*Share your UNUSUAL Ways to Save Money for AG*

**MOM to JILLIAN** · July 19th, 2006, 07:21 PM

Hopefully this can be a fun and interesting thread.

I'm a bargain hunter. I shop sales, clip coupons and buy on clearance.

I love AG sales, but for the most-part--AG is a pricey hobby.

Here are a couple of ODD ways that I have "saved" money for AG purchases...

During the Olympics, Coca Cola held a contest. You entered codes and won coupons for 5 FREE 2-Liter bottles of Coke. Well, we ended up winning 21 of the coupons for a total of 105 COKES!! I've been "selling" DH the coupons for $5 a piece whenever he runs out of 2-liters. ALL of the money has gone into my AG fund! LOL.

On Friday of last week, Chick-Fil-A held a Cow Appreciation Day. If you dressed up as a cow you got a FREE Combo meal. DS was sick, but DD and I printed off a cow mask and decorated white garbage bags with black cow spots. We both got FREE meals (around $11.00 worth of food!) I didn't physically get the money, but in my head, I was thinking $11.00 to spend on AG stuff! See the picture of Jillian below. LOL.

These are just some recent examples. Share some stories of how you have saved for AG items.

[ July 19, 2006 07:23 PM: Message edited by: MOM to JILLIAN ]

thepidget · July 19th, 2006, 07:26 PM

LOL!! I love the picture! [img]biggrin.gif[/img] Too bad there isn't a Chick-Fil-A near me, or I really would have dressed up as a cow for a free meal. [img]wink.gif[/img]

I don't think I've come up with any unusual ways to get AG money (at least not yet). So far, I've been saving my change in a glass milk bottle and selling things on eBay, but I guess that would be considered "normal." [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]

**dolllover** · July 19th, 2006, 07:28 PM

This isn't unusual, but whenever I go to the grocery store with my mom, I bring the bottles to return, and put the money toward my AG fund. The most amount of money I've got from bottles returned in one day so far is about $3.35! [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

[ July 19, 2006 04:29 PM: Message edited by: AGfanatic ]

**MOM to JILLIAN** · July 19th, 2006, 07:49 PM

Originally posted by dianasmama:
funny that you bring this up. Diana has decided that she wants to earn her own money to purchase her beloved Molly doll. So she rounded up all of her money from allowances, tooth fairy, money in cards from Grandmas, etc. She had it all in various little wallets of hers. Anyway, we counted all of that, plus the change in the piggie bank and she had nearly $50!

Today, she had her first lemonade and cookie stand. We are living in a new development with LOTS of construction going on around us, so I really thought lots of the trucks would be willing to stop. MEN! [img]frown.gif[/img] They just don't get it. Poor little 6 year old, out in the heat, hollering her fool head off for "cookies....lemonade...50 cents...come get yours now...." Most of them just smiled and waved to her. She was outside from 10am till 12:30, when I told her she just had to come inside it was getting way too hot. She did make $12, honestly, most of it was in tips. I sat out there to help her with the money and pouring the lemonade.

I'm just the sucker mom that buys from any kid that shows up at my door or out in front of the grocery selling for Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, etc. I always figure if they put in the effort, I can afford to humor them a little.

She was quite happy with her $12, she's that much closer to Molly now. But she said it was a lot of hard work! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Laurie

I can't imagine not buying cookies and lemonade from a six-year old! I'm glad that she raised the $12. She's doing great collecting for Molly. I know she will enjoy her Molly so much when she gets her.

**dianasmama** · July 19th, 2006, 08:05 PM

MOM to JILLIAN: Actually, I also stole your idea, a little! [img]redface.gif[/img] I copied a large 2 page spread of the Molly doll that I had from an old catalog, then we added a marker along the side, like a thermometer. For every dollar she earns the "temperature" goes up, all the way to $87!

(mommy and daddy will cover the shipping expense)

Actually, I'll probably order it with a 10% code or even better, the 10% code and 2 dolls special with Emily when she comes out!

Laurie

[ July 19, 2006 05:07 PM: Message edited by: dianasmama ]

**kitswift22007** · July 19th, 2006, 08:05 PM

I picked berries for about a week and I made enough for a new doll! So I was all "Let's get on the computer and order Nellie... NOW!" and my mom was like "If you put it all towards college, I'll give you a hundred dollars more for the college fund!" I didn't really have a choice. [img]frown.gif[/img] However, I still have all that money sitting in my bank account, heh heh... But how would I order it, receive it, and play with it without mom noticing?? [img]smile.gif[/img] LOL I will only wait...

[ July 19, 2006 05:07 PM: Message edited by: kitswift22007 ]

**kitandkat** · July 19th, 2006, 08:43 PM

Hmm, well this isn't really unusual, but I could stop buying the new Harry and the Potters CDs offline and wait for a concert, since they're cheaper there...

**lscogbill** · July 19th, 2006, 08:44 PM

We have a HUGE children's consignment sale here twice a year. To keep DD out of my hair and trying to make off with everything I want to sell, I tell her if she helps she can have a fourth of the proceeds to buy AG stuff. She gets money, I don't have to do quite as much work, and I don't have to hear her whine for one day that she doesn't have anything to do! [img]biggrin.gif[/img] (and I probably would have bought her some stuff anyway)

**muppetquilter** · July 19th, 2006, 10:08 PM

It isn't really unusual, but I've been selling some of my Muppet collection to finance my AG habit.

I'm working on ideas to finance MCM next year.

Again, not creative or unusual, but I have told all the grandparents that I'm taking DD to AGPC for her birthday next year to get her first doll and three of the four sets of grandparents have said they'll give her AG gift certificates for her birthday so she can get some outfits and accessories.

**Momtoatrio** · July 19th, 2006, 10:12 PM

My DD is a member of kidzeyes (www.kidzeyes.com) and actually earns probably about $50 a year doing online surveys for kids. This is her AG money. I also do online surveys for various places and put the money into a savings/AG account. I do a garage sale every year and that is my MCM money. She just recently went through her AG bin and pulled out some things she didn't want and we sold them here. That is AGPC money! Not so unusual - but every little bit helps!