Saving Mom's Wallet

Even though the policies have changed a lot since 2019 when I first began heavily couponing, and they will continue to change over time, CVS is one of my favorite places to coupon.                                                              I didn't have a real plan for today aside from wanting to pick up some Poise Liners. I'm still using my secondary account which doesn't get a whole lot of love from me.  Last week I received $9 worth of Extrabucks from my purchase last week. I was expecting $4 because they were part of the week's promotions but the extra $5 was a surprise. CVS will literally pay you to shop in their stores .  I went in today to spend the $9 from last week. I especially needed to spend the bonus $5 because the bonus dollars expire quicker than the promotional ones.  I also had a coupon for 40% off of one item that CVS emailed to me a few days ago. The Poise product was going to cost less than $9 and I wanted to spend it all.  This week, CVS has selec

I've been working on slowly rebuilding my stockpile. Today I went to CVS and Walgreens to pick up a few things. I decided to use my accounts that have gone neglected for quite some time.  CVS I went into CVS with only one coupon for 40% off of one item.  The paper towels and toilet paper were a little out of my budget this week at CVS, so I walked around the store for a bit and scanned this week's ad for some easy deals that wouldn't cost too much and would give me some ExtraBucks (store cash). Also, despite the fact that toothpaste is almost always on promotion, I didn't want to get any more because we already have more than we can use. I'm trying to coupon for things we really need.  The Jergens lotion is not on sale this week, but it is on a promotion of buy 1 get $2 Extrabucks. With the 40% off coupon, the price came down from $8.49 to $5.09. The Softsoap hand soap isn't on sale this week either, but it is also on a promotion of buy 2 get $2 Extrabucks. I fe

  Tips for survival in the inspection business Get Educated You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything about having any certifications or special education. That’s because I didn’t need any. However, it would’ve been helpful to me to have had some more structured training than the random videos and pdfs that some companies offered. Now there is a free course offered by MortgageFieldServices.com that runs through all of the basics of how to complete a field inspection. I would recommend checking that out before going out on your first inspection. Have the right tools A good clipboard, pens, camera or smartphone, laptop or desktop computer, measuring wheel, disposable shoe covers, and reliable transportation are all musts to be successful in this field. Wear decent, but not your best clothes You always want to look presentable when you go to inspect a property. In my experience, however, I quickly learned not to wear my Sunday’s best even when I am doing High-Value inspection

When I am in the field, I often get asked how I got into this business and some people even ask if it’s possible for them to get into it, too. This isn’t meant to be a definitive guide on how to succeed in the world of field inspections (and there are many different types of inspections to choose from). I have been an inspector since 2012. It hasn’t made me a millionaire, but in some of my better months working less than full-time I am able to pay my rent, car note, and groceries. I am able to set my own schedule and I don’t have to request days off when my child is sick or if I want a vacation. I figured that now would be a good time to share my own experience and possibly help someone else looking for this information. I won’t say that there’s a wealth of info out there now, but there is more than what I had when I first got started more than a decade ago. If you don’t want to read my entire spiel, then scroll to the bottom of the page for a few helpful links to help you get started.