Wal-Mart Shopper Pulls Gun

By | Published April 11, 2013

A disagreement over a $1.00 coupon turned into a very tense situation recently at a Wal-Mart in Crawfordville, FL. On Friday, March 1st, sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance call from the store’s Assistant Manager Tracy Stockslager, who stated that she had been called in to try to resolve an issue at the store’s service desk.

Wal-Mart Shopper Pulls Gun

She related her story of how the customer, later identified as Mary Alday, was very upset that the store would not honor her internet coupon. Ms. Stockslager had tried to explain to her that it was Wal-Mart’s policy to not accept internet coupons, which only made Ms. Alday even angrier. Ms. Stockslager told deputies that Ms. Alday called her several foul names, and that she intentionally hit her with her shopping cart. As Ms. Stockslager was escorting Ms. Alday out of the store as she was calling 911, and stated that Ms. Alday informed her not to follow her (to her car). Ms. Stockslager informed her that she intended to get her vehicle license plate number, to which Ms. Alday reportedly replied, “If you follow me, I have something in my car for you”.

Ms. Stockslager says she remained at the front of the store, where she was joined by several other Wal-Mart employees, including a member of their Asset Protection team. She continued stating that Ms. Alday, whose car was parked some 20 yards from where they were standing, went around to the passenger side of her vehicle, and as she returned back around the rear of the vehicle they observed she had a holstered handgun in her hand. Ms. Stockslager then stated that Ms. Alday un-holstered the handgun, pointed it in their direction, and said, “I have something for y’all”. The gun was later discovered to be a loaded, Smith and Wesson, .38 Special.

Shortly after fleeing the Wal-Mart parking lot in her 2011 Ford Escape, Ms. Alday was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy, who asked her if there was a firearm in the SUV. She replied, “Yes, I have a concealed weapons permit, and you are not taking my gun”. After twice refusing the deputy’s request to exit the vehicle, she was tasered, and taken into custody when she “reached over the console for something in the passenger seat”.

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Extreme Couponing on TLC

By | Published February 15, 2013

TLC has traveled the country over in search of individuals that have become savvy shoppers in the way of coupon use. While it is not entirely uncommon for most shoppers to use the occasional coupon, these particular featured shoppers have literally made it their life’s mission to save money and really get the biggest bang for their buck.
Extreme Couponing on TLC
Apart from simply showing the lifestyles of these individuals, not to mention the lengths that they will go to acquire new coupons, the show is also instrumental in helping would be “extreme couponers” to get started. Each episode features new shoppers, each with their own set of rules and strict regiments regarding how to acquire coupons, what to look for regarding restrictions, and how to turn each coupon into more than you could have imagined.

The ultimate goal of this show is to recognize the coupon system and how you as an individual can make this work for yourself. While many of these shoppers have spent years honing in on how to spot the best bargains and deals for all kinds of grocery and household items, simply viewing the show could give the average shopper insight into saving money and getting more product for less money.

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Bipolar Disorder in Teens

By | Published November 16, 2012

Bipolar disorder in teens is known as early-onset bipolar disorder, and it is associated with the same signs and symptoms as typical adult-onset bipolar with a few specific nuances.

First of all, teens with bipolar disorder need to be evaluated thoroughly and monitored over a more extended period of time than adults because their bodies and brains go through changes caused by hormones, and their personalities also change. It is more difficult to establish a clear diagnosis of bipolar disorder in teens than in adults, so accurate mental health assessment is vital. Moreover, temporary bipolar disorder symptoms in teens may be associated with emotional trauma or the first experiences of a “love life,” which should be taken into consideration when implementing psychotherapy or medication.

Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder May Be Associated With More Intense Symptoms

The mainstream medical opinion is that early-onset bipolar disorder may be a sign of more severe symptoms, and more frequent depression or manic cycles later in life, also known as mood swings. However, every teen has an individual mental physiology and adaptive capacity. Just knowing that he or she may have bipolar disorder may aggravate the symptoms through a lowered self-confidence and diminished motivation to cope with the disorder. This is the reason why every teen should clearly understand that bipolar disorder is a highly treatable disease, and long-term improvement is frequent even in individuals with intense symptoms. It all depends on how they cooperate with mental health professionals, their internal motivation to succeed at overcoming the stigma and implementing medical advice. A positive attitude, trained mental discipline and strictly following medical advice are key to a successful management of bipolar disorder in teens because their brain has an enormous ability to change in a positive direction.

