Knoxville Coupon Fair: This Saturday! Don't Miss it!

Do yo have plans for this Saturday, February 26, from 9am to noon? Sure you do! You'll be joining me at the Second Annual Knoxville Coupon Fair at Faith United Methodist Church in Knoxville. I will be sharing some tips and suggestions for Couponing for Charity with a hand-out called, "The Art of Free." The event is FREE and childcare will be provided. You don't have to stay the whole time.

There will be tables to swap coupons and freebies, but we're also asking those who can to donate one free item they've gotten through couponing to charity. Here are tips for freebies you could get tomorrow! I've already compiled a list for next week (lots of freebies and money makers); see them first at the fair.

Here are more details: Local coupon and money saving experts will be present to give one-on-one attention to participants. Attendees can browse the booths, ask couponing questions, and hone their money saving skills. People new to couponing will especially benefit from the many instructional handouts that experts will provide. Participants are encouraged to bring extra coupons and “freebies” to trade.

Coupon Bloggers and Resource Booths participating in this year’s event—Margaret of Blue Frog Creations, Gabrielle ofCouponing in Critical Times, Jennifer of Coupon Mommie, Christy of Coupons are Money, Melissa of Frugalissa Finds, Hannah of Frugally Farming Family, Isha of Knoxville Mamabelle, Kathryn of Knoxville on a Dime, Julie of Sharing Savings with You, Earth Fare, KARM Thrift Stores, Knoxmoms, Kroger of Fountain City, One Call Club for Seniors, Rebecca’s Coupons and Forms, Regions Bank, Silver Lining Quality Children’s Consignment, and Three Rivers Market.

Topics to be addressed—Organizing your coupons, Learning the Coupon Lingo, Shopping at Walgreens and CVS, Couponing at Target, Saving Money on Organics, Meal Planning, Growing and Preserving Your Own Foods, Healthy Lunch Options, Saving Money on Items for Babies and Children, Learning New Coupon Technology, Group Buying Sites, Couponing for Charity, Thrift Store Shopping, Consignment Shopping, and Saving Seniors Money.

Faith United Methodist Church is located on the corner of Dry Gap Pike and Rifle Range Road at 1120 Dry Gap Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918. For more information, contact Gabrielle Blake at Couponingincriticaltimes@gmail.com or phone Faith United Methodist Church at 865-688-1000.

Still have questions? Gabrielle probably answered them in this post. Will you be there? Leave a comment and let me know.

Knoxville Coupon Fair: Mark your calendar

I am very honored to be a part of Second Annual Knoxville Coupon Fair scheduled for Saturday, February 26th from 9am-noon at Faith United Methodist Church in Knoxville. I will be sharing some tips and suggestions for Couponing for Charity. The event is FREE and childcare will be provided. There will be tables to swap coupons and freebies, but we're also asking those who can to donate one free item they've gotten through couponing to charity. I'll be giving some suggestions the next few weeks of what you can bring.

Here are more details: Local coupon and money saving experts will be present to give one-on-one attention to participants. Attendees can browse the booths, ask couponing questions, and hone their money saving skills. People new to couponing will especially benefit from the many instructional handouts that experts will provide. Participants are encouraged to bring extra coupons and “freebies” to trade.

Coupon Bloggers and Resource Booths participating in this year’s event—Margaret of Blue Frog Creations, Gabrielle of Couponing in Critical Times, Katie of Coupon Katie, Jennifer of Coupon Mommie, Christy of Coupons are Money, Melissa of Frugalissa Finds, Hannah of Frugally Farming Family, Isha of Knoxville Mamabelle, Kathryn of Knoxville on a Dime, Julie of Sharing Savings with You, Earth Fare, KARM Thrift Stores, Knoxmoms, Kroger of Fountain City, One Call Club for Seniors, Rebecca’s Coupons and Forms, Regions Bank, Silver Lining Quality Children’s Consignment, and Three Rivers Market.

Topics to be addressed—Organizing your coupons, Learning the Coupon Lingo, Shopping at Walgreens and CVS, Couponing at Target, Saving Money on Organics, Meal Planning, Growing and Preserving Your Own Foods, Healthy Lunch Options, Saving Money on Items for Babies and Children, Learning New Coupon Technology, Group Buying Sites, Couponing for Charity, Thrift Store Shopping, Consignment Shopping, and Saving Seniors Money.

Faith United Methodist Church is located on the corner of Dry Gap Pike and Rifle Range Road at 1120 Dry Gap Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918. For more information, contact Gabrielle Blake at Couponingincriticaltimes@gmail.com or phone Faith United Methodist Church at 865-688-1000. In the event of inclement weather, please go to the church website at www.faithseekers.org for updates on cancellation or rescheduling.

FREE Coupon Exchange Update

Five weeks ago I began a free coupon exchange at the Karns Library. I wasn't sure if anyone would take my extra coupons or if they'd even bother to glance at the box. I'm happy to report that according to the librarians, it has become a popular draw. Apparently lots of people are looking through them and taking a few, and a handful of people are contributing their own coupons. How awesome is that!

The three categories I have: "Expire Soon, " "You Have Time," and "Expired--for Military" get jumbled a bit, but I try to sort them out each week. Since I wasn't getting any takers on the expired coupons, I began removing them. Currently I'm trying to decide which military base to send them to; if you personally know of anyone in the military who could use them, please leave a comment.

The next time you're in the Karns Library, take a look, and if you have suggestions or feedback, please leave a comment. Have any of you done the same at other branches?

FREE Coupon Exchange

Ever since reading Coupon Katie's post about sharing coupons, I've been thinking. How could I best share the coupons I don't plan to use? I settled on the Karns Library, and I'm happy to report the box is full and ready for the taking.

I figured small and contained was a good way to start. I reused a popsicle box and added my blog's information on the top. I figured if I was going to go to the effort to do this for my community that a little self promotion wasn't out of line. I also made three index cards: Expires Soon, You Have Time, and Expired. I decided to keep the expired ones in there for awhile to see if we have any military families that could use them. Each week I hope to add more coupons and move the older ones to the appropriate categories.

Here's my plan; we'll see how it works. Sunday is my day to scan the adds, plan menus, make lists, gather coupons I'll likely use, and clear out the coupons that will expire that week. On Tuesday morning, I usually make my Kroger run, and on Tuesday afternoon, I take Devin and Brooke to the library to kill 20 minutes before picking up Bobby. I can add new coupons weekly without making an extra trip.

I'm curious to see the response and how many coupons are taken. The librarians seemed eager to check it out once I left. I can feel good about the fact that coupons are not only allowing me to donate to charities but to my community as well.

What do you do with your extra coupons?