Frugal Friday 3/25/11

Another themed day from the Blogging world:

Frugal Friday!

 In lieu of my new coupon-ing venture I am sharing my new "Coupon Train" rules.  Like most Military Families we have friends and family living all over.  To keep in touch we all use the wonderful world wide web, that sparked a light bulb to start a group called "Coupon Trading."  In the group we now have a "Coupon Train" circulating with coupons that we can't/won't use ourselves, but hate to see go to waste.  In the Coupon train we all share the love of our coupons.  One person needs doggy items, I need formula items, some want specific laundry detergent and so on.

Here's the rules I made for my group, feel free to adjust the rules to fit your friends/families needs.

Coupon Train Rules/Etc..

Conductor: (insert your name here)

 I started the train with 3 separate envelopes going to different random people on the list.

 I also dated each envelope beside my address when it was mailed and do the same when you mail yours so you can get an accurate time of how long the train takes to circulate.

Right now I started with 20 coupons.  I want to build up to 30-40 coupons, so I encouraged my friends who had extra to throw them in.

  

COUPON TRAIN RULES:

 1. Please contact the Conductor with any questions, concerns, address changes, unable to participate at anytime so we can keep the train going and keep it fair for everyone else involved.

 2. If you want to receive great coupons from others, you need to send out great coupons to them. Sure, you are exchanging the coupons you don’t want for those that you do. But that implies that the person receiving coupons from you will be getting great coupons from you, too, just not ones you can use yourself.

3. In general, never put in expired coupons, store-specific, Catalina (check-out coupons or register rewards), or internet printed coupons are of limited use to others, and can increase postage costs. In contrast, inserts, non-inserts, wine tags, peel offs, rebate forms, are often useful but not available in all areas, so can add great value for other members of the train. If you aren’t sure, ask!

 4. Also, don’t “gut” the train by removing everything great. If there are multiple copies of a fantastic coupon, take ONLY one and leave the rest for others.

 5. You may add 3 items beside you address on your "wish list" so if someone not using those coupons can mail them to you directly.

 6. A member who removes 10 coupons must replace them with exactly 10 coupons.  Replace with the exact number you remove.  You are allowed to add more if you have tons of the same one, but don't take all 20 coupons and only put back in 10.  We have to be fair to make sure everyone is getting full benefit of the train.

7. Occasionally people go on vacation, have a family emergency, or may need to leave a train. There may be an addresses change or typo that’s been updated. Always check your routing list before mailing the train!  PLEASE Contact me if  you need to opt out of the train, then you can contact me and I will add you back at anytime. 

8. If you are unable to participate one week, i.e. no coupon's to add to the stash, then just simply mail the coupons to the next person on the train.

 9. Start building your stash now so when the train comes you will be able to participate.

 10. Expiration Dates – Ideally members will remove expired coupons, and any that will expire within 20 days of when THEY will mail the envelope. So for an envelope to be mailed on 4/1, the coupons should be good through 4/20 or longer. This helps to ensure that members don’t receive expired coupons due to postal delays. Take into account holidays and three day weekends, when mail may be running up to a week behind.

 11. You have 1-2 days to mail the coupons back out.  Don't hold onto the envelope, we need to keep the train moving at all times.  So the faster turn around, the faster you will get another envelope. 

Hope that helps you become a new Frugal Goddess like me! :)