Kate Plus 8 Clips Coupons
Kate Gosselin: Jon and I always knew we wanted kids.
Jonathan Gosselin: But we never thought we’d have this many!
It was these sorts of keen insights that characterized Kate Plus 8, the TLC reality blockbuster that enriched our lives for so many years before finally crumbling during its tragically truncated sixth season.
America watched with bated breath as Kate Plus 8 weathered the challenges of raising a litter of eight children born only a few years apart. Straddled first with twins and then with sextuplets, Kate’s brood was a handful, and their shenanigans kept viewers glued to the screen. Kate has been known to wear many hats, and literally stretch herself to the limit—appearing on Dancing With the Stars in 2010, for example. (We can safely assume she was the only mother of eight on the show.) Sadly, however, the family came apart during the show’s run, and before the sixth season was completed Jon’s lawyers ordered the show’s production crews to cease and desist filming. The show may have crashed and burned…but life goes on. And Kate has reinvented herself since the set closed down.
She’s been reincarnated—as a coupon goddess!
Yes, it’s official! Kate uses coupons to make her money stretch. This should come as no surprise—what mother with eight children doesn’t need coupons to fill out her food budget? But with food expenses at an all-time high, couponing is actually sort of in vogue. Kate has found a new audience among a growing demographic: extreme coupon moms! Always in search of a good deal, the single mother of eight youngsters insists, “No matter how much money you have, it’s just smart to use coupons. It’s like free money in your pocket.”
Gosselin continues: “One week, I remember saving more than half my grocery bills that week with coupons.” She started blogging about her couponing on Coupon Cabin, and regularly tweets about her money-saving adventures: “I’ve never shopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond WITHOUT coupons! I’ve returned with my receipt and a coupon many times, even when ‘not broke,’” she recently bragged on her Twitter feed.
In a sequence of recent blog posts, she’s insisted that Cyber Monday has much better deals than Black Friday (a conclusion many savvy shoppers seem to share), as well as providing coupon codes to Bath & Body Works.
As has been evidenced by the surge of popularity of reality shows such as TLC’s Extreme Couponing, and websites which offer coupons and deals to consumers, what was once thought of as a time-consuming task reserved for mothers and the elderly has become a way of life for many. Whether it’s due to economic hardship, or just to make a dollar stretch all the more, couponing has made its way into society, and is likely here to stay.
If you find yourself cash strapped for the upcoming holidays, or simply trying to save a buck, why not give couponing a try? Coupons are pretty much anywhere and everywhere, and if used properly, can save you oodles of money. Newspapers, magazines, mailings, and the Internet are all places you can turn to for these money-saving slips of paper.
The key to successful couponing is proper organization, which can be done in a variety of different ways, depending upon personal preference. Coupon organizers are inexpensive, can be found at most dollar stores, and help you separate your coupons by type. For the more hardcore couponers, three-ring binders are a quick way to organize and reference large amounts of coupons.
Once you have everything organized, be sure to keep an eye on sales. Only shop at stores that double (or triple) coupons, and try to use them on items that are already on sale in order to maximize your savings. Keep your coupons with you at all times, as you never know when you may come across a deal!
If you are someone who aspires to be like your favorite celebrity, why not take a page out of Kate Gosselin’s playbook this year, and save money while you’re at it? Not only will you have more money for the holidays, but you will create prudent spending habits that will last a lifetime and benefit you immensely. Your wallet will thank you for it!
Trouble over the Toddler Tax
A recent article highlighted a new business practice in the British restaurant Cosmo where parents were being charged a fee for bringing young children into the restaurant who took up a seat without eating any food. One of the parents affected by this unexpected fee was Ana Sheridan, mother to a six-month-old daughter: “I was astonished as we explained she was exclusively breastfed and would be sitting in our laps, therefore not consuming any food or occupying an extra seat. They said it was their new policy. That was all,” Sheridan told London’s Evening Standard.
