STARS: Avoiding the garder/bouquet at a wedding

I will dive back into my couponing series after I have that huge haul or when I get to shadow a seasonal vet. I saved almost $30 this week and had a decent haul but it wasn't anything life changing or different.  

I will say this before I start my STAR story: make sure you know the stores and cashiers you shop at.  You need to know how to navigate it, obtain what items you need, and even which cashiers will work with you best. Doing that is slowly helping me. 

Ok now on with the story. Many of us have been a part of a wedding in one way or the other. Some of us do not like the bouquet and garter tradition. It puts your singlehood on display and rarely seems to work. I have devised a way to get out of this tired tradition.

I pay attention to what is going on at the reception, especially the order. It is printed on the program sometimes.  But remember if it isn't, it typically happens after the cake cutting (my favorite part btw).  Also, listen for the DJ or whomever is doing announcements to yell for the single men/ladies. 

I saw at the most recent wedding that if all that isn't enough, wait till the bride is seated in front of everyone. That is a dead giveaway of what is about to be given away. Another thing I look for is the DJ to play "Single Ladies" by Beyonce'. 

I then make a timely exit, often minutes before then. I have missed toasts and almost cake because of this. I even allow up to 15 minutes for this ritual to be complete and I wait outside until I no longer see the bride with her bouquet.  I am then free! 

Now if you like this and you jump for the bouquet, go ahead. But if you're like me and others and would rather not partake, this can help you. 

STARS: Putting together a Homecoming formal/semi-formal

Since I didn't coupon this week and have yet to shadow one of the masters, I decided to focus on another topic.  

I realize some of my best works comes as a result of a social media question and here we go. 

Blacksburg High School has not had at least a semi formal Homecoming in the modern era as other schools do. I have found that money and manpower are the two biggest obstacles, outside of desire. 

Therefore, I would first poll the students , PTA; and even the active alums.  If I get a 2/3rds vote, I move forward with the dance. 

Now this is NOT a prom so no extravagant decorations nor the other frilly stuff is necessary.  I would operate on a shoestring budget and stick to that. 

The tickets would be $3/piece or $5/couple. Photos would be by a local student photographer, refreshments would be light, decorations would be handmade and bought from places such as Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby. I would employ a house DJ to offer their services or simply obtain a temporary license (around $20/$30) similar to karaoke and play iTunes or Spotify. 

Regarding attire, you would encourage a dress code in the style of thrift shops and even Walmart, not Men's Wearhouse. Even a female could look elegant for $100 or less. I realize parents pay for so much now, especially if the student is a senior. Cost would max at around $100/parent and even less than $40 if you wore something used or low budget. Low budget does exist; I have seen it at plenty of college and adult gatherings. People have a great time and no bank is broken.

You would have it in the cafeteria from 10pm-3am on that Friday night to not interfere with football, Saturday band competitions or anything else. 

I would then make sure I at least broke even at the door and personally see from parental response how much was spent per student. I would try it three times and if it didn't work, then I would scrap it. 

Moral of the story is do not say something can't be done or it is too expensive. I find it ironic this comes from the same fundraising crowd that somehow manages to send Tre and Dawn to Disneyworld or DC but is concerned about a party that may cost as low as $30/person? Here's a quick power tip that may help: not eating out for two weeks would easily net you that money and more alone. 

I will continue to research and gather details but the point is with enough desire and support, it is absolutely doable.

Couponing series: my latest adventure

The store was Dollar General. I had all of my coupons together except one for Bounty Towels. The cashier was even a former coworker of mine. 

I organized how much I would need to get for the $5 off of $25 first, then getting what I needed including what I had specials off it.  The digital coupons matched the paper ones and I saved well and got a decent haul.  

My OOP was close to my goal: $14. I got two Crest toothpastes, a Crest SCOPE mouthwash, three packs of Gilette disposable razors, Nivea lotion, Angel Soft 12 pack toilet paper and a pack of gum. I ended up saving $26. 

I still think I could have did a little better but my first small haul wasn't bad. I used a combination of Klip2Save, a coupon fairy and had 3 P&G inserts (they come once/month). 

I am now prepping for a possible return trip on Halloween weekend and to shadow one of my couponing mentors. That big haul and sub $10 day is coming! 

Couponing series: how to get started

My STAR series is ending for now, sort of. I will discuss couponing but will incorporate the STAR method to do so. 

I saw the huge hauls that many people I know were getting from couponing, often on the small scale. I decided I wanted to try it.

