all of my recipes cards and as I put something in my cart - I use a dry eraser and mark the item off - when I get home I will wipe the card(s) off and put in my recipe binder - ready for next time

~

 

[rebeccastt]

I tried the Grocery Game, but I'm just not good at making dinner with what I have (improvising ingredients, etc.). I try to plan my meals, then buy what I need to make those certain recipes. Plus I was finding that so many of the coupons in the newspapers were for items I wouldn't buy. Anyone have that problem?

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

I trade the coupons I won't use in "coupon trains" - every week I get an envelope of coupons others in my group didn't want. I take out stuff I'll use, and put in stuff I won't. Works rather well.Plus, maybe I wouldn't normally use a certain kind of deodorant for example, but if I get it for a quarter, I'll give it a shot. Some things I can be open-minded on, brand-wise, and some things I can't. I stock way up on the brands I *have* to have.I like to plan my meals too - but I nearly always cook the same things - there's a lot of variety, but I know the dishes I prepare - so I stock up on things like spaghetti sauce and manwich, so when I do want to add sloppy joes to the week's menu, my stockpile already has most of the ingredients I need.The grocery game doesn't work for everybody, to be sure, but maybe the things I've mentioned will help!And I'll fully admit that coupons and the grocery game are my new obsession.

 

[jrstephens]

What is the grocery game?

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

http://thegrocerygame.com - basically, sales happen in 12-week cycles and as I'm sure you've seen, sometimes things will be on sale one week and a better sale in the next couple of weeks. They do the work for you to figure out when the absolute best times to buy things for maximum savings, and which coupons to use. Yesterday's grocery bill was 60% off, my personal best so far, thanks to the grocery game.

 

[jrstephens]

Thanks! I checked in and in AL the only store near me is Rite Aid - I do check their ads each week.. Thanks anyway though. I wish we had more to choose from but Walmart and locally owned stores are my only choices.

 

[SummerG]

I do the grocery game. I buy things from their list when they're at the 'rock bottom' prices and try to stock up - that way I only have to buy things at their best prices. I'm averaging about 40-50% savings so far and I think that'll get better.

Another Grocery Gamer here! I can't believe how much money I have saved since adapting this style of shopping!

 

[imported_jenniferp417]

Bummer, JR! Maybe someday they'll get more stores in your area that work with the list!And summer - I'm glad I'm not one of the only ones! I get so excited about my coupons!

 

[bethsbiz]

I have a pretty effective system of makng a weekly menu (checking freezer and sale adds first), looking for coupons, listing needed groceries (by store, 3 stores max on a busy shopping day) and then shopping. When my budget is really tight, I will even estimate each item on my shopping list and add everything up before I go shopping. If I am "over expected budget" I'll start revising my weekly menu or taking extras off the list.

My budget right now is about $120.0 per week for main shopping (3 people and 3 pets) plus about $75.00 for weekly extra visits to the store for missed ingredients, changed plans, unexpected items, etc. )

 

[jrstephens]

I get the magazine All You. It has some really good coupons in it. I may have mentioned this hear. The magazine is $1.97 and it pays for itself with the coupons. I usually pick it up at the newstand but I am subscribing to it through a school fundraiser.