After Cosmo’s new policy came to light, the popular eatery posted an apology on their website for “mistreatment by our staff” that assured customers the restaurant’s fee only applied to toddlers who were actually eating food, rather than any and all children who crossed the restaurant’s threshold. Additionally, they wrote that “Cosmo would like to assure customers that this is an isolated incident. We will be retraining all employees at [that location] as a matter of urgency.”
While this may seem like something that only British parents have to worry about, the question that most American consumers should be asking themselves is: What’s to stop it from hopping the pond and becoming an American restaurant’s “new policy”? Considering the shakiness of our economy and the measures that various businesses have taken over the last few years to stay afloat, it is feasible that some restaurant somewhere might try such a tactic.
At present, many establishments offer restaurant coupons or family- and child-friendly discounts—such as free meals for children under the age of 2—in order to entice patrons and maintain a steady customer base, but if Cosmo’s controversial policy (or something similar) were to catch on, many parents would be in for a rude awakening. Suddenly, a meal that was under $20 could go above that mark, and even higher for families with multiples or more than one child under that coveted age.
According to the National Restaurant Association, “As the national economy continues to slowly climb from the […] downturn […] the US restaurant industry also is on the road to recovery.” Citing statistics from their recently-released 2011 Restaurant Industry Forecast, the NRA reported that “total restaurant-industry sales are projected to reach a $604.2 billion record high in 2011. The 3.6 percent increase over 2010 marks the first time that industry sales topped over $600 billion.” With this bit of good news, restaurateurs will surely be able to breathe a little easier, lessening the likelihood of having to take such extreme measures in order to make a few extra bucks.
Even though it would appear that we are beginning to see the treeline as we begin to (maybe) emerge from the figurative woods of the Great Recession, we’re not there yet, and this is reflected in every aspect of business and consumer behavior. Whether it’s exuberant spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, new-found fame for reality shows such as TLC’s Extreme Couponing, or websites that offer coupons and deals, it’s obvious that consumers are still pinching pennies and businesses are still willing to offer incentives to keep those pennies heading their way. If it ever becomes necessary to implement frivolous charges, then that may be a cause for concern. Until then, just hang loose and keep the economy moving forward.
Fallen out of Fashion: 2011 Edition
What do Colonel Gaddafi, the Big Bang Theory and platform flip-flops all have in common? All of these things have officially gone…OUT OF FASHION.
Fashion is cyclical and every 20 years we will start to see the new/improved versions of the things we disparaged ten years before and swore by ten years before that; nothing ever really dies. Nevertheless, they must go out of fashion sometime and this year has been no different in ushering out ridiculous trends. Here’s our list of the top things that have fallen out of fashion in 2011.
Gauchos
These hideous flaring pajama pants have gone the way of Jodpuhrs and the Hitler ‘stache. What was once regarded as a comfortable billowy pant has now been cast aside in exchange for a similarly bogus trend – the tights with nothing on top; you know everyone can see everything, right? In any case, the sun has set on this summer garment. Let’s hope to never see the return of the ladies’ neo-bellbottom.
Platform flip-flops
I understand being short and wanting to artificially boost your height, but these chunky shoes were all the rage for far too long. An attempt to combine a ‘relaxed’ style and the height of ‘back-breaking high heels’, they were always a paradox, a contradiction in terms. I haven’t taken someone in platform sandals since eighth grade and even then, it was only because she was my teacher. I hesitate to bring up the vanilla white plat-sandals that dirtied with every touch or breath set upon them. Now they are forgotten.
Velour Track Suits
Velour tracksuits, thank God, are less popular than they were two years ago. We have all entertained fantasies of being a Soprano, but Jersey Shore’s explosion a few years ago deluded enough people into thinking the lifestyle was more than something to be gawked at from a distance, that we should actually go out and buy these tracksuits. I’d like to think that every velour tracksuit that was not sold to Puff Daddy or a Wu-Tang member in 1999 was worn ironically, but even that doesn’t justify their popularity.
Boot Cut & Distressed Jeans
Boot cut and distressed jeans are out. We can remember asking our parents for $200 jeans for Christmas a few years ago and they refused because they looked already damaged. Some more enterprising friends of mine would buy a pair of regular jeans and take a razor to them to create the same look; many pairs of Goodwill jeans were sacrificed in the process. Skinny jeans are in. Preferably in a dark wash. And try to keep the razor away. It won’t end well.
The Kardashians
The Kardashians brand lost equity after the recent wedding debacle, but they can still get away with selling shirts that say ‘Dash’ for $60. Though the Kardashians as a whole might be enjoying their Sketchers sneaker deals, exercise videos and ridiculous pair-up TV shows, Kim’s elaborate wedding to a seemingly genuine guy was nullified just weeks later, after having raked in the dough. I guess when you are famous for nothing you have to get the money while you can.
Gypsy/Bohemia Skirts
These colorful, flowing psychedelic accoutrements had their moment in 2009-10. Who can forget the boho-chic era that saw celebrities dressing up like coffeehouse college-types and flighty, indie girls? It is officially over now. Bohemian skirts aren’t even worn by real Bohemians anymore, but the original hippies were happy to reclaim the awful look.
Middle Eastern Autocracy
Muammar Gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak, and Ben Ali are SOOOOOO last year. It’s springtime for Arabs and crippling oppression is out, in favor of people’s government, liberation and pastel colors, preferably paired with a pattern to make it pop!
Big Bang Theory
Big Bang Theory is out. Inflationary theory is in. According to our sources at CERN, it turns out the Big Bang Theory was contingent on the Theory of Relativity, which has no operative power in the first moments of the universe. For many years Big Bang Theory—and its greatest proponent Stephen Hawking—were the darlings of physicists everywhere. No longer. That doesn’t mean we don’t still love Stephen Hawking. The theoretical physicist has some of the biggest ideas of our time and uses machines as mundane as wheelchair accessible vehicles and as hi-tech as proton colliders. His courage remains inspiring to millions. And he’s still writing books! This is a man who will not be held back by anything! So Hawking gets a pass: he remains fashionable. His theory, however, is strictly de classe these days.
A Eulogy For Berlusconi’s Scandalous Career
Someone should make a musical of Silvio Berlusconi’s storied time as Italian prime minister. Filling the lead role might be tough, but there’s plenty of room for guest stars in the roles of frustrated wives, beautiful concubines and other heads of state. Music by Phil Collins, Directed by Whoopi Goldberg. It will open in New York before hitting Broadway in Chicago. Maybe I should put this plan into motion before someone else makes billions off of it!
The (former) Italian Prime Minister, Berlusconi has been in the news a lot throughout his terms as PM, and most of it has nothing to do with politics. He’s been associated with call girls, sex orgies and getaway mansions filled with drugs, money and women; Berlusconi has lived anything but a quiet political life. His riches have wooed Italy’s finest women, his power has enraged his rivals, and now he steps down from the pedestal he built himself in order to pave a way for the “new” Italy, whether he likes it or not.
The free time will likely do him some good, considering his immense carnal appetite. The pressure and spotlight will be off of him, so he can spend more time gallivanting with his dozens of lovers. Jezebel put together a pretty comprehensive timeline of his controversies, and in commemoration of Berlusconi’s contributions to global headlines, here are his top exploits.
Bunga Bunga
In 2010, a teenage Moroccan belly-dancer revealed that she and as many as 20 other women were invited to Berlusconi’ s private compound in Milan. Each luxuriant room was filled with alcohol, drugs and various other “party-equipment.” Women would sometimes live there since Berlusconi was paying the rent and when he returned they were all obligated to cater to him, participating in “relaxing activities” to help him unwind from his high-stress position as “leader of Italy.” The bunga bunga parties would involve after dinner sex between male and female guests along with music, dancing and generally wholesome affairs. Read more
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