Moms Work Together Online and Save
Many parents are working hard to cut home budgets while striving to keep a healthy active lifestyle. Local parents can save a bundle by following these local blogs and online deal sites.
Even before the current recession, many families worked hard to save money. Frugal living is more than just a temporary fix, it’s really quite a lifestyle. Once you get started, it’s hard to pay full price for things. It’s often about knowing the sales cycles for different stores and memorizing price points, but with life moving full speed ahead it can be difficult to really know what the best deals are.
Many local moms are working together by using blog sites and other social media to communicate and share ideas. These area bloggers not only keep subscribers up to date on the best deals, they provide shopping lists, savings trackers, and other tools to help you save. The best part is that they live right here in the Seattle Tacoma Area, many of them in Pierce County so they are filled with local deals we all have access to. Here are just a few:
Jen, a stay at home mom from Pierce County, runs this comprehensive blog which teaches subscribers where to look for the best deals. Saving the most has a lot to do with timing and takes a bit of know-how. This blog brings moms of the community together by using Facebook, Twitter, and blog comments to communicate fantastic deals. Posts range from the best diaper deals of the week, online freebies, double coupon days, printable manufacturers coupons, and even when each big chain reduces holiday items to 75 percent off. I can say from personal experience that I was able to keep my Christmas shopping well within budget this year because of Hasbro and Dreamworks printable coupons that I found on this site.
The focus for this blog is on frugal living and healthier living but is primarily focused on groceries. This mom blogger cut her grocery bill in half using only coupons and stockpiling. She shares tips and resources like a savings tracker and printable deal lists by store. There are also links to printable manufacturer coupons. Her blog also shares tips on local gardening and currently features a series on ways to cook less common vegetables called 'Adventures in Produce.' The Coupon Project is also on Facebook and Twitter.
The social media connection helps because I can get all of the tips by only logging onto one website each day. If I see something interesting I can click over to get more details.
Other Resources
In addition to blog sites, the invention of the localized deal site offers tons of savings to local families. Deal sites are not written by local moms, but are great places for local moms to save and shop local. These deals are frequently featured on the often featured on the local mom blogs mentioned above.
This site features one huge deal each day from the greater Seattle/Tacoma area. Groupon is a way for local small businesses to get their name out there all while helping subscribers save money. Don’t let the big city name scare you away; there are lots of businesses from Bonney Lake and Sumner featured. My favorite deal so far was offered last week from Dolce Vida Day Spa in Bonney Lake. Generally speaking, the coupons are 50 percent-off package deals but can be as high as 90 percent off. Subscribers must purchase the daily Groupon within 24 hours and usually have one year to use it. Each offer has 'fine print' section so you know exactly what you are getting into. This site is by far is my favorite “date night” deal finder. Often, you can get “$20 worth of food for $10” or “buy one entree, get one free” at some of the best area restaurants. Combine this with happy hour and you have one low cost date night!
This site is my latest find, and like most of the great ideas shared here, it was recommended to me by another mom. It is very similar to Groupon but has a dedicated site for Tacoma, which means more local deals. Living Social also offers one deal per day from each city, but the deals stay active much longer than on Groupon, sometimes they are available for purchase up to a week. I recently bought half off punch cards for Jumpin' Jack n Jills in Sumner. I was able to afford one for my boys and give the second one to one of their favorite playmates as a gift.
What is your favorite way to find local deals online?
Tell us in the comments.
In This article
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Dolce Vita Day Spa
18401 Old Sumner Buckley Hwy, Bonney Lake, WA (Ste E) -
Jumpin Jack & Jill
15718 Main St E, Sumner, WA
CoreyAnn Khan
9:04 am on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A couple of other additions:
1) Lavish Living 4 Less (http://www.lavishliving4less.com/): A local BONNEY LAKE coupon blog!!!
2) Mamapedia Sweet Deals (http://tinyurl.com/47ef7be): Another "Groupon"-type deal site but this one offers local events/attraction discounts, store deals, and greater discounts that appeal to MOMS!!! I can say that I have bought almost 4 times as much on this site as I have anywhere else as the other sites listed above tend to only focus mainly on spa/massage/waxing services & urban food options). GREAT PLUS about this site: they give 5% of all purchases to the LOCAL SCHOOL OF YOUR CHOOSING! I have mine going to Lakeland Hills Elem but you can choose from any of the Sumner/Buckley/Orting/Auburn district elementary/middle/junior/senior schools!
Today for instance, Mamapedia is offering a "$50 for $100 Worth of Childrens Clothes, Furniture, Accessories and More from Merry Go Round in Bellevue". That is more along my lines as one who needs to purchase things like high chairs and children's outfits.
I have gotten gymnasitics class discounts, smokin' family photo session deals, parenting/child magazine subscriptions, and almost a dozen attraction discounts that make getting out with the kids a little easier!
Kelda Miller
10:16 am on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I'd also add that we have a local natural food buying club through http://www.azurestandard.com/. I just picked up my 25 lb bag of organic rice, etc. There's a group of women in Graham/South Hill that is the closest to here. If they had more members they could get deliveries more often (right now its every 3 months)
It would be awesome if it could grow into momentum for another drop site closer to Sumner....
Lesli Ashley
10:33 am on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
There is also a site called www.grocerygame.com - it does all the hard work for you in matching up. you can get a 4 week trial for free after that it is 20 for 4 stores for 8 weeks - I save over 50 dollars a week so it is worth it to me. and if you get people to sign up and you refer them, you get free weeks. Great deal.
Lauren Padgett
11:47 am on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I can't wait to check all these sites out! Thanks for the tips!
Neva Gerke
12:48 pm on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Thanks to everyone for contributing! I am excited to check these out and list deals on Frugal Family. I always try to shop local first, and these sights really help.
CoreyAnn Khan
4:48 pm on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Darn, the links I posted above are trying to add the following paren. Here they are a little cleaner:
Lavish Living 4 Less - http://www.lavishliving4less.com/
Mamapedia Sweet Deals - http://tinyurl.com/47ef7be
CoreyAnn Khan
4:50 pm on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Lesil - Do you coupon? Does the "grocery game" work with that? I've heard from most couponers that deals can be had cheaper and better without using that page but I haven't found that anyone had any concrete examples. Can you let me know more?
CoreyAnn Khan
4:57 pm on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Kelda - are you interested in CSAs (community supported agriculture) at all? There are a few in the area and I can compile a list for you from all of my farmer's market materials. I used to be on the committee in Auburn and I'd love to see more farmer's markets pop up in the Lake Tapps area!!!!
Christine Livingston
6:37 pm on Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The only difference with the Grocery Game and a coupon blog is that the Grocery Game charges you for what you can get for free on a blog. Why would you pay for the same information that you can get free? I compile weekly lists of the best deals, along with the above mentioned blogs. Plus any HOT Coupons, or daily deals on the web.
I run www.lavishliving4less.com. There are many frugal blogs in OUR area that offer useful, and money saving tips. We want to share the deals we find with you. Each blog has it's own style, come check us out, and start saving your money!
Thanks CoreyAnn!!
Barbara Bennett
8:40 am on Tuesday, March 1, 2011
What are the links to the blogs that were written about in his article?
Lauren Padgett
9:54 am on Tuesday, March 1, 2011
If you click on the blog titles in the headlines, the links are hyperlinked in blue :)
Lesli Ashley
9:12 am on Wednesday, March 2, 2011
I do use grocery game. I know that you can get most of it from blogs for free and I do look to those blogs also. I pay for the grocerygame.com for the convenience factor. It compiles all the stores for me plus they have unadvertised deals too. I think it is personal choice. I find that I save a lot of money using the grocerygame because i can look at all the stores side by side. I do much better using coupons this way than just using the blogs.
And I am totally interested in CSAs. I am buying half a cow pretty soon. I would love to do CSA too although I might have to wait to save up the money.
Karen Noland
9:44 am on Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Today's Living Social deal is for Marlene's Market and Deli--located in Tacoma and Federal Way--if you have not been there it is amazing for the selection of organic and natural products. The deli is a treat and the veggie sandwhich is one of the best around--in my humble opinion---and for a meat lover..this says A LOT! Today's is $10 for $20 worth of organic and natural products!!!