Replies to last blog - Coupons on the Go!

We are suffering through a big sub zero freeze here in in Wisconsin today.  It's about 3 below right now, and going DOWN ...  should be about 15 below tonight and wind chills of 25 to 30 below.  ACK!   I hate the word *wind chills* !!! When I was a kid in the 60's and 70's we never had wind chill reports.  We just said DANG, IT'S COLD....  

I thought rather than replying to the comments on my last blog back on that blog page, I decided that I would reply here instead. After all, who goes back to see what anyone replied to a reply?  LOL

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Judy and Emma said...

Are you coming down through Mississippi on your way to AZ? Sure would like to meet up with you folks and maybe get me some socks!!

(my reply) Judy--- Not sure yet of the exact route yet, we are gonna go south as fast as we can on the first day to avoid any weather.  We normally don't like to drive more than 200-300 miles in a day, but if we get a good break in the weather with dry roads and no ice or snow, we will make tracks for as many hours as we can.   Did you know that you can go to my Etsy store at any time  http://kareninthewoods.etsy.com/ or just email me and order up some socks and I can ship them to you! 

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Karen and Al said...

Do you think it might not be a good idea to put your address out in blog land in case anyone reads your blog may decide to rob you blind while you're gone? I don't think you'd have any problem with the regular blog readers, but I know I get some anonymous comments that are just wacky.
Where the heck are you going anyway! Florida??? We'd love to get together if you're in the area. 

(my reply) Karen --  Yes, good idea on omitting our address... I do give out my fiber artist business card for over 15 years without a problem, which has both my address and phone number on it.  But perhaps it's best to just have the email and blog addresses on it.   (p.s. really there is nothing of value left in the house, we are taking the important stuff with us, plus the kids and neighbors are taking care of the house for us)   We are not coming to Florida this winter, instead we are heading south and west...   leaving late February after business and doc appts. are done will be gone for 7 weeks!   Probably end up in Texas, then New Mexico, then Arizona and then S. California.   2 "must-see" things are the Pacific Ocean and the Grand Canyon.  Also a stop at The Slabs is a must to meet up with RV friends there.

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Cyndi said...

I like #2; though for either one you need to delete the ' in your name. You're just two of you, plural, without a possessive. It's the English teacher in me. I am soooo glad you've posted this detailed list - there are a few things that I need to put on mine now. I especially like the one about calling the credit/gas card companies. We've never done that - and last summer had our Shell card cancelled in the middle of a trip. We never knew that we were supposed to let them know we were going out of state.

(my reply) Oops thanks Cyndi!  See, I needed a proofreader to help me out!  Yes, one time we had a charge card denied for a larger purchase when on the road, and it was embarrassing and time consuming to get it all straightened out.  It was the first time we ever used that card out of state, and the credit card company was just protecting us and them from a big hassle if it had been stolen.  I just recently paid for my website domain renewal to a company in Australia, and the credit card company called in 2 minutes flat to verify that I was really purchasing something in Australia.  How cool is that?  

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Kevin and Ruth said...

Another suggestion for the credit cards, is that you can take a picture of them if you can't photocopy them. Also make the photocopy into a document and then email it to yourself so that if your unit is stolen you are able then to access it from any computer. We have also done this with any other important info, passports, insurance, licenses etc.  Kevin and Ruth   www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

(my reply) That is a great idea!  I am going to do that with the digital camera and then email them to myself---  never thought of that!

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And to all of your votes on which version of the RV calling card, 

-I am going to use number 2

-I am going to remove the address and phone number

-I am going to add the pic of the doggers

I also had a few emails asking me about my pressure cooker... so I did a series of photos making beef stew the other night and will do a future blog post about that.

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~~Mike~~ said...

Congrats on breaking 100! I knew you would though, you always have cool stuff to post :) I vote for the second version of the card more because I like the layout. I think the picture in the lower left should be of you with the furkids as others have mentioned too. Chelsea looks like she had fun! Great pics of her! Your lists are very well thought out too! Heidi wrote a blog on our other site yesterday that you might be interested in considering the "club cards" you mentioned. Her blog is http://vansteaders.blogspot.com

-Mike
97 Roadtrek 170P "Taj Ma Trek"
HTTP://WWW.VanTramps.Com

(my reply) So here is what Heidi from Vansteaders wrote:  (reprinted with her permission) 

http://vansteaders.blogspot.com/2011/01/coupons-on-go.html

Coupons on the go!