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10 Things to Consider When Marketing to Moms

By | Published October 20, 2012

Marketing to moms who work outside the home can be a challenge, but it can also be rewarding when you are able to help them find services and solutions that can make life manageable. Consider the following when marketing to moms who work both inside and outside the home.

  1. Moms want information that gets to the point. Marketing pieces that are wordy and extensive may never be read, because working moms are busy. Concise marketing pieces that provide just the information a mom needs to make informed decisions is what a working mom prefers.
  2. Marketing to this group should be targeted. Working moms have some things in common, but they have individual needs. Within the group known as “working moms there are new moms, teen moms, moms of teens, and moms of various religious beliefs.
  3. Information must be accessible. Marketing professionals should provide information where moms can find it. Some get most of their information from television, others get information through websites and others may be more likely to get what they need from print media.
  4. Information used in marketing must be culturally relevant. Mothers come from diverse backgrounds and have various beliefs and values systems. For example, avoid marketing under the assumption that all working moms want the same things. Marketing strategies that communicate that moms who work outside the home “can have it all” might not resonate with those who work because of financial need. These moms might be happier being at home with children rather than working another job.
  5. Surveys and focus groups are two ways to ask moms what types of marketing messages are most appealing.
  6. Keep marketing messages honest. Nothing can hurt credibility more than marketing that does not reflect the truth about a product or service. Moms are likely to share negative experiences with others.
  7. Consider the socioeconomic status of the target group. Market products and services in a way that presents affordable options for various income levels.
  8. Take advantage of social media and networking. Social networking is a wide-reaching way to engage with this group. If they like what is offered, it will be shared with their friends, who will share it with other friends.
  9. Give something away. Everyone likes a freebie or a discount. A give-away can be a reward for completing a survey or providing opinions about a product or service.
  10. Evaluate marketing strategies often. Doing the same thing the same way will yield the same results. Unless those results mean success, it may be time to make a change.

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Couponing Crazy – How not to go overboard!

By | Published October 13, 2012

In the past few years, couponing has been the new craze. I jumped on the couponing bandwagon about two years ago obsessively reading all the websites that helped me find the deals. There is nothing like the feeling of saving 50-70% at the grocery and drug store. But I did not coupon smart, just crazy. Don’t make the same mistakes I made.

  1. Don’t try to go to every store every day for every deal. Find one or two stores, and become familiar with their coupon policies and even get to know your local cashiers and managers. They will realize after a little while that you are an ethical couponer and not give you a hard time about your coupon use.
  2. Don’t try to have too many coupons. At one point I had 6 papers delivered every Sunday! I checked the websites multiple times a day to see if there were any printable coupons newly available. I even bought another laptop, so I could print more coupons! You can print two copies per computer unless otherwise stated. Remember you can never ever copy a coupon. Two papers a week is a manageable amount in my opinion.
  3. Don’t spend your valuable time cutting out and categorizing all these coupons. You can spend just a few minutes on a site that specializes in your particular store and gives you all the current deals with the matching coupons and where to find them. Find the deal you want to purchase, go to that insert from the paper and cut only that coupon out. Do keep your inserts in a file for easy access and organization.
  4. Don’t worry that you are missing out on a deal. There will always be another fabulous deal tomorrow.
  5. Don’t “make perfect the enemy of good.” When I was crazy couponing, 50% savings wasn’t good enough for me. It had to be 70-80% to excite me. But my family still needed to eat right? Now if I can pick up staples like spaghetti sauce that my family likes for half price, I am happy.
  6. Don’t buy products your family doesn’t like or need. Just because it is cheap doesn’t mean you should buy it! You are wasting your money if your family won’t eat it! I told myself I would donate what we didn’t like to the church food pantry which I often did. But sometimes food went to waste, because I didn’t donate it before it expired.
  7. Don’t buy unhealthy, prepackaged products just because they have a coupon. You can sometimes find coupons for organic items and fresh fruit and veggies.

Couponing can be fun, but just don’t go crazy!

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Stores and Coupons

By | Published June 28, 2012

There are some things that some stores won’t tell you as a couponer.  They don’t want you to know their best deals since it can cost them some money at times while it saves you some money.  That is not a big surprise.  Stores are there to make money, not lose it to someone like a couponer.  A lot of them are cracking down on couponers since there are times when they actually lose some profit instead of making a bit of coin when you bring in those coupons.

First of all, manufacturers pay only on the face value of a coupon to the store that accepts them.  For example, if you have a manufacturer’s coupon for $1 off of a bottle of their laundry detergent, that is what the manufacturer will reimburse the store for.  A lot of stores will actually take a loss on a double coupon day, since the manufacturer will not reimburse them $2 on that purchase.  They will get only the $1 that is on the coupon.  So stores will limit the number of coupons that you can use so that they won’t lose money in the situation.  They count on the fact that a lot of people will purchase other products without coupons in order to make up for the hit they take on the coupon offers.

Usually, stores will not offer their own coupons in addition to manufacturer coupons on a double coupon sale or they will restrict use of coupons only to the manufacturer items.  There is no coupon stacking (a store coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon) or a coupon used with the sale price of an item.  After all, they are all out to make a profit, not to give it away with your load of coupons.  Check the policies of the store you are visiting and the restrictions for their sales to know if you are saving money with your couponing efforts.

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Extreme Couponing Can be Detrimental

By | Published June 28, 2012

Extreme couponing can be a blessing to some families with the money they can save on their purchases.  The products they buy provide for the family when they can stock up on them during sales that are combined with their coupons.  Products can be purchased for pennies on the dollar if you use your coupons right.  But there are other times when couponing can actually cost a family money, even though they don’t realize it.

Some couponers buy products in bulk.  There usually isn’t a problem with that if you are actually going to use those products.  For example, when you buy paper towels or bathroom tissue in bulk you will probably use those products.  But if you find a coupon for something that your family won’t eat, like a case of tuna, you probably will not save any money since you may not have a place to store it and your family may get sick of a tuna platter for dinner every day.  The product could go to waste, meaning that you are throwing away any savings you may have found initially.

The idea is to buy only the products you know you will use with your couponing.  You can buy products in bulk that will last until the next sale and the next coupon, but you have to make sure you have the room for them.  If you buy more than you need or that you can store you might be overdoing it on your couponing efforts.  In addition, make sure you are buying only the products that your family will use.  If your children like juice drinks, by all means buy them in bulk with the coupons you can find.  But the greater savings are on the products that are non-perishable.  If you have the room to store them, those are the best buy in order to last until the next the sale comes along.

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Find Your Couponing Sales

By | Published June 28, 2012

It is not always enough to simply clip a coupon and use it at store closest to you.  There are times when you have to find the right stores to use those coupons in.  Granted, there are some stores that are farther from you that cost you in fuel to get there.  That is when you have to weigh out your coupon savings versus the cost of the trip to that store.  It is also the time to figure out whether the sale they are having maximizes the use of your coupons or whether you end up paying the same as the retail price even with that coupon.

Finding the sales is not the hard part.  The hard part is figuring out whether you can get to those sales with the cost of your fuel versus the savings you can get from your coupons.  A lot of national chain stores have sales on a routine basis.  But they may not always be in your area, making you travel some miles to takes advantage of their savings.  Figure the value of the coupons you are able to use according to the store policy versus the cost of getting to that store.  If the store allows you to use coupons in addition to the sale price of an item, then the trip may be worth it.  But if the store does not allow a coupon for a sale item, you might be wasting your fuel to get there.

You might have the most valued coupon for a product, but if you eat up those coupon savings in fuel you aren’t really saving any money.  Of course, you would end up getting that item for roughly the retail price considering the cost to get there to get it, but if that item if available in a place closer to you, it is well worth checking the savings you can get with that coupon.

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