Something for the earth...

I've been one a kick lately of being a conscious human being. Be it while shopping, interacting or working... just being present to what I'm doing. There are a lot of great information that I run into that I think people should know about. Therefore to help their cause, I'll be sharing great insights and tools that I think you would really enjoy. This first entry is from a newsletter I subscribe to, which I found out through Recyclebank. Recyclebank is a great tool to learn new ways of being green while earning points to redeem for stuff or coupons! Knowledge is power!
There are great tips on how you can help our environment. This entry is from earth911.com's newsletter. They have some really great suggestions on how to reduce everyday waste. This is from an article that shares with you 5 ways on how to reduce food waste. I'm breaking it up because my posts are typically short.
The first step is about being a conscious shopper and consumer. Take the time to plan out what you need. Not only will it save money but it'll save the environment. After all, it is one step and one person at a time.


Start at the grocery store

If you find yourself throwing away loads of spoiled food each week, you may want to consider revising your shopping habits to cut back on waste.

Start by taking smaller, more frequent shopping trips. This may seem like a bit of a hassle. But shopping a few times per week allows you to wait until perishables are used up before replenishing them, which will greatly decrease food spoilage in your fridge.

To help make the most of smaller shopping trips, write up a list of the specific items you need before leaving for the grocery store. And stick to the list while shopping! Avoid impulse buys, especially with perishable items.

And try to be realistic about the amount of food you buy. If you live alone or have a small family, stick to a limited number of perishables each week. If you have a busy work schedule, don’t shop as if you’ll be making everything from scratch. Buying only what you can use in the near future will save you the hassle of cooking, freezing or preserving extra food before it spoils.

If you don't want to wait for the next 4 steps, you can read the rest of the article here. 

When you receive service, do you always tip?

Tipping has always been a question of mine. The question has always been, do I tip for the service and if I do, how much should I tip? There is the standard 15% to 20% for meals, but what about other things -  the valet, the spa, and your barista? I know that when I worked as a barista, having a customer tip me made my day.

It also goes to point that the thought of tipping someone for their service escapes us. There was an article that talked about this very thing. If you're ever sitting in a Starbucks for a period of time like I have, you'll notice that the line doesn't really disappear. The baristas are working their entire shift making drinks for us and not a lot of people tip them for it. If you were to compare them to bartenders, who can easily make hundreds of dollars in an evening, they would lose each and every time. I'm personally a culprit of this because I enjoy the benefits of plastic and being a gold member of Starbucks. Translation: I carry no cash and my money is preloaded on my card. Which gives me a convenient excuse to not leave a tip. Now given the economic situation we're all in, I'm sure that extra change would really help out. Therefore, I'm committing to being a conscious customer. Given that I'm willing to pay someone their commission when a deal closes in real estate, tip my bartender or waiter for what I eat and drink, I can easily make sure I drop something in the tip jar for my barista. After all, they are the ones that will take care of me in the morning and to have someone remember me while being a regular is pretty cool - especially when I don't want to be up.

The rule of thumb that I'm gong to follow is when you're thinking if you should tip or not, do. It might just make their day.

When is couponing too much?

I started couponing about 9 months ago and it's been quite an adventure. I find myself to be a conscious shopper - making sure I know what's on sale and taking advantage of what my local stores are offering. But when does it become a little too much? When does this hobby become about the adrenaline rush instead of what we need.

Personally, I belong to a couple blogs that tell me what's on sale and what the great deals of the week are. This past Friday, you were able to pick up free chap-stick at Walgreens. I personally don't shop at Walgreens, I limit myself to about 3 stores that I shop at so I don't over buy and drive myself crazy with "DEALS DEALS DEALS". In the comment section of this post, a lady had commented that she had picked up about 100 chap-sticks!

My first thought was, "Really, do you need 100 chap-sticks? That's insane." I really can't judge, because personally I think I have 15, but I also share it with my mom and am willing to hand out to my friends in need. The other tendency that my mom and I have is that we leave our chap-sticks in our jeans and wash them away and there's the occasionally losing them out and about. Hence I stock up on them.

But 100 is a little extreme. First, I never knew that Walgreens would have that many in stock. Secondly, how about leaving some for other couponers. There are so many times I go to one of my stores and the item I want is out of stock. I always wonder if someone bought all of it. Third, this really increases consumerism and causes the chap-stick company to needlessly create more inventory when they don't need to. I feel like it's creating more waste because it's artificially inflating the demand. In this instance, I really think the fellow couponer has crossed the line of too much.

So if you're deciding to jump on the bandwagon of this new craze, I would suggest a couple things. Start off by buying what you need. Buying a couple here and there of the items you need will create a stockpile in no time. For me, I know I am set with aspirin, ibuprofen, chap-stick, shampoo, deodorant, and cereal to last the year! Then leave some for the rest of us savers and be conscious of what you're buying. Make sure that you need it, will use it, or will donate it. If not, then you're wasting the savings on products that you'll never use. Those are simple tips on being a conscious couponer!

You're unstoppable...

Or are you? I've always thought of myself as the former... but the little things get by that I don't realize.

I've always enjoyed the quote: "Life isn't measured in the breaths you take, but in the moments that take your breath away." - unknown

It's the little things in life that matter and it can even make the day. I have been couponing for  half a year now and every now and then I see that I missed a coupon. It drives me crazy and I get bummed about it. The organization system I used for my coupons is simple. I have two holders for all my coupons and I set aside the coupons I'm planning on using from a particular store and I've matched it with the store coupon. Because I recently subscribed to the LA Times from the amazing Groupon Deal ($10 for 52 Sunday issues) my coupons have doubled. They have outgrown my two holder.

Personally, I have been resisting getting a coupon binder, because I didn't want to pay for it and I didn't want to be looked at like an "extreme couponer". I don't go shopping with 3 grocery carts and fill up my car, it's a small and fun project that I've been working on. But just because I get a binder to help me organize better doesn't mean I'll explode to filling up the hallways with stuff.

So after missing a deal where it would be a money maker, my boyfriend suggested I get a book. I was still resisting but I realized that the only reason why I didn't want to get it was because I didn't want to spend the money. That was an opportunity to ask the question that I ask every time during my cashflow games, "how can you?" How can I get it for free? Lone and behold, I came up with the answer. I searched on Amazon and found coupon inserts for a fairly good price. I can redeem my points on Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards and get it for free! YAY! I can now enjoy my hobby and decrease the chances of missing out on savings!