Couponing... you clip the coupons for items you use from the Sunday paper, then take them with you when you shop and save money!  What's not to love?  Well, quite a lot actually.

First of all, I don't read the Sunday paper anymore.  Secondly, how do I get those weekly coupons that come in the mail, when I don't always have a mailbox?  Thirdly, do I really want to use expensive ink for e-coupons? Also, I always forget to use that coupon I brought with me!  These are just a few of the issues I have with using coupons!

Click "add" and the coupon is stored in your grocery store's club card

Okay, maybe *you* all knew this, but I was completely in the dark about all the great modern couponing options that are attached to the little club card you pull out at the check-stand!  Then, a few days ago I was looking for the online flyer for the local Port Angeles (WA) Safeway, and I saw the light!  Did you know that you can view local weekly sales flyers online, then click on the coupons area and load the coupons you'd like to use?  The coupons are then "stored" on your card... so if you buy the item before the expiration date the coupon amount is automatically taken off the grocery bill.  You don't even have to tell them you're using coupons! 


There are many stores that have this couponing option... Fred Meyer is another one that I specifically checked on.


If you don't see all the coupons you want at your "regular" store's site, I also found out there are other sites that will add coupons to your store's card: 
Cellfire.com, PGeSAVER.com, Shortcuts.com, Upromise.com...
I haven't used these sites yet, but I'll check them all out before my next shopping trip.


I don't know if I'll ever be one of those extreme-super-coupon-saving-shoppers, the kind that get their groceries for free and speak in a language I don't understand (with lingo like "price matching" and "doubles"), but it's progress!

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Answers to some questions in previous posts comments sections:?

I figured I would post some replies and answers for some of the comments from the last few days....

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Merikay  said:
I've looked at a couple of Safari's that I really liked in terms of layout etc, but since we are not buying yet, the fact that hey might be harder to find service for may be a thing to keep in mind. My husband is not mechanical!


Merikay, Only the chassis is custom, (the frame, axles, suspension)  the rest of the Safari motorhome is all common items, like Cat engine, Allison transmission and all the inside appliances are normal RV items like in any Rv.  So don't let that hinder your choice.  ~Karen

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Mike and Heidi   said:
(snip) I am definitely going to enjoy following your blog :)
-Mike & Heidi
97 Roadtrek 170P "Taj Ma Trek"
Our blog: HTTP://WWW.VanTramps.Com

Heidi and Mike.. checked our your blog and read it from the beginning.  So cool to go fulltime in the van and sure enjoyed your modifications and ways to make everything work and fit in a small space.   You might like some of the mods we did to our RV, there is a link on the right hand column of my blog page.  Glad to have you aboard!    ~Karen

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Lake Conroe Penny  said:

(snip) 

A Whirleygig on your vent pipe makes a big difference, too, it keeps the tanks aired out.

Hey Penny, yup we put two of those on our vents on the roof, one for the grey and one for the black.  WE notice the best benefit is when we are driving and want the windows open up in the front area.  That normally causes a vacuum from the back area and pulls the tank vapors inside.  Once we put on the whirlygigs, that stopped that.  

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Cowgirl Creations   said:

(snip)  

 The socks look great! Can you link to your Etsy store again?

Hey Cowgirl! Thanks for the compliment. Besides what is listed in my store inventory, I can do custom socks in most any color if I have it on hand, and make the sock to fit the size of your foot.  

Here is the link:  (HANDWOVEN E-STORE)  HTTP://KARENINTHEWOODS.ETSY.COM/

~ Karen

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Paul and Marti Dahl  said:

Do you ever relax? Making socks while camping? I thought camping was time to kick back and chill. :c) 

Love the Grandma Magnet bib! Too funny. Your GK's are adorable. If you had to do it all over again, would you purchase the same TP monitor system or would you go to another brand?

heh heh heh ~ My making socks IS relaxing .. to me!  I am one who has to keep the hands busy all the time.  Even when watching tv, or at a sports game or a long meeting, out comes the knitting!   

As for the tire pressure monitors, we bought this Hopkins set on Camping World with a whole bunch of discounts and coupons and paid less than half of what Pressure Pro costs.  So as long as this company honors the replacement of the 2 bad sensors, I think it is good to have any system on board, no matter what.   

We had two horrible blowouts on our last gasser rig on a major interstate, about 60 miles apart.  If we had a tire pressure monitor system back then, we might have been able to slow down and get to the side of the road before causing damage to our air bag and fender wall.  Or we would have known about the second tire being ready to blow while we were changing the first one and buying a replacement in Sheboygan.  Instead we drove on to Milwaukee and had another blowout there.  That necessitated sleeping over in a very rough part of South Milwaukee on the street in front of a tire repair place (it was chainlink fenced in and locked so we couldnt even stay in their parking lot).  The next morning we bought five more new tires to continue on our trip.

We won't ever travel without a tire pressure monitor again, that is for sure.   Steve also visually inspects the tires at each stop, and he also has a handheld thermometer unit he uses too at time to check the hubs and brakes etc.   ~Karen

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Merikay  said:

Is Allegra's hair a bit on the reddish side? With her rosy cheeks she reminds me of my own daughter at that age! (Daughter is now 43, mother of two, PHD ...
I have just cleared out about $1000 worth of yarns and roving that I had in closets from before I transitioned to using fake fur for my animals. Boxes and boxes. When I found a good fiber I bought out the store. Now it's at Goodwill, I don't have the patients to put it on Ebay.
It was painful to say the least, especially some of the beautiful alpacas.

Merikay,  yes, little Allegra has reddish hair from her daddy, and has the rosy cheeks like a little imp! 

Wish I had known you were depleting your stash, I know a whole network of folks who might have snapped it up a reasonable price.  We all know how those stashes work!   I also keep a lot of yarn and roving on board, some squished down in Space Bags.  They work GREAT! ~ Karen

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Cindy and Walker   said:

(snip) What size of gernerator do you have?

Hey Cindy... we have an Onan 6.3KW propane generator built into the motorhome compartment (original equipment) It is able to run both of our roof air conditioners, I think they are 13,000 and 11,500 BTU. But when I want to run the microwave at the same time, I shut down the back air conditioner just to be sure and not over-strain it. And flick it back on when done cooking. While on the generator, we leave the fridge on propane so it's not drawing either.  ~Karen

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Karen and Al  said:
(snip) I never thought of freezing noodles. It sure made for an easy dinner for you. Any particular way you freeze them? In a vacuum bag, plastic container, plastic bag?? I'll try that for a future camping trip.

Ohhh I cheated... I bought the little Smart Ones alfredo noodles already in a box from the freezer section at the store.  I start them in the microwave and halfway cook them.  Then into a bowl I put frozen jumb shrimp after taking off their tails.  and dump the box of alfredo noodles and sauce over them and add some parmesan, parsley and shredded mozzarella cheese and pop them back in the microwave again till done.   Easy Peasy!    But I am sure you could freeze noodles in bags, probably half cooked and then they won't be too mushy once you thaw and finish cooking them?    ~Karen

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Charlie and Peggy   said:

I want to go fishing with Yooper!!!! in the shack!!!

Well Charlie, you just come right on up here next winter, he will be happy to have ya!  Gotta bring your own beer, though.  Then you two can be like Grumpy Old Men!   LOL   ~Kare 

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Cyndi   said:

You reminded me of an email joke I got the other day:

"We are about to enter the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity .

When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine... 
(1) The woman buys the food. 
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert. 
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand. 
(4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.

Here comes the important part: 
(5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

More routine.... 
(6) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery. 
(7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat. 

Important again: 
(8) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

More routine... 
(9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table. 

(10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all: 
(11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.

(12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed ' her night off ' and, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women!"

Cyndi,  EXACTLY!!!!!!    ~Karen

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It's raining all day here on Friday, but we don't care, we are going camping anyhow.  The motorhome is almost loaded and Steveio will be home about 3:30.   We are going to head north along the bay waters of Green Bay towards Lake Michigan.  There are about 7 or 8 campgrounds up thataway we can get into.  I am sure with the rainy weather, we will have the pick of our favorite sites at any of them! 

Might not have an aircard signal that far north, so if not, will post again on Sunday night or Monday! 

Have a great weekend folks!