*DISCLAIMER* I am very much a novice. I have the tools and resources but I have yet to hit that huge haul. Join a couponing group or register for a class to receive advanced tips especially for your area. 

That said, I registered for a couponing class.  Biggest takeaways was finding out a good app for digital coupons, www.coupons.com. I learned how to link all of my store accounts and such to take advantage of deals. The best stores in my area appear to be Walgreens, BiLo, Harris Teeter and Dollar General. 

I then discovered different ways to obtain paper coupons. The newspaper, especially the Sunday newspaper is one method.  However you can find folks called "coupon fairies" that sell inserts for certain items you may need and buy more.  Couponing groups and circles have helped me here. 

I also have focused on stores with mass deals and ones that allow me to build up points like Walgreens or BiLo. 

Next, get a 3 ring binder and envelope to organize your coupons by store, product and even date. It's best to go early or late to catch the better deals and miss the longer lines. 

I saved $15 on my one and only haul. I plan on going again this week to Dollar General and my goal is to have less than a $10 OOP (out of pocket cost) for $30 worth of deals. 

It takes work, organization and even downloading apps and having multiple ways to get and print paper coupons but it is worth it. I will continue posting my finds and tips in the coming weeks. I'm ready for that huge $20 for $200 worth of merchandise haul!

STARS: Downloading Music to an MP3 player using YouTube

I had been trying for weeks how to download music onto an MP3 player for my incarcerated uncle.

He cannot have a smartphone so iTunes, Spotify, TIDAL or the other music mediums were out.  I didn't want to pay for a bunch of music either.

I sought out some of my tech support connects and was put onto youtubemp3.today. I actually type that link into my browser. 

I then type the song I want converted to MP3 format. Once that happens, a link appears for me to be able to download the MP3. I found that using the green button yields the better results far as downloading the song. 

I then opened my files and drives. I transferred the songs, around 15-20 at a time from my main drive to the music folder on my MP3 player that was plugged into my PC. I simply copied the downloaded MP3s and pasted them. 

I hope this helps out folks that need or want another medium for listening to their favorite music. 

STARS: Planning a Suprise Party

I grew up in a family that did suprise parties for seemingly everyone, specifically milestone birthdays (18th, 40, 50, etc). 

First thing I do when I plan a suprise party is check with the close friends/family/spouse and see what they have planned and the person's availability.  I also do this when I know the person is into suprises..

I then set a date and venue unbeknownst to the person. I then assign an accomplice (I have played this role at least 6 times). 

One important thing I do is make sure nothing out of the ordinary routine is performed with the person. They will suspect something is off and may get upset, especially at a spouse or significant other. Keep everything routine and covert. 

You then have the accomplice make plans with the person, while everyone else is in place with the party setup and location.  I make sure my story is airtight and ties in within a normal routine. Going to dinner or for a special movie or even to pick something up are common scenarios that tend to work. 

Also, I make sure all parties present hide their cars or park them away from the venue to drown out suspicion. This seems to work better in public. 

I then hold the party, also ensuring everyone is on time so that nothing else is suspect.  Also, the story/lie has to be held up. When you yell "suprise" you want that true element of surprise. 

Hopefully that person has a very pleasant surprise and a good time. 

STARS: Planning a successful family reunion

I think about the second Saturday in September with fond memories. This was the date for years that I held and organized my family reunion.  Due to certain factors, I decided to give it up. However it was a good run. 

I secured a good indoor location and steady date that was memorable and convenient.  I wanted to do it after school started but just before all of the after school activities kicked into full gear. Plus, I wanted a time where the weather would be at a medium temperature. Saturday is typically the best day to do anything socially also. I looked at every month, season and happening and decided upon the second Saturday in September.

I then had to make sure I reserved the location in advance, got the word out via social media, phone calls, texts and word of mouth. I also set up signs and gave directions to assist others in arriving at the venue. Additionally, I had set guidelines for the building and the nearby cemetery. 

I then held the reunion each year. I devised creative ways and activities to encourage folks to stay longer. Family history and old pictures seemed to work the best. 

The reunion was then held, I set up a donation jar to give back to the church since it was free. I arrived early to set up with others and we always left it better than we found it. I also brought some food and made sure that there were plenty of paper products. 

I kept the family reunion going for seven years using this method. It was memorable among many, although attended by few. Therefore if you have a family that really wants a reunion, I hope this post helps