September 17, 2013

What do you get when you pinch a penny?

As a new "Stay at Home Mom," I have found myself looking for ways to cut corners so as to stretch our now single income budget a little further each month. I find myself keeping receipts so I can fill out those absurdly long online survey in hopes of winning $1,000 to Wal*Mart, Target or Winco... you laugh now, but just wait and see who'll be laughing when I'm walking out with a whole cart full of Kazoosles! BAM! [#hellalove]

Sometime a few weeks ago, I thought about how people who file complaint letters with companies are often rewarded with coupons and goods, which the company hopes will sway the consumer back to their product. The small sacrifice that the company makes in sending samples and coupons will usually garnish a larger reward in having made a customer for life! There was even a pin on Pinterest suggesting you write to companies whose product you love and fake a complaint saying you love their product, but recently bought a sub par batch. LIES! I do not believe one should be so deceitful, but do believe that loyalty should be rewarded. I mean doesn't it drive you nuts when your phone or internet/cable company offers some huge discount to NEW CUSTOMERS? What about me, the CURRENT customer, who pays her bill on time, if not early, every month and constantly extends her contract? 

Well, I decided that my loyalty was due a reward, so I wrote a few letters to some companies whose products I rather like and use OFTEN, explaining my loyalty and why I should be appreciated as a repeat customer. One letter was an actual complaint letter-- Glad Saran Wrap sucks! So I politely let them know that I would like my money back... and they sent me a check for eight dollars and change to refund my two purchases. Not coupons for my next purchase. Because I specifically said I would never purchase their overpriced inefficient product again and would simply appreciate my money back and it worked! Now you'll notice about 3 sentences back I highlighted [bolded. bold-ed. made bold] the word "politely" because there is no reason to go about in the world being rude to people for no good reason. Plus, "You catch more bees with honey."

My other letters were to Sam's Club for distributing the store brand SIMPLY RIGHT FORMULA and SIMPLY RIGHT DIAPERS which I LOVE. Baby boy has been using SIMPLY RIGHT FORMULA since our first month home after I couldn't breast feed anymore and after deciding that paying the big bucks for Similac was stupid when all infant formula has to meet FDA standards, so essentially they're all similarly healthy. SIMPLY RIGHT DIAPERS only start in a size 3, so we use Wal*Mart brand now [same producer] until H gains some weight... which might be a while the way this kids metabolism is set. Well, Sam's Club called me to let me know the distributor of the SIMPLY RIGHT BABY CARE line would be sending me a FREE supply! We're not talking a free sample here... They sent me a whole 64 oz. container of formula and an entire box of diapers! 228 diapers -- F-R-E-E-! Simply [no pun intended] because I asked! 
I didn't have to lie about a bad batch of their product, I just wrote them praise and appreciation for making an affordable product I enjoy and was shown some love! 

*Note: This is not a sponsored post. 
The makers of SIMPLY RIGHT BABY CARE nor Sam's Club did not send me product to sample and blog about. [...because I have 4 followers. Sad face emoticon.] They would probably prefer I hadn't posted about my experience as one of the emails I was sent from HR at Sam's Club said that in order to keep costs low to all customers, this was not the norm. 
I guess they bent some rules for me! Hooray for praise paying off! 

Look at all those free goods! 

Freebie within a freebie, say what!? 

So I suggest ignoring all the nay sayers out there suggesting you lie, cheat and steal to get a little something when it is just as easy to ASK. 

And thus comes the end of this post without a warning because I must get on to my online surveys! 
Bahaha, kidding. It's 10:00 and this little mama needs to sleep while baby sleeps. 
Good night to all my proud penny pinchers! 

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