Grocery Game Update

Ok..so I got the bad news that Albertson's will no longer be accepting other store coupons. (see previous post) Hmmm. This may affect my Grocery Game playing. I have a toddler and I love to only have to go to one store. *Sighs*.
Well the idea behind the game is still sound. Layer your coupons with sale prices!!
I'll keep you posted.

The Grocery Game

So I'm beginning to see the direction this blog is taking...not just gabbing about my online selling but sharing tips and thoughts on different ways to save money! And make money. (hopefully)
Today I went grocery shopping. Not my favorite thing in the world. But recently I discovered The Grocery Game.
Yes it involves clipping coupons and making lists. But the great thing...all the brainwork is done for you!! And I need all the help I can get.
The thought behind this site is to stock up on items when you can get them dirt cheap...and then you'll have them when you really need them. The Grocery Game provides a list of items every Sunday for a store in your area. (and the areas are growing) For me, that store is Albertsons. I have until Tuesday to get the best deals. That's because Albertson's flyer goes from Tues to Tues. But another store may work differently.
The list tells you what items are a good price and which are a fantastic price and probably the lowest you'll find for a few months. It has you combine store sales, store coupons and manufacturers coupons so some things even end up being close to free!! But the list tells you where to find the coupons..so start saving your Sunday paper inserts! And I discovered that Albertson's takes other store's coupons, so I can clip coupons from Safeway and Fred Meyer and use them all in one place!! Saves gas!
Yes the list costs money. But you can do a 4 week trial for $1. After that (for me anyway) it's $10 every 3 months. You easily earn that back in one week's shopping.
You can even add on a list for a drug store like Walgreens or Rite Aid and get cosmetics super cheap!
Just be careful to buy only what you normally use no matter how cheap something is!! Stocking up on canned garbanzo beans because they're $.19 a can is useless unless you're gonna use them!
So how did I do today? Well I spent $68.26 but I saved...$72.29. Awesome. And I bought name brands..Starbucks, Woolite, Cottonelle, Birds Eye, Nabisco...
Shopping has never been so fun.

A Great Site for Book Collectors

Someone just directed me to a great site called "Fantastic Fiction". It's a great source of bibliographies and book information.

If you're looking to fill out a collection and need some titles this site is a great one for that! If you sell books..you can't miss this site too.

For example, I sometimes sell lots of Nancy Drew books. Fantastic Fiction has the entire list of titles. What that will save me in typing!! I wish I had found it sooner!

Anyway, just a great tip for you!

Ephemera...Not for the Faint of Heart

So, I'm new to the world of vintage/antique ephemera. But I believe my new-est vintage addiction could have been foretold. I've always loved keeping papers. Souvenir postcards, tickets, photos..and more!!
I love vintage photos. It's anonymous..but the people are real! They really lived. Who were they? What kinds of jobs did they have? Who was their best friend? How long did it take them to pick out the clothes they are wearing in the snap?

Another popular vintage ephemera item is color plates from vintage books. Color illustrations of plants, botanical prints, encyclopedia images, and more!
One surprising collectible is medical ephemera. People seem to love the framable pictures from old medical books, depicting brains, hearts....and more. Great pictures for your favorite doctor's office!!
All of this ephemera is great for framing! Or some collect images for their stash to use in collages or altered art pieces. Vintage children's book pages are great for this.
Recently someone in the Etsy forums called my new condition.."ephemer-itis". There's no known cure..and it's catchy! So look out!!