Happy New Year Our Frugal and Quirky Coupon Lovin' Friends!
I can NOT BELIEVE it's been another year since we launched our little site. It seems like yesterday. Through the years you have stuck with us through thick and thin and I really want to say thank you!
I thought I would take a few minutes to reminisce and share some of our C4U moments from the years. How many do you remember?
2009 –Â A mom starts a website/hobby with her son for the fun of it.
*First post Puffs Tissue Coupon. Oh, how I wish it had been something more poignant.
*The website is dark pink and has Cookies and Milk for the logo. Yuck!
*We have more visitors from New York than Utah. Hum… Coupons4NY?
*The words Couponers and Match-Ups are becoming common lingo.
*Grocery store couponing is CRAZY. Paying for food is for suckers!
*Albertson's is the preferred store for Utah couponers.
2010 –Â The Daily Deal Site Movement…
*We receive our first reader email. The writer gives me a lot of food for thought and implores me to not to become “another spam website”.  Thank you Anonymous, your words have stayed with me.
*The Salt Lake Tribune takes a liking to us and we begin to get noticed. Thank you Lesley & Jennifer!
*We are asked to help launch Groupon and Living Social!
*Local Deal sites go crazy and so does interest in Coupons4Utah.
*We welcome Holly as our first contributor, Holly still works hard on the site today and I don't know what I would do without her!
2011 –Â Wahoo! Coupons4Utah becomes ONE MILLION visitors strong…
*We begin to make plans to take the site national and purchase a new domain
*Annalisa joins the site as our first Grocery coupon expert
*We reach 5,000 Facebook Fans – Thank you!
*Extreme Couponing asks me to audition for the show?!
*Say what? Have they read what I think about that show?
*1,000's of new “Deal Coupon Mom blogs” begin launching
*I accidentally post a controversial image to the site. OMG, how could I have been so blind?!
*Couponers are stigmatized as hoarders
*A reader sends an amazing email that changes my perspective. Thank you Heidi and everyone at the Dialysis Center!
2012 – Decisions Decisions…
*I decide local is more fun and national is not for me and scrap the national idea.
*A Utah blogger creates a spam website designed to redirect traffic to her blog and names it CouponsForUtah.net. Really?!
*Local deal sites begin to thin out, some leave us unpaid and with broken contracts.
*We seek legal advice
*Our mobile site launches, but it only works half of the time
*I feel tired and frustrated. My hobby is becoming too expensive and I begin to make plans to retire the site.
*A reader sends an amazing email of thanks, that helps inspire me to keep the site going. Thank you Becky M!
2013 –Â Our best year yet….
*Coupons4Utah becomes a registered Trademark.
*We reach 10,000 Facebook Fans – Thank You!
*We welcome 2 new WONDERFUL contributors (Heather and Jodi)
*Our website gets a Facelift
*We become official Sponsors of the Utah Grizzlies – OH… MY… HECK!
*I take my first break from the site and go on a real vacation!
*We hold our first event – Catching Fire Party
*I loved meeting you and was overwhelmed by your support. When I get home, I cry! Thank you!
And, here we are today. I have no idea what will happen next in our little local coupon community. But, I do know this, each and every day when I open my email and read your letters I am humbled and grateful. Your emails and comments keep me going when I'm feeling down, frustrated and overwhelmed and those very comments, have saved the site, on more than one occasion.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Here's to a Happy, Frugal and Quirky 2014!
~Cheers!Â
Joani
Danielle Alonzo says
January 2, 2014 at 9:13 amSo very cool to look back and reflect on where you were and what you have become. I love your site so much. Living in Southern Utah I sometimes feel like we get forgotten down here, and you never seem to forget us St Georgians! Your Smith’s write up every week restored my drive and motivation for couponing when most stores seemed to be tightening their policies and frowning upon us couponers. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your one tidbit on Albertsons being the the preferred store for Utah couponers in 2009 made me go hmm. We are the last of a dying breed down here as we do still have 2 Albertsons in St George. I used to be able to follow a blogger that did a great Albertsons write up, but for the last few months the ads don’t match up and I’ve been left in the dark. Any insight as to who might do a good Albertson’s match up that you know of?
Again, thank you for all you do! You are the one blog I love to get emails from and I visit you at least once a day!
c4u says
January 2, 2014 at 8:37 pmHi Danielle,
Grocery Smarts still publishes Albetsons matches for Southern Utah and Tooele.
http://www.grocerysmarts.com/utah/lists/indexg84ajh.php?a84lb2
Also, Thrifty Northwest Mom (Seattle/Portland area) publishes a great match-up for Albertsons. The ad for that area will be slightly different though. Jen is a friend of mine and runs a great blog.
http://www.thriftynorthwestmom.com/
Last, there is a blog called Dixie Dixie Dollar Deals that blogs for the Southern Utah area you might like. She doesn’t post much, but she’s super sweet and often gets some fun giveaways for that area.
http://dixiedollardeals.com/
Crystal says
January 1, 2014 at 7:48 pmI will never get tired of telling you what an amazing job you do on this site. Your perspective, energy, & upbeat healthiness on saving money has saved me in its own way. You have become a friend over the years not even knowing you were one. I can only imagine the time & effort that goes into this site. I do know that it has changed mine and so many others lives. Thank you so much for simply being the wonderful you!
Coupons4Utah says
January 2, 2014 at 9:52 amThanks Crystal! It is funny how we have gotten to know so many of you through comments and emails. I feel the same. I’ve been thinking about putting together some kind of lunch for so we can all meet.
Becky says
January 1, 2014 at 1:37 pmThis post made me SO happy! I feel honored to have been a part of your journey… this website has honestly changed my life (for good) in so many ways. I am so thankful to have found it and I am not afraid to let others know of it when they ask how to coupon and save money when they’ve asked me (even though it hurts in a way to let too many people know of my secret weapon). 😉 Keep up the work, Joani! Holly is right, your site is the very best, and I mean that! 🙂
Coupons4Utah says
January 1, 2014 at 2:01 pmAwe Becky, So glad to hear from you :). You are awesome! Your email that day may have saved the site. I will not forget it.
Kristine says
January 1, 2014 at 11:41 amI want to take time to tell you how much I love this site too, I feel like I know you a little just from reading the blog everyday! Coming to the site is familiar and comfortable and I’m completely at home here:) I silently thank you everyday that you provide this site which helps me save SO much money at the store AND on gifts, vacations, and activities. I would be working full time outside the home to make the money that I now have because of my frugal ways, all thanks to your site. I’m able to continue working 2 days a week even as my 2 older kids have turned into costly teenagers (my 16 yr old daughter has also learned so many ways to stretch her money too thanks to the couponing site) I live in a dinky little town by Cedar City but am still able to save tons from all your sites posts, even though I’m often jealous of all the MANY fun thing you have to do up North! I hope my favorite, checked 1 or 2 times daily, beloved Coupons4utah site never ends, it would be like a death in the family, LOL! Happy New Year from a loyal reader in Southern Utah!
Coupons4Utah says
January 1, 2014 at 2:08 pmKristine, That warms my heart. I am so glad it helps. And, just a little fyi, we raised our kids in an 800 sq ft 2 bedroom, 1 bath home until they were well into teen years. The hubs and I ended up in a room in the basement. In hindsight, think it made for a closer family and would not trade that time now for the homes we dreamed of then.
Holly says
January 1, 2014 at 11:23 amWow, what a great run. Wishing you many more great memories to come. Your site is the very best and I’m so glad to be a part of it! Happy New Year!
Coupons4Utah says
January 1, 2014 at 2:09 pmThank you Holly, I’m so glad it helps.