What is WestArkSwap?

This group was formed as a community bulletin board to announce things and to buy, sell and trade without the expense of newspaper ads. We serve the Fort Smith and surrounding areas.

WHAT IS ALLOWED: garage and yard sale notices, items for sale by individuals, community announcements for benefit sales. You may also list things you have for sell, to give, or swap. You may also list things you are looking to buy. Business owners (including Avon, Tupperware, etc. representatives) may post contact information twice a month. Also, feel free to use links to your "online store" in your signature line ONLY.

WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED: Spam is NOT allowed. No "Get Rich Quick Deals," Pyramid Schemes, Coupon Distribution, or ads wanting to recruit new members into your sales organization. Anyone violating the rules will be put on probation and if it continues, removed from the list without warning. If you are a local person selling Avon or the like, you are welcome. No posting of personal ads or anything of an offensive nature. Those doing so will be warned ONCE then banned.

This is a LOCAL list. Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma only, please.Lastly, this is not a "christian" group but no foul language, racial bashing or the like will be tolerated.List owners and moderators reserve the right to end unproductive threads or ban users who violate the rules.

DO NOT USE THIS LIST TO HARVEST NAMES & EMAIL ADDRESSES.

Do not advertise other groups without permission from moderator.

We do not allow grouply.com email addresses.

Finding the Help You Need

Did you know there is a new service available in Arkansas?

It's called Arkansas211 and it's a listing of social services available in Arkansas. You can get the information by either calling them by dialing 2-1-1 on your phone or you can visit their website here

You can find services such as food banks, clothing banks, physical and mental health resources, Medicaid and Medicare information, ARKids First info, information for finding a job and transportation assistance. Also there is support for the elderly and disabled as well as children, youth and family services.

This is a join operation between the Public Service Commission and United Way to help the citizens of Arkansas find the help and information they need.

Saving Money in A Tight Economy

Saving money is important for most families and in our tight economy it’s becoming more and more important that we do so.

As a stay at home mom, I know all to well how difficult it is to stretch that dollar and I’d like to share a few things here that will help you.

Because saving money is such a large topic, we’ll break it down a little.

First we’ll be covering saving money when buying consumable items for your family. This would include food, personal items such as shampoo, deodorant, paper products and cleaning supplies.

The first way I use to save money on these items is by using coupons. So…let’s get started!

1. Couponing –

No brand loyalties are allowed...or at least, very few. Put your loyalties where they should be...with your family and friends. I can count on one hand the number of product loyalties we have in our home. The fewer you have....the more money you will save.

You will SOMETIMES buy things you don't use...especially if they are free or cheap (less than 50 cents). This is especially true of cleaners and personal items such as shampoo, conditioners, deodorants, etc. We'll talk more about what to do with these items later.

Finding and organizing your coupons

A. Find them -

1. Sunday paper

2. Magazines - All You, etc

3. Store ads

4. In the store -

• Blinkies (red boxes hanging from the shelve with blinking lights

• Tear Pads (on shelves in the store)

• Peelies (stuck to product packages)

• Smart Source Take-one Box (hanging on shelves)

• Freezer Extra (attached to freezer doors)

• Hang tags

• Catalina (these usually print after you purchase a certain item and are available at Walgreens, Harps and Price Cutter stores)

• On the back of receipts

• Pharmacy counters

• customer service counters, etc

5. Product packaging (inside the boxes)

6. Manufacturers - websites and toll free numbers (just ask)

7. Online printable

8. Junk Mail

9. Phone book (local coupons)

10. Direct mail

B. Organize them -

_ Box or accordion folder

_ Notebook

_ Be selective

When dealing with individual coupons (not in a weekly insert) try to be very selective. Only keep and organize those you will use or those you can give to others.

