Get To Know Your Local Bloggers – WNY Deals And To-Do's

*Go here to read more about my “Get To Know Your Local Bloggers” series*

This weeks first local blogger to be featured is Christina from WNY Deals & To-do’s!

Blog address – www.WNYDealsandtodos.com

My Quick Review:  Christina keeps us up to date on local events and deals.  If you want to know the latest deals on coupons for restaurants, activities and the like in the Western New York area then in my opinion her site is usually one of if not the most current and informational.  Christina has much more to offer but I will let you hear about it in her own words.

What is your name?  Christina

Where are you located? Buffalo

Do you work outside of the home? No

Do you have any children and/or pets? Yes, 2 children and 1 crazy cat.  I guess the kids can be crazy too.  

What are some of your favorite things to do when you aren’t blogging? I have too many favorite things and not enough time!  I like to make cakes (you can view my album here if you’d like), cook, crochet, dance, play board games, read, do logic problems.  Most of all I just love spending time with my family.  *side note from Amanda: You have to check out her AMAZING cakes!!!!

How about some blogging questions, shall we? -

Why did you start your blog?  My friends & family were always asking how I save so much and where I find out about all these awesome things I do with my kids.  I follow some National blogs but with all this curiosity from those close to me I figured maybe I could manage something more local, and relevant, to us WNYers.  I had no idea there were so many of us local bloggers out there!  It is awesome though because we all offer something different however our goal is the same…to help others in the area.

What is your favorite part about blogging?  Giving others information, whether about a great deal or an awesome event in the area.  I love helping out!  Plus I love to give prizes away.  :-)  

Which stores do you do your own coupon match-ups for?  I match up the Tops Markets ad every week.

Approximately how many times do you post a week? About 50 – 70 posts per week.

Do you have any special features on your blog?  I have a Google Calendar where I post a lot of the events happening in the area.  You can create your own Google calendar and add any of the events that interest you, as well as send reminders to yourself when the event is coming up.  I also have a list of Parks/Playgrounds, Where Kids Eat FREE, Farms/U-Pick locations,Giveaways/Contests for my blog & the area, and my newest addition Indoor Fun (during the summer I have a tab of Beaches/Water Fun but that page is hibernating for the Winter).

What do you think is your “specialty” when it comes to your blog content?  The coupon match-ups at Tops Markets and the Google Event Calendar.

I am curious to hear about your spending and saving habits!

Do you use coupons on every shopping trip? No.  I try to save as much as I can, wherever I can but if my kids really want something and I want to get it for them but don’t have a coupon, I will.  Plus I really enjoy certain things, like Tim Horton’s coffee, and they rarely have coupons.  I save in some areas so I can splurge in others.

What is your favorite item to find a coupon for?  Dannon Danimals (my kids LOVE this stuff), Pepsi. Naturesweet Tomatoes, Driscoll’s Berries.  Tim Hortons!  Anything “rare” I guess.    

What is your best deal that you ever got?   My favorite deals are the ones where I get paid back in rewards of some sort more than I spend out-of-pocket.  Most recently I was very excited to find a deal at Tops Markets where you got paid to buy an International Delight creamer!  That rarely happens at the grocery stores.

Do you have a set grocery budget each month?  Sort of.  We have a set amount each month and in our annual budget the actual spent is always very close to what I budget.  Each month fluctuates, but couponing overall helps to keep me on budget for the year.

On average how much do you save on your grocery bill?  On grocery trips that use coupons my goal is always to save an average of 50%.  We eat a lot of produce, meats, and such that don’t always have coupons so those trips it is harder to save as much as I want.

What is your favorite store to shop at for deals?  Rite-Aid.  I seem to get the most bang for my buck there.

If you could pass on one tip to people trying to save money, what would it be?  Don’t set expectations for savings too high.  ANY amount that you save is more in your pocket and less in someone else’s.  I hear too often that people don’t think clipping coupons is worth it because of the time or they get disappointed they don’t save 90% on their grocery bill.  There is always money to be saved on something, even if it is just a buck on your toothpaste.

Do you have a favorite frugal recipe?  Chicken Soup for the Couponer’s Soul!  I’ll be posting my recipe for this delicious soup soon on the blog using ingredients that I had coupons for, from the celery to the noodles.  :-)

What is the most frugal thing that you do?  I love containers/boxes to store things in but hate paying the high cost of them.  So I reuse wipes containers and cardboard boxes as most of my storage.  I’ve found the empty wipes containers make great storage cases for all my craft supplies, stickers, markers, small toys, etc.  They aren’t as nice looking as the containers you buy in store, but the kids and I decorate them with foam stickers and they become our own.  Cardboard boxes I’ll cut the top flaps off of and then use a nice contact paper around the rest of it.  Up on a shelf you can’t even tell it is a Huggies box wrapped up!

What are some of your favorite money saving websites aside from your own?  Hip2Save, MojoSavings, Couponing To Disney

GIVEAWAY: 

1. Choose a way to “follow” WNY Deals & To-Do’s (Facebook, email subscription, rss feed etc.)
2. Leave a comment on one of her blog posts saying something similar to “Mom’s Coupon Affair sent me”
3. Leave a comment on THIS post letting me know that you did everything required to enter.

The Giveaway will last until Thursday, December 1st @ 11:59 PM EST.  The winner of this coupon giveaway will receive an envelope of coupons.  The amount of coupons that will be won depends on the amount of people that enter the giveaway.  I will start each envelope off with 15 coupons and one coupon will be added for every person that enters!

**Keep an eye out this Thursday for our next local blogger, Crazy About Savin!**