Article submitted by Shirley Ready @ The Ready Center
Greetings, faithful Ready Center Blog readers! Since we last chatted, I’ve been up to my ears in freebies. I guess I was on a winning streak with my websites and as I type, the freebie bag that I base my articles on is nearly full again!
I last wrote about our huge pile of freebies in April (click here). Here’s a portion of what I have received since then. There’s more, but as I said, I’ve been busy and instead of overwhelming you with a huge list, I’ll break it up.
* 2 Size 4 Pullups – used and gone already
* 1 Bracelet – a nice trinket
* 3 Tea bags – saved for preps
* 1 Shampoo/Conditioner – saved
* 2 Tide samples (gel packs) – awaiting laundry room use
* 3 Panty Liners – saved
* 1 Toothpaste sample – saved
* 1 Pedia Lax sample – used and gone (glad we had them when we needed them!)
* 1 Perfume sample – awaiting use
* 1 Mega Red Krill Oil – awaiting use
* 1 Single Use Downy – awaiting use
* 2 Gevalia coffee K-Cups – took to work since we don’t own a Keurig =)
* 1 Downy in-wash scent booster – awaiting use
* 1 Folgers instant Coffee Mix – saved
In addition to that, the coupons that accompanied these products totaled a whopping $21.00!!!
As my husband will attest, I am a “coupon-machine” wannabe! I will go through our Kroger mailing coupons, newspaper coupons and phone app coupons just to save some cash. But again, I use the same LOE (Level of Effort) as I do with getting freebies – it’s gotta be fast, easy and worth my time! I will brag and say that it was really worth it lately as I only spent $167 for $209 worth of groceries/household goods AND got $10 cash back on top of that – can you say 25% savings?!
So as you may imagine, I see these coupons and think “Sweet! Now we can stock up for cheaper!” Be careful though. As you prepare for even the smallest of emergencies, you’ll want to remember what you’re preparing for. As an example, I may have received a K-Cup coupon, but that fancy Keurig won’t work when the power is out – BUT – those little cups may just be the pick me up you need if you’re willing to mimic the operations of that Keurig. The Pedia Lax samples, on the other hand, might be something you want to store up since in an emergency, fresh fruits and veggies won’t be around to keep you regular. And don’t discount those items with multiple uses like panty liners. You may not be a woman, but these are just the thing to have when one of a few different “uh ohs” happen (they are great for absorbing fluids, dressing wounds, shoe padding inserts, fire starting, etc.). Remember, YOU are the expert on YOUR preparation needs and who you’ll be preparing for– study, prep smart, and be ready!
So balance your needs and wants. As Buck Ready of The Ready Center will attest to (or will have edited out by now) having that piece of chocolate in the car/truck/RV/house/BOB isn’t necessary, however it just may help keep your morale up when the SHTF. It might also be critical when your spouse or kid jumps on the proverbial “Crazy Train” from a drop in blood sugar and you need them focused and on your team to finish the task at hand.
On that note, I’m going to grab me a late night snack and hit the hay – probably to dream about prepping now – but remember to keep your eyes peeled for those simple solutions to the big problems! And if you find any free sites you’d like us to trial for you, please let us know!
Happy (freebie) prepping!
The Ready Center
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