When a store refuses internet coupons:

1. Only use coupons from a reputable source - pdf files are sometimes fraudulent so beware!

2. Check with "Customer service" BEFORE you shop to make sure they accept them

3. Contact corporate and print a copy of their coupon policy - most companies have a website available which has their coupon policy listed

4. Print the whole sheet - I personally cut them and put them with my other coupons

Types of coupons:

_ Manufacturer coupons - these coupons are issued by the manufacturer and can be found in various locations

_ Retailer coupons - these are usually printed in store ads and flyers and are only good at that particular store

_ Online coupons (usually from manufacturer) - these are coupons you from the internet and are usually manufacturer coupons, however some stores offer "retailer" coupons online as well

Use wisely:

1. When possible - go to stores that double coupons, sometimes this will make things cheaper and sometimes it won't so watch carefully

2. Is generic cheaper? Sometimes generic brands are cheaper than using a coupon on named brand items but this is not always the case so check your unit costs.

3. Combine sales with coupons and rebates. Combine manufacturer coupons with store (retailer) coupons for double savings. "Stacking" coupons is a common practice and two stores in our area allow this they are Walgreens and Target.

4. Save and Trade - You may have coupons that you can't or won't be using, trade those with others to get coupons you will use.

5. Keep it organized - always keep your coupons organized to reduce stress and confusion.

6. Plan your menu - many people swear by planning your menus around sales. However, I prefer to keep a well-stocked pantry and prepare my meals from there.

7. Know what is on sale - check sales flyers and specials before you shop. This will allow you to check for possible coupons to use with those sale items.

8. When a store runs out of an item on your list, always get a rain check so you can come back and get the deal when it's in stock. This is especially true for items that have rebates only available at that store.

9. If a store runs out of an item, you can also "price match" the ad at most Walmart stores and then use your coupons. The item must exactly match the sale ad.

General Tips for Shopping

1. Eat FIRST - You will always buy things you don't need when you are hungry.

2. Choose stores with rewards - When possible, use the special rewards clubs and ask for deals when buying by the case

3. Coupons and rebates - learn to use coupons wisely and always fill out your rebates and send them in on time.

4. Store brands or "generics" are often produced by the same companies on the same equipment as the name brand products

5. Set limits on impulse purchases and other "special" sale items

6. Compare unit prices...not just package. It is a common practice to make smaller sized packages rather than increasing the price. Most people don't notice difference in sizes but they will notice a difference in price.

7. Beware of marketing strategies - corporations pay for product placement. Items on end-caps may not necessarily be a good deal so again, always compare unit prices with items that are in their normal places.

8. Read the label - get in the habit of reading labels. Your family will end up healthier for your efforts.

9. Watch the scanner - many times things are not priced correctly. If they ring up an incorrect price you will want to have them correct this mistake. Some stores offer the item free if they fail to have the correct price in their computers. Also, if you buy fruits and vegetables that are marked down, be sure the cashier rings the item at the marked down price rather than full price.

Miscellaneous bits:

Harps - double coupons up to 50 cents

Fred's - double coupons up to 70 cents on Saturdays

CV's Family Foods

Walmart

Walgreens - best deals for our local area

Hot Coupon World - This is probably my favorite website for finding the Walgreen's deals. Scroll

down and find "Drug stores" and click there. On the next page, scroll down and find "Walgreen's"

and click there. When you get to the Walgreen's forum...find the listing for the week you are

looking for and click there. The first post in that forum will be from IrishLass, which will have the

ad scans, and the best deals listed. Note the comment that says "Updated through post #?" This

will tell you now updated the post is and let you know rather or not you should check back later.

The posts will look like this:

Coffee Mate, GDA (shorepiano)

TOTAL: $1.49 for 2

SALE: $2.49

MQ: $.50/1 11/2 RP

AD Q: BOGO

ES Q:

ESMIR:

RR:

MATH: $2.49+$2.49-BOGO=$2.49-$.50-$.50=$1.49 for 2

This is what they mean:

Coffee Mate, GDA (shorepiano) <----- product description, GDA means "Good deal Alert",

and the name in parenthesis is the person who spotted the deal

TOTAL: $1.49 for 2 <----- the amount you'll pay after coupons, rebates and register

rewards print

SALE: $2.49 <----- the amount that the item is on sale for

MQ: $.50/1 11/2 RP <----- MQ means manufacturers coupon - this line gives the amount

of the coupon, the date that it came out in the paper and what insert it came in - RP

means Red Plum, SS means Smart Source and P&G means Proctor & Gamble. There

are others but these are the main ones. It will also sometimes show a link for an internet

printable coupon.

AD Q: BOGO <----- AD Q means it's a coupon that's in the ad that week, usually found

around the sides of the pages - BOGO means Buy One Get One free...sometimes it will

be listed BOGOF

ES Q: <----- ESQ means it's a coupon that is found in the monthly Easy Saver book,

these are located at the front of the store near the carts

ESMIR: <----- ESMIR means that if you look in the Easy Saver book, there is a Mail In

Rebate, these can now be done online and if you have them put on a gift card (keep

using the same card) they will add an extra 10%

RR: <----- RR means it will print a register reward when you check out. These are

coupons for Walgreens which can be used on your next purchase. Do not use these on

the same "deal" you got them on. They won't print the second time. Use one from a

different deal and "roll" them to new deals.

MATH: $2.49+$2.49-BOGO=$2.49-$.50-$.50=$1.49 for 2 <----- This is the math...it gives

details of exactly how they figured the total spent OOP (out of pocket) on an item

Dealing with Job Loss - Work at Home

As with the rest of the nation, our area has been hard hit with recent layoffs due to the struggling economy. Many are looking for jobs and some are turning to "work at home" opportunities.

There are ebooks, websites and other resources popping up every day with prices ranging from 99 cents to hundreds of dollars. They promise easy money and "no experience necessary" but many of these things are scams preying on the people who are most vulnerable.

I've checked out many of these resources....looking for my own "work at home" business and I've found a few that have great promise. I'd like to show you a few that I have personally checked out or I know someone who has and usually is currently working in that area.

The first one I'd like to tell you about is an ebook written by a local resident. Laura has done her own researching for a work at home position and is currently working part time from home. As a wife and mother, Laura needed a flexible schedule that would allow her to earn a little extra money and be flexible enough to take care of her family.

Laura has priced her ebook very reasonably because she wants to help others who find themselves in the same position she was. "Online Employment - The Work at Home Guide" is priced at only $5 and I have reviewed the book and found it to be well worth the money spent. It is basically list of companies who hire at home workers to complete tasks usually related to customer service. Laura gives you the complete contact information and information about what positions they usually hire to work from home. Last, when you purchase the ebook, you will automatically receive email newsletters that give you updates on companies and lists more companies.

Especially pay attention to Laura's page labeled "Scam Alert" and follow her advice exactly. It will save you a lot of money in the long run.

I hope you find this information helpful. Hopefully there will be more tips and hints for helping you through the rough seas that is our current economy. Oh you'll find some of this stuff throughout the web but here at WestArkSwap....you'll find LOCAL resources to help you stretch your dollars and help you prosper!

Check back often or better yet.....subscribe by entering your email address in the box at the upper right hand corner.

Community OutReach - Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure!

With recent layoffs hitting our area and more recently announced by Baldor, home foreclosure is very real for some of our friends, family and neighbors. I wanted to tell you about a resource that may help people keep their homes.

It's called the "Homeownership Preservation Foundation" and you can find their website here. There are also advisors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-888-995-HOPE (4673)

Please keep this information handy and share it with everyone you know. There are so many people affected by the "mortgage crisis" and the economic downturn we are experiencing right now. I hope this information is helpful to someone.

Thanksgiving Day Dinner

WHAT: Thanksgiving Day dinner
WHEN: 11am - 2pm
WHERE: First United Methodist Church of Fort Smith, 200 North 15th

We will have a FREE Thanksgiving meal from 11 to 2 - we only ask that a call be made to the church letting us know how many people will be coming in a family or group - 782-5068.

Calls must be made by Monday, the 24th.

MOPS Holiday Extravaganza

WHAT: MOPS HolidayExtravaganza
WHEN: Sat. Nov. 22nd from 8am - 2pm
WHERE: Bella Vista Christian Church, 102 Riordan Road, Bella Vista

Directions: North on 540 to Bella Vista. Left at Dairy Queen on Riordan Road. The church is on left about 1/2 mile.

This is an annual fund raiser for the Bella Vista MOPS (Mothers ofPreschoolers). Door prizes include a spanking new sewing machine, plus lots of boothspecial give-a-ways, just in time for holiday gift giving!Hope to see ya!