21 Things to be an Epic Couponer (full)

[Giving-Small]

Way to go - inbox overload is awkward on a bulletin board system.

[Giving-Small]

I've sent some messages to see if we can find out what's up with the trains.

I think one did a bit of extra looping thanks to Canada Post and a ripped envie.

I will update as soon as I hear from riders.

[Giving-Small]

Usually bulletin boards have some sort of system to show reputation for either content and members.

Smart Canucks has a couple of things:

1. Thumbs up - which helps "promote" the best threads. On your profile you will see the total number of thumbs up you have over the lifetime on the board
2. Reps help show a person who is valued by the forum community. In the Smart Canucks case reps are only loosely related to reputation.

How to get Reps and why it's a weak indicator of your reputation.

People who make good posts get reps.

People who have lots of friends usually get reps.

And people who hang out on the "I want a rep" thread get reps too.

On Smart Canucks reps are used just for fun. It's a quick and easy way to leave someone a short comment and/or say thanks for a post.

Once you accumulate a lot of reps you'll start having little stars and candies show up under name and little graphic/avatar.

How Using a Rep Helps the Smart Canuck community

Are you on some threads were someone posts a free code or idea and 10 people say thanks. It's nice they say thanks. In fact it's great if one person says it publicly so it's acknowledged.

The trouble starts when for a day or two people keep posting thanks. Why? Each time someone posts, the thread rises to the top and looks like it has "new" useful info information like a new code. Instead you open the thread and find it's just people saying thanks. And you do this many times before there is new information to use. Kinda a waste of everyone's time.

So if you collect pampers gifts to go points and read that thread and someone posts are "free code", you can give them a rep (nicest option so that if the thread looks new to readers ONLY WHEN there really is new content.) and the person who posts knows it's appreciated.


How to Give a Rep

The diagram shows where to click to leave a rep on a post:




Two options for repping:

1. Just click and say okay - it shows up as a "thanks" and is linked to the exact post that you clicked the scales on.

2. Click and type in a comment.


It's about 50/50 what people do.

Another time people leave a rep is when they ask for info or help and then someone answers ( ) -- it's a way to say "thanks for the answer".

Your Supply of Rep

Each day you have about 20 to 30 reps available to hand out. It starts over each day.

Can you give all your reps to a friend or to someone like me?

No. If you give someone a rep, say crazycoupongirl, and then no one else, when you try to leave her a second rep, it'll tell you to spread the rep around.

This was probably built in to the software to prevent "gaming" the system -- giving one person all 20 reps each day for a month to bump them up. "Gaming" the system doesn't really matter on SC - hence the thread for give me rep. But I suspect this limit was part of the original bulletin board software.

Your Activity

Find a few good posts this week and leave a rep for the writers. Make someone's day If you do it for a week, you`ll be able to make this a habit and anytime you see something you like, you can leave a rep.

[Giving-Small]

Shoppers Voice site has a survey that you complete about once a year and then you receive coupons, samples occasionally, special offers. It's very worthwhile even it takes a few months to see results. It is a fairly detailed survey.

The coupons are usually of higher value and rare so sought after for trading even if you happen to not be interested in them.

Here is the link to spring 2011 survey where you can sign up and do the survey.

[johnclave111]

Well I have never thought about this........

[Darth Penguin]

I haven't read the whole thread yet but here goes..

I'm currently a SAHM of 3, 2 DDs(13&9) DS 6. Servant of 2 felines(17 &18).

Apart from the odd coupon, I have never used any, so I'm looking for stratergies to help me save a few bucks.

[Giving-Small]

Thanks for dropping Darth. Feel free to read through this thread or join Group 11 - starting soon which will have a group of people who are starting out and learning together like this group did. Just pm me for a spot.

[Giving-Small]

Some of you are likely aware of this scam. "card not present"

There's been a few reports of Shoppers Gift Cards turning up empty. This is not related to "card not present".

A bit of the original thread and the description of the gift card scam:

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillyfree
I bought a $100 SDM gift card with my visa the other day and then went to use it this morning and there was a $0 balance.
I ended up having them call HO and they are supposed to get back to me about it.
Has anyone had this happen? If so, did you have much trouble getting it fixed?

tjthemanto posted this useful information and more:


The card not present scam is going on a lot these days ..the retailers don't want you to know about it . Usually when I buy a GC I buy the ones behind the counter & not the ones hanging on displays in the various store aisles . I also double check the security black opaque cover on the PIN to make sure that its not been compromised ...but SDM GC you can't use online so in your case its most likely a cashier fault or something

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/3373881-post9.html

.

[Giving-Small]

I just updated the train tracking post (at beginning of this thread).

I declared Train #2 missing - now there is a chance it may still show up so if it does, I'd like the riders before or after to let us know. It could be I mistyped the mailing label or Canada Post Moby Dick swallowed it for a while.

It would be great to know if one of these happenned. Missing trains happen and it's "yuck" - no one knows if someone is at fault or Canada Post or just human error (ie. envelope falls down between two car seats, never mailed).

My view is it's highly unlikely to be the riders. It does happen - like .01% of the time but it's rare.

How do you know it's the "rider" for sure? They are on the backlist and have made off with several trains and trades at once so you can be pretty sure it's no "accident".

Train #1

greeke33 Niagara Falls ON Arrived Mar 28 Left Mar 31

had some hiccups, train was returned, some delays

Resent: May 8

Hopefully will arrive at new2savings early this week.

Hopefully the long expiry date set for the train will prove to be useful -- most coupons will be valid. It's important to plan for the unexpected.

[$power]

Thanks for the update Darlene.
It appears the other is finally on it's way and that there is still some hope the other may yet surface .

I feel bad for you, so much time and effort to plan this for us newbies only to have them stall out.
Oh well, I guess that's the downside of trains...you on the other hand are the upside .....

[susan.h]

Thanks for the update Darlene.
It appears the other is finally on it's way and that there is still some hope the other may yet surface .

I feel bad for you, so much time and effort to plan this for us newbies only to have them stall out.
Oh well, I guess that's the downside of trains...you on the other hand are the upside .....

I totally agree...I feel bad for Darlene as well...so much work, and then a train gets stalled...
I just wanted to mention as well, that had it not been for Darlene starting this wonderful thread, I would not have saved as much $$$! Thank you!

[Giving-Small]

Ah thanks -- but no worries. You have to take the ups and downs if you do trains or host trains. And I'm still crossing my fingers and toes ..

And so super if everyone has saved a bit more $$ because of the tips and info shared here. I know it's on SC but it can take some hunting to find it all.

I totally agree...I feel bad for Darlene as well...so much work, and then a train gets stalled...
I just wanted to mention as well, that had it not been for Darlene starting this wonderful thread, I would not have saved as much $$$! Thank you!

[Giving-Small]

If you look at the post above this, you'll see an example of quoting two or more people in a reply.

Look hard? It's super easy.

Doing a multiple quote can be super handy if there's a discussion and you want to comment and refer to things that several others have said.

For each message you wish to quote, scroll to the end of that message, press the quote button that has 2 quote symbols (it turns red once clicked) for however many messages you want to quote exceptfor the last quote you want to add ...for that one press the single quote button .

All the messages that you specified to quote will be automatically copied and show up in Reply to Thread window and away you go.

[eltada]

I just updated the train tracking post (at beginning of this thread).

I declared Train #2 missing

Thanks for the update Darlene.
It appears the other is finally on it's way and that there is still some hope the other may yet surface .

I feel bad for you, so much time and effort to plan this for us newbies only to have them stall out.
Oh well, I guess that's the downside of trains...you on the other hand are the upside .....

I totally agree...I feel bad for Darlene as well...so much work, and then a train gets stalled...
I just wanted to mention as well, that had it not been for Darlene starting this wonderful thread, I would not have saved as much $$$! Thank you!

Ok, just practicing the multiple quote thing which is something I have been wondering about since I joined! Works great!

In regards to Train 2...I am bummed it's missing! I sent a few packages out (trades, trains and personal mail) at the same time and I remember one of the envelopes, I handed to my mail lady personally. I wonder if that doomed it (if it in fact was Train 2)???

I have recently noticed that mail has been much slower than normal - over a week from Oshawa to Toronto and a week from Bowmanville to Oshawa (literally 15 minute drive away!!!). So I do have hope that it will surface. But it doesn't look good at this point...

[Giving-Small]

It's grey and almost raining here in Saskatoon for the holiday Monday.

I had my garden rototillered. Yeh!

Our puppy 75 + lbs love to dig.

I managed to buy some chicken wire to fence off the garden - yeah. So my small deal was 10% off purchases at the garden store -- I bought a membership for the Community Radio and there's 10% off a few businesses. So better than nothing.

I found some posts for the corner. Yeah.

I need some help to get the posts pounded in and set up. Ack!

It rained a bit and guess who is Mr. Muddy?