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There are some exciting changes taking place here on Coupon Katarina that I’ve been dying to share with you. I always like to keep you in the loop and don’t want you to wonder when you see a few adjustments around here. But first I wanted to tell you a little bit about the journey I’ve been on.
I started CouponKatarina.com in the winter of 2009 because I was excited about coupons and wanted to share what I was learning with others. I am a very animated yet analytical person, so I knew a deal blog would be right up my alley. I love making lists, am very detail oriented and pretty much a self-proclaimed perfectionist with a touch of obsession in there somewhere. Little bit of crazy, I ain’t gonna lie. 🙂 My little blog quickly grew and I became addicted to the “score”. I pride myself on being among the first to post free samples, coupons and other deals so you don’t miss out on those time sensitive deals. I spent hours on my computer a day just in case something pops up – I didn’t want to miss it. Unfortunately, what this did was make everