Optimistically Blogging

Lately I have been met with a challenge, whenever I go to purchase a greeting card they never have what I need.  All of the Hallmark stores around me closed down so the only places I can go to buy greeting cards are the big box stores and this has caused me endless frustration.  The big box stores only carry so many cards, and that is logical for spacial reasons but this can be difficult at times.   Here are the problems that I have had with purchasing greeting cards: 1) Little Kids - I have a sister (who I love with all my heart) and she is still very young, so when her birthday rolled around I went to the local box store to purchase a card for her.  I first went to the Sister Birthday section, (because obviously!) but all of the cards were: "you've been there for me my whole life" and "we grew up together", so I moved on to children's birthday cards.  All of the cards were very specific, they had the ages on them and were either Princesses or Actio

I did a post on my favorite TV shows of all time, so now I am going to talk about TV Shows that I just don't care for, but have tried really hard to like.  These shows fall under a subcategory of "shows that people my age tend to like."  Many of the actors in these shows I like in other tv shows or movies, but I just don't like or am disappointed by these shows in particular.  Another thing to note is I have seen many episodes of each one of these shows and have given them all a fair shot.  Also, these are not in any particular order. Please don't be offended by this post as it is completely opinion based: Friends (1994-2004) - Most girls my age were and still are obsessed with this show.  I watched it in high school and college along with everyone else, but when I step back and actually think about the show, I never really liked it at all.  The characters were always making really bad decisions, acting slutty and not really caring about people around them; th

So...something random about me is that I love online lists.  If there is an article listing random things on the MSN home page, I will read it.  "10 ways to save money!" "Top 50 movies of all time!" "15 reasons to visit Detroit!" I devour them all, so tonight because I am extremely exhausted and should be in bed I am going to post a list.  (Also, please forgive my poor grammar) Last night I asked my husband "If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only watch 3 TV shows for the rest of your life what would they be?"  He had a hard time coming up with an answer, but I have thought a lot about it and I am going to post for you not only my 3, but also my Top 10 favorite TV shows of all time! Kirsten's Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All Time (and why): (Only the top 3 are in order, the rest are just in the top 10) 1) Dark Shadows (1966-1971) - Obviously this is my #1.  The reasoning behind this relates to an on online article that I

Customer Loyalty is very important when it comes to saving money.  I mean you could go around to every store in your area and hunt for the best deal but that takes a lot of time and energy, when if you simply stay loyal to just one store you will reap the benefits of your loyalty. We have one grocery store that we enjoy shopping at for all of our groceries, and because we use it for almost everything we buy it has been very good to us in return.  At one point a few years ago the manager of this grocery store pulled my husband aside and thanked him for being a valuable customer and gave us VIP status, not only did it make us feel nice that they were grateful to us for being loyal customers, but we also received extra gas rewards and many other great benefits. Here are some reasons why I feel it is important and beneficial to be a loyal customer: 1) Great Customer Service - If you stay loyal to a small handful of places they get to know you and they will go above and beyond to give

Good Morning!!  Today I am going to write about all of the fun stuff that Las Vegas and the surrounding area has to offer, that is off of the strip.  Not a lot of people know this but you could visit Las Vegas and never set foot on the strip because the surrounding area is so beautiful and has lots of wonderful things to do.  I am going to highlight some of my favorites for you so you have a great idea of all Las Vegas has to offer.  Note: when I started to think about it there are so many, so this may be a long post. 1) Red Rock Canyon - Red Rock Canyon is located west of Las Vegas, and is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.  When I first moved out here my best friend lived with me and once she found that Red Rock Canyon was only 3-4 miles from our apartment we were there almost everyday.  The Canyon has a one way 13 mile driving loop and from the loop there are multiple trails ranging in mileage and difficulty.  I have done most of them and they are all beau

Las Vegas wouldn't exist without gambling.  It's just a fact, it is a beautiful valley out in the desert but the reason it is a popular city is because of gambling.  I am not saying that I am a big gambler but I would be lying if I said I never go gambling.  When you live out here your movie theater, bowling alley and favorite restaurants usually reside in casinos.  Almost every gas station, grocery store, big box store and airport have a slot machine section; it is a big part of what Las Vegas is all about.  So this post contains my Do's and Don't of gambling. 1) Don't go to a casino if you have a gambling addiction -  I just want to put that up front.  If you know you have a gambling addiction and there is a chance you will blow money you don't even have, don't go to a casino. 2) Do have a budget when you walk into the casino (or an amount you are okay losing) - My husband and I occasionally (2-3 times a year) do a date night where we go and gamble

