Today I'm talking about tracking prices. I feel I still have a lot to learn about coupons and frugal shopping but I definitely know more than I did last year. When I go to the stores, increasingly I've been able to look at the price of something and know if A) it's a good price and B) if I might be able to get the item for a cheaper price at another store. I also keep the store circulars for several weeks so I can compare prices against stores and see what an individual store's sales cycle is.

Armed with that information, I'm better able to know when a special trip to the store is justified or not and if an item is at its stock up price. I haven't even considered starting a grocery price book, I keep track mentally, but if you're really serious about saving that's the way to go. When I finally get around to making my coupon binder, I think I'll have at least one tracking sheet in it for the items I buy regularly. 

 

Last week, Henry's had a great sale on meats. I don't typically buy meat there, mostly produce and items from the bulk bins, but the 72 Hour sale they were holding was a good excuse to stock up. I broke these down and froze them in more manageable meal sizes. The chicken breasts are huge so they're perfect for crockpot type meals. For $25.36 I now have enough meat for at least six meals.

Do you track prices? Have you noticed significant saving? Most importantly, do you have any recipes for all those pork chops?!

*Gift certificate provided by San Diego Bargain Mama and Henry's. No other compensation received. I love this store and shop there regularly. Opinions are totally my own. I'm serious about the recipes.

Mabel's Labels Non Contest | Setting the Standard for Conference Sponsorships

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the buzz for this year's BlogHer conference has already started. Lots of us look forward to this all year. As the conference gets closer, companies are going to start offering various sponsorship opportunities from full conference attendance to money to offset the expenses.

Typically, companies have created an application process that includes submitting all your stats, writing an essay on your site as to why you want to attend, asking others to vote for your entry, changing your avatar, posting on every social media channel you have and linking back to their site using a specific phrase. Now, I get the reasoning behind it. I really do. But I don't like it.

Back in 2009 I participated in one such contest and made it to the finals. I was excited to have been chosen because I like (and use) Mabel's Labels and appreciate the way they've handled their social media and blogger outreach. But, and I'm being honest, by the end of the process I felt a little dirty. Not because of anything Mabel's Labels did. I just didn't like who I turned into in my attempt to win. I didn't like feeling that I was "against" the other finalists or the idea that any one person "deserved" to go more than the other. That's not what this community is supposed to be about.

That was the last time I entered for any type of conference contest. For me, I couldn't keep writing the same post over and over. My reasons for wanting to go to these things haven't changed, so the posts themselves wouldn't be that much different than one another. Writing one post for each company who offered would have been just too much. I decided to think a bit more outside the box and save up all my revenue. And that's what I did. 

I know companies think the posts/voting method is the best way to approach these things and increase their profile and SEO. But I look at it this way: when celebrities offer to make a donation to a charity or cause once they reach a certain number of Twitter followers it's a total turn off. Just make the donation without the conditions. I know that gesture would sit much better with me and my opinion of them would go up. It's rare that people do something for nothing. But those are the people who stand out, and in my opinion, inspire loyalty.

Mabel's Labels is offering a full ride to BlogHer again this year but with a huge twist. If you want to attend, fill out an entry form. That's it. No turning your blog, RSS feed, Twitter stream and Facebook page into a billboard. I hope they can hear my standing ovation.

Again, I understand wanting to be visible and create buzz. But the other methods really only seem to generate buzz about the event, not the company offering up the sponsorship other than a "thank you" for the opportunity.  Mabel's has completely embraced the KISS principle with their sponsorship. Even the name, Mabel's Labels Non Contest, is perfect execution. 

Congratulations to the team at Mabel's for, what I think, has set a new standard in social media outreach and blogger engagement. Well done! 

What do you think about brands and conference sponsorships? What would you like to tell the brands about effective ways to leverage their presence at conferences? 

If you were a company, how would you execute your sponsorship?

*Not a sponsored post. I'm not affiliated with Mabel's Labels, just totally impressed.