Back in 2009, I had one resolution: start a blog. I loved to write and I was eager to share my newfound knowledge of saving money using coupons with others. Completely green to the world of blogging, I headed to the library and returned with a small armful of books on the subject (of course these days, Google and YouTube would suffice for most things!) I had absolutely no idea about the adventure I was about to embark on, the people I was about to meet, the places I was going to go. What started as a small side hobby turned into a small business!
However, I’ve been sensing for awhile now that this chapter is drawing to a close. I’ve been feeling tugged that there’s something else, something next for me. In order to step into whatever that may be, I needed to say goodbye here first. Please understand that while I know in my heart I need to move on, it’s not been without a lot of emotion! This blog has meant everything to me. It’s enabled me to stay home and watch my kids (who you’ve watched grow up!). It’s been a fantastic outlet for my writing. I’ve learned to find my wings as an entrepreneur. I’ve had fun excuses to go to Costco, write about sales at Fred Meyer, and visit places like New York. All told, I personally published over 12,000 posts during my time here at The Coupon Project. (Can you believe that?!)
Thank you!
It feels most appropriate to say thank you, and there a lot of folks I owe my sincerest of thanks to! First, thank you, dear readers. Thank you for reading this blog, sharing the posts, leaving comments, sharing deals you like on social media, or dropping me an email. When it comes to the web, sometimes it’s hard to remember that there is an actual, real live person behind the screen. That person has been me, and I’ve read every comment, every email. You’ll never know how much it’s meant to me to see a comment left about how a deal helped save your family money.
Thank you to all the people who have ever contributed posts or assisted me with posts on the blog – Mike, Tricia, Lori, Rachelle, Abby, Alix, Kelly, Keri, Shawn, Dawnie, Eric, Brandon (I’m sure there are others I’m forgetting!) – thank you. I’d like to thank Nina for her contagious optimism and knack for finding deals people love (I mean, how would you survive the busy week without her Olive Garden takeout deal?) and her enthusiasm for growing the Instagram account.
Of course, my biggest, heartfelt thanks to Laura (I’m tearing up just thinking about this!). Laura has been my right hand gal for over 5 years, and I don’t know what I ever did to deserve her help! Even just yesterday as I found myself overwhelmed, she dropped what she was doing to help make sure we had posts up at the site. Laura’s always been there to help me brainstorm content ideas, update posts, find new deals and of course – manage the Subscribe & Save post!
Finally, thank you to my wonderful family. My husband has been my biggest fan and supporter from day one, often believing in me when I didn’t believe in me. (He frequently tells me, “Don’t worry about it, Ang!”). And my sweet kids have been such troopers. They will no doubt have very unusual childhood memories of Mom dragging them to the store, coming home and spreading out groceries on the hallway floor to photograph for the blog before putting them in the pantry!
What’s next?
You need to know that while I’m saying goodbye, the site is not. In fact, I believe it’s about to enter a very new, exciting growth phase.
Effective today, I’ve handed the keys over. The new owner has fantastic plans for growing the site and expanding the content. I will absolutely be continuing to follow the growth and progress of the site and am hopeful for many good things to come. (And hey, I still love a good deal so I will be here for that, too!)
While it’s sad to say goodbye, handing the keys to an owner that has such a great vision and is more than capable has made things much easier for me. I sincerely wish the new owner and The Coupon Project team all the success in the world. May it be a blessing to you as it has been for me!
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Last week, I spent some time going through all the posts on the blog. (It took several days, because there are many!) I came across posts I’d forgotten I’d even written, like the time the neighbor’s pigeon roosted in our garden or why I actually enjoy going to the laundromat. It occurred to me that what I was doing was walking through the house one last time, pausing to remember the memories made in each room as I passed through. And now I’m downstairs, and my suitcase is at the front hallway, friends. I take a deep breath, grateful for what these last 10 years have meant for me … and close the door.
Julie says
Thank you for ten years.
And best wishes on your next chapters.
Karen says
Your blog was the first NW blog I found and subscribed to. I had switched from shopping at Safeway to Fred Meyers and your blog was a great help to me in finding the best deals. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors and to your lovely family. I will me the Costco posts. 🙂
Cheers,
~Karen
Candy says
Congrats on such a successful ten years! I wish you the best and I can’t wait to see what is next for you!
Diane says
I’ve been following this blog since 2009 or early 2010! I can’t believe it’s been that long. There was a time when I followed a dozen frugal living and couponing blogs, but over the years, either they stopped writing or I stopped following, and yours has been one of the only ones I’ve kept reading.
Thank you for ten years of tips to save money! I’m excited to see what happens next here, but I know your presence will be missed!
Ginger/Krista says
Oh man what a great 10 years it’s been as a reader. You were one of the first PNW coupon blogs I followed & one of the only 2 I follow now. It’s been fun watching your family grow, seeing your cool vacations, watching your weight loss & running, gardening, & my favorite….Costco posts. You are going to be missed, Angela. Best of luck & most of all happiness in your next chapter. ❤
Melissa says
I found this blog after my daughter was born in 2010. After a series of events, I suddenly found myself as a single mom and trying to make ends meet. This blog was a saving grace and has been such a blessing to me and my family. I appreciate all of the time and effort that has been put into it. THANK YOU for these years of deals, vacation ideas, and gardening inspo. I wish you luck in your next adventures!
Shannon says
Thank you for your blood, sweat, tears and such helpful posts. Enjoy all the amazing adventures that are to come!
khalilah green says
Thank you for all that you have done for the last ten years! You have definitely helped my family save tons and tons of money.
Sharon says
Classy way to wrap things up .. says a lot about you! All the best to you and to your new adventures ☺️
Jana says
Thank for everything! I have followed this blog since probably 2010. One of my favorites! Good luck on your next adventure. This brought tears to my eyes. Moving on can be hard and right, all at the same time.
Cristie Ross says
Oh! This makes me sad. You have been a blogger staple for me! So many encouragements, fun, and money saving deals. You have always been the place & person I referred newbie couponers to, since you taught me how to “work it” in a store. I have to tell you… I tripped over your new site 9ish years ago. I had lost my Jobs, my husband was on a forced furlough, I had just found out I was expecting, and a parent had found out about having terminal cancer. We were buckling down. Hard. The economy was crazy. Your site gave me not only a new skill set to work with, but you brought hope, laughter, and made what was normally stressful in spending what little cash we had, into a game. A fun game where we received what we needed for food, and kept money for other things too! Unbelievable! That year, I worked a deal that I bought ALL of Thanksgiving dinner at Albertsons plus some for $19.11. Perfect, because all I had for that week of food was $20. I will never forget that.
Thank you for all of your time, hard work, blood sweat and tears. I appreciate all of it. Good luck in your next endeavor!
E says
Thank you so much Angela! Like many of the other commenters, I’ve been following this blog for almost all of the last 10 years. In 2009 I was a recent college grad living fully independently for the first time and trying to stretch my $22,000/year graduate student stipend as far as it could go. I started a couponing spreadsheet that August to record and track every dollar I saved. I subscribed to probably a dozen couponing blogs including yours and spent several hours a week clipping (exclusively paper!) coupons and planning optimal strategies for shopping at CVS, Walgreens, and local grocery stores so that I was able to afford everything I needed without having to live beyond my means, take out loans, or ask my family for help. Fast forward ten years, and yours is the only couponing blog I still follow. I’ve unsubscribed from the others because they were often just posting the same offers and deals as everyone else, seemed to focus on only on saving money with coupons and not being thoughtful with money besides that, or had just stopped posting altogether. I’ve kept reading yours because I’ve found it so compelling and filled with original content beyond just how to save money with coupons. I’ve enjoyed reading about your organization hacks, your fitness and wellness journey, your family vacations, and your Costco adventures (I’m not a Costco member myself, but I live vicariously through your shopping expeditions there!). Your recent post on times you’ve lost out by being cheap also very much resonated with me. It made me realize that both of us have come somewhat full circle with regards to saving and spending money. Sometimes spending that extra money for a physical item or an experience that will bring us joy is better than skimping on a cheaper alternative that won’t evoke that joy, or talking ourselves out of spending that money altogether and making ourselves miserable in the process. Conversely, just because we can get 5 bottles of a so-so brand of shampoo for $1 each after coupons and a store promo, it doesn’t mean we should if we already have plenty of shampoo bottles at home. I still coupon these days but don’t obsess about it as much as I used to, and I’m very proud of the $38,400 in coupon savings I’ve recorded over the past ten years (which these days includes digital coupons, Ibotta cash back, Ebates cash, and a few paper coupons). Thanks to being able to save that money, I was able to invest it in other things that are important for me, like saving for retirement, becoming a homeowner (twice now!) and paying down my mortgage aggressively, opening long-term investment accounts, and having a healthy emergency fund that will cover me for over a year should my life circumstances change drastically. Quite a good chunk of the amount I’ve saved through couponing and have been able to siphon elsewhere is thanks to you and all the deals you’ve posted on this blog over the years, and the mindset of intentional (but not absolute) frugality you’ve helped me reinforce. So thank you so much for everything over the past ten years!
Carol Ann Hughes says
Thank you for 10 years of sharing your family, adventures and great finds! I have enjoyed watching your children grow hope you will continue to provide updates on your latest family adventure!
Tiff Wallace says
Thank you for 10 years. You’ve save my family money, given me tips for gardening and home things and things to do locally. You write beautifully and your posts have always had such value!
It’s also been fun to watch your kids grow! You have a beautiful family – inside and out!
I’m wishing you the very best in your next adventures. I admit though, I will miss you.
Catherine says
Thank you for ten years of good work on this blog. You are refreshing and relatable. I wish you great success!
Melinda Satterthwaite says
Your posts have meant a lot to me over the years. I don’t know how I’ll get along without your words of wisdom. I am happy for you to start a new adventure but just know that you’ll be missed.
Doug and Yolanda Robbins says
Thank you, Angela, for all of your hard work over the last 10 years. (Wow, where does the time go?)
We have appreciated the heads up on the deals from show tickets, to last minute WinCo /Fred Meyer/ Grocery Outlet deals. You were there on the cutting edge (pun intended!) at the height of the coupon-mania phase and were able to encourage us on how to build stockpiles and prep food for the week. It has been fun watching both your family and your backyard garden grow.
Thank you for the memories and the humor. You have helped many Federal Way residents become smarter shoppers and we have passed this on to our children. Best wishes on the new adventure and to your family as well.
Sarah B says
Thank you for the last decade. You’ve been a wonderful blogger to follow. I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure!
PS, I hope the new owner continues the monthly Costco posts!
Tiffani says
I am so sad to see you go I remember when the couponing craze came about and I took a couponing class you gave in Lakewood, Wa. It was the most helpful information. I have been following your blog every since! It has been awesome to watch the blog grow and evolve. Best wishes on your new endeavors!
Beth says
I have really enjoyed your blog and wish you and your family all the best for your future.
Anne says
Thank you Angela. You helped me become a stay at home mom by learning to cut our grocery budget. Then your blog introduced me to another coupon blog where I was a contributor for a couple years. It gave me the foundation to launch my own blog (parenting and printables – not the frugal niche). Please know your blog has had ripple effects you never imagined. I will miss your posts.
Anne says
ESPECIALLY the Costco posts 🙂
Anelalani Tandal says
Mahalo for the many years of dedication to us! Blessings on your new adventure!
Kim says
Angela, thank you for teaching me how to coupon. I didn’t know anything and had to quickly learn when my family became a one income household. Every single dollar counted, and the way you taught was easy and even (dare I say) fun. I’m more relaxed now but I’ll never forget those early days, and I’m grateful you worked so hard so teach me and others how to maximize our money (a few years back I even took my family to Disney World with some of the money I saved couponing! :))
Best wishes!
Stephanie Vargas says
I’ve been here since 2010 when I had a 5 yo and a 2 yo. It’s been fun watching your kids grow up along with mine. Thanks for all the deals that have helped our family save on things big and small. I was always especially appreciative of your QFC coupon matching posts as they are hard to find anywhere else. One year after I started following your blog my husband lost his job and was out of work for a year and couponing with your match ups really helped us stretch our dollars and pennies during that difficult time. I also appreciate the fun family activity ideas and vacation posts you’ve put up through the years. Good luck in the future and may the Lord guide your journey into a new chapter.
Have an awesome summer, too!
Stephanie Vargas says
One more thing: thank you SO much for providing a resource for ethical coupon use during the boom couponing years where a lot of fraud was rampant that I didn’t want to be a part of. You’re awesome!
Melissa says
I’m sorry to see you go, but I’m happy you’re on a new adventure. You are my go-to lady for all things Fred Meyer. I have loved your travel posts, too. Best wishes! Blessings to you & your family!
Tina A. says
May your new season be blessed. Thank you for the many years of helpful information and advice.
Emma B says
I am not sure how I missed this post and just seeing it now.
I don’t know how long I have been following you but it has been a long time. you are on of the few blogs I still follow, thank you for all your work and sharing your life. you will be missed dearly. wishing you will on your next adventure.
Quinn says
With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or
copyright infringement? My blog has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like
a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my agreement.
Do you know any techniques to help reduce content from being stolen? I’d
definitely appreciate it.