When planning a trip it is very important to set a trip budget.  Visiting Las Vegas is no different, the problem is you can either spend a very large amount or very little depending on how knowledgeable you are beforehand.  Gambling can be an expense that varies when you are visiting the City of Sin, but I will talk about that in another post.  Today I want to focus on the freebies that you can score on a trip to Vegas! 1) Parking - Almost every casino on the Las Vegas Strip has free parking, and not just Garage parking, but Valet parking is also free (make sure to tip).  This is something that sets Vegas apart from other cities.  When I visited my best friend in Chicago last summer I couldn't believe how expensive it was to park downtown.  $20+ /hour, I kept wanting to suggest Valet, but then I remembered that it isn't Vegas and it would be astronomical. 2) Drinks - If you are sitting at a slot machine, no matter how much you are gambling, you drink for free.  Drinks inclu

I have lived in this area of the country almost longer than anywhere else, (Illinois is still in first place for one more year and Iowa is in third place in case you were wondering), so I decided I wanted to do a series on my insider tips for Las Vegas.  I am going to talk about more than just the Las Vegas strip; I will also talk about great off the strip places to check out and other areas that are just a quick drive away.  I have to say first off that I am not paid to endorse any of these places that I am going to mention, everything I am going to say on here is based on my own opinion and experience.  So get ready to want to plan a vacation in the desert! Today I am going to talk about the Las Vegas Strip.  I have stayed (or seen family member's rooms) at nearly every hotel on the strip over the last 10 years, and I have to say that I have enjoyed it all.  Whether it be a luxurious suite or the cheapest room my best friend and I could find, I have always had a great Las Vegas

Good Morning!  Today I want to talk about something that I touched on in a previous post, using only cash whenever I buy something.  I know this sounds difficult and almost extreme in this day and age but I have very good reasons for it and it has saved me more money than any other money making technique.  Around two years ago a major retailer was hacked during the holiday season and I had used my debit card there twice during the hacking period so I decided that was enough.  I decided that I would rather be proactive that reactive and starting in January 2014 I went cash only.  At this point I loved my debit card, I used it constantly and absolutely never had cash on me. One great example of this is when I used my debit card to put air in my tires because I didn't have 50 cents on me, people in their 30's shouldn't have those problems.  So I decided to do a lot of research on this topic as my biggest fear of switching to only cash was that if I carried around cash constant

I realized the other day that negotiating your bills is not something everyone does, or even knows about, so this will be my topic today.  Honestly, I didn't know about this until several years ago when we were going through a tight financial period, (my husband was relocated with his job and I had to stay behind causing us to pay for two households) a friend suggested that I call all of my bill companies and negotiate my bills with them.  Before this I had no idea you could negotiate your household bills, so I tried it and the very first time I saved well over a hundred dollars a month, just by taking an hour and talking to the billing companies.  I now have started doing this every six months to a year as cable, internet, cell phone companies are always changing hands or offering lower deals.  I did this again this week and very successfully lowered three of my bills, and actually gained more services!!  Here are my tips for negotiating your bills: 1) Be Nice - Do not call up a

I was reading online recently that people don't coupon because you can't buy healthy foods and still save money with coupons.  This bugged me.  I do admit that if you just get coupons out of the newspaper you won't be able to save any money, but if you plan you can save money.  Another complaint that people have is "I don't have time to coupon".  I do 98% of my couponing when I am sitting on the couch watching TV, which I would most likely be doing anyways, heck I watched 1245 episodes of ONE TV show, so you know I spend a lot of time on the couch.  So I am going to detail for you how I save money on our grocery bills.  I will admit I am not an extreme couponer, I have never gotten $500 worth of food for $1 or had the grocery store owe me money, but I almost always get 40-50% off of my grocery bills. 1) Plan - This one is harder for us, my husband and I eat very differently and it can be hard for me to envision what I should eat next Wednesday, but I plan

One of the reasons that I have always wanted to write a blog is that I have a lot to say about some of my favorite movies and tv shows.  Having written close to a million papers in College I have always wanted to express my feelings in a "thesis paper" like form, don't worry I won't do that but I do want to write about some things that are close to me.  So, naturally, my first real post will be about Dark Shadows the Tim Burton movie compared to the original TV show. Most hardcore Dark Shadows fans hate the recent movie, and I have to admit that I lean very strongly towards those feelings, but on the other hand it was the movie (and a friend) that got me hooked on the TV show, which was revolutionary to me.  (Yes, I am a nerd).  When the movie was about to come out in theaters I was very intrigued, I am a big Tim Burton fan and it just looked like a good movie.  Then one of my friends told me that she was a big fan of the TV show when she was a kid and I had never h

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.  I have wanted to start blogging for a while now, but haven't really had the time.  I have a little extra time on my hands and I thought now is as good a time as any.  I have been a Facebook member for almost as long as it has been around but the problem with that is you can't write long messages on Facebook and there is a lot that I want to talk about.  I have a lot of interests; classic movies and television, British History, French Literature, living an all natural lifestyle and saving money.  I called this blog Optimistically Couponing but Failing, is because that is a big thing for me.  I love to coupon and save money, but it was only until recently that I became good at it.  My main goals for couponing are eating healthy, buying only what I would have purchased anyways, and not hoarding.  That last one is a big one for me as I know I have a tendency to hoard if I was left to my own devices.  This blog will allow me to talk about some