Who has had actual experience w/ meetings?~ Tips/ Suggestions

[Whispered]

hi, I'm hoping to start a group in San Diego and abbeybob, is being very generous and offering to host.
(its not my group.. its for ALL of sd :) )

My ? is for those who Have Had Experience, can you help give some
tips/ suggestions/ guidance, for what makes a successful group?

I have quite a few ideas, lol, but I always think its good to get imput from people who have actually done these things before.

What I'd like, is exchanging coupons, stocks, and having it be a social group, also potluck and games.
Thats just me.

I'm looking for some guidelines, to make this successful and hopefully, on a reg monthly basis.

What has worked for you? What you have likded/ disliked..
I appreciate any ideas, suggestions you have.

Thanks!

Blessings and joy
Katie~

[metalmama1]

there's a fledgling one i've been kinda involved in, but lol, it's in a diff state than i live ;)

my dad broke his back & i'm up there like ev other week, wish i had stock in an oil co ;)!!

from my (limited) involvement in trying to help get this thing off the ground, i think if people feel 'needed & necessary', they'll come to meetings, contrib, exchange, etc.

but if they feel like 'they are going to have to sit & learn stuff'.... even tho times is tough... yeah... grownups aren't such fans of the adult ed experience.... unless they are paying for it!

plus, people these days work; it might seem like 'since i'm a SAHM, everyone can blink on over to Red Lobster & spend 4 hrs drinking & swapping'.... lol. prolly, they can't!! mebbe evenings & weekends might have a bigger turnout... who knows!!

mebbe the more online/ interactive, the bettah!!

someone could post stuff they have they don't want (nope! they won't have time!)

so mebbe someone could say, 'i've been q'ing since jan, i have kids, dogs & old people in my life', then there could be heklpful links to what q's have come out since jan, and someone else with cats, teenagers & diabetes could say 'hey! you gonna use those glucerna q's that were in the paper 2 weeks ago?'

well who knows lol :D

doode!! & advertising in local stores is critical!! hang up a sign advertising yo' thang. when it expires, bring the store a fresh one! do that with every store in town (lol, in the town this fledgling one is sprouting in, this = 2 grocery stores lol!! i mean 2. not 2 chains, not 2 of 17... i mean 2, in their entirety ;))

hope ya get a flood of people!!! that'd be so exciting!! don't get discouraged!!! cuz this is awesome fun!!!

[Bellasmom]

I have hosted a swap for a year. What I do is have baskets of coupons sorted by category. When people come in they sort their coupons in the baskets. Then we pass them around and people take what they want. If they don't bring coupons I charge $1. I have found some people will just come and take coupons if they can get by with it.
I posted on several coupon websites and craigslists about the swaps. We also have a Facebook page.
I also put goody bags together for everyone that comes. It includes noninserts and an item I have received free or cheap. One swap was Nivea body wash.
I also have a contest or drawing each month. In April I had everyone bring items to share to be entered in a drawing for a gift card. In May we are drawing for a Mothers day gift basket. In June we will be playing Deal or No Deal. The prizes will be coupons for free items. I have also played the Price is Right. Where they guessed what I paid for a shopping triip.
We share tips and brag about our great bargains.
We also bring stockpile items to swap.
My swap is in the evenings and we meet at a Restaurant after work.
Our group also has a day swap that meets in a grocery store restaurant. They shop afterwards.

[Abbybob]

I am part of a FB group that gets together each month. All members bring the coupons they want to trade (usually in whole insert form) in a shoe box with their name on it. All the boxes get passed around and everyone can clip what they want.


We also post IP's that we are looking for prior to the event, and everyone posts on the FB group in a Doc their wishlist. I print and clip for each person the week of the clip in, and everyone gets an envie of WL q's at each clip in.


Some other members swap actuals, but I don't have a lot to trade. One of the ladies in our group works for a dentist, so she brings us floss, tooth brushes and tooth paste samples every few months!


We meet at members homes. We used to meet at a Starbucks, but it's too crowded and LOUD!

I also host a playdate and coupon clip in with my play group twice a month. THe kids play, and we clip and swap. I also print coupons for those who don't have a printer.

[metalmama1]

I have hosted a swap for a year. What I do is have baskets of coupons sorted by category. When people come in they sort their coupons in the baskets. Then we pass them around and people take what they want. If they don't bring coupons I charge $1. I have found some people will just come and take coupons if they can get by with it.
I posted on several coupon websites and craigslists about the swaps. We also have a Facebook page.
I also put goody bags together for everyone that comes. It includes noninserts and an item I have received free or cheap. One swap was Nivea body wash.
I also have a contest or drawing each month. In April I had everyone bring items to share to be entered in a drawing for a gift card. In May we are drawing for a Mothers day gift basket. In June we will be playing Deal or No Deal. The prizes will be coupons for free items. I have also played the Price is Right. Where they guessed what I paid for a shopping triip.
We share tips and brag about our great bargains.
We also bring stockpile items to swap.
My swap is in the evenings and we meet at a Restaurant after work.
Our group also has a day swap that meets in a grocery store restaurant. They shop afterwards.

dude, THIS is awesome!!!!!!

can i copy & post this on the coupon swap of hayward FB page??

dude i'll totally credit ya lol, no one thinks i'm smart enough i coulda thought of it!!

wow!!!

*dazzled*

i will wait to hear from ya!!! *pleaze hurry!!!!!*

lol *it's concession season,so i'm only on here early in the morning & late at nite, so mebbe 'pleaze hurry' doesn't accurately reflect reality*

dude, such an awesome freakin' idea i wanna dash on over there rightthissecond to post it!!!!!

dang it, but i wont... i'll wait to hear from ya!!! early tomorrow or late tomorrow nite!! wooooo!!!

thanx!!!!!!!!

[metalmama1]

dude!! hayward has a restaurant right IN a grocery store!!! northlakes coop lol!!! 4 seconds from the other grocery store in town ;)

dang, everytime i re read your post, i like it even more!!!!

[metalmama1]

I am part of a FB group that gets together each month. All members bring the coupons they want to trade (usually in whole insert form) in a shoe box with their name on it. All the boxes get passed around and everyone can clip what they want.


We also post IP's that we are looking for prior to the event, and everyone posts on the FB group in a Doc their wishlist. I print and clip for each person the week of the clip in, and everyone gets an envie of WL q's at each clip in.


Some other members swap actuals, but I don't have a lot to trade. One of the ladies in our group works for a dentist, so she brings us floss, tooth brushes and tooth paste samples every few months!


We meet at members homes. We used to meet at a Starbucks, but it's too crowded and LOUD!

I also host a playdate and coupon clip in with my play group twice a month. THe kids play, and we clip and swap. I also print coupons for those who don't have a printer.

man, this is the dream!!!

how are you that brave?

i'm terrified about IPs..... freakin' paranoid terrified lol

why aren't you?

this hayward q exchange thing, when i first visited my dad, (he lives in hayward, i live 13 hrs away lol) all the stores (both of them) had HUGE free standing signs that said ' ALL IPS ARE FRAUDULENT! WE DON'T TAKE 'EM'

(but they actually spelled out he word "them" veddy professionally)

i was taken aback. cuz whatever! but ok, whatever. so when i handed the cashiers regular q's that i'd cut out of MY newspaper, they'd flash me hurt eyes, and slowly back away, as if i'd handed them a q laced with anthrax.

i mean, oh my word!!!!

go ahead & hate IPs & ban 'em, but newspaper q's?!!?!?

uhhhmmm.... ooookkkk....

& tonight someone posted on HCE on FB about that 1 store not taking her IPs....

i mean, how does a store mgr in a small town knock it off with his paranoia & take 'em??

i dunno man. & lol how are you that brave?!!?!?

i mean, can't crazy bad things happen with those things?????

[Abbybob]

Metalmama-

I know all of these ladies. We have been clipping together for over a year. I don't have a problem giving IP's I'm not going to use to help someone else. I print my IP's on colored paper too, so making copies is pretty impossible, not that any of these ladies would do it.

[Abbybob]

Duplicate post :(

[metalmama1]

that's awesooome!!

i am paranoid terrified of IPs & so are the stores 13 hrs away lol

can anyone in the HCS do anything to educate him? can they contact someone from anywhere to educate him?

lol, all IPs are not fraudulent....

i hate when i feel so helpless!!

i brought my printer up there & showed my SIL & brother about coupons dot com etc, & was so frothin' at the mouth excited for 'em....

& dang.... co op wouldn't take the freakin' ips cuz it was against their unwritten policy...

i mean, i dunno, i never encounter that kinda thing in my town.

just sux & hurts to read about it happening to them lol cuz i'm such a guuurl... coupony stuff hurts my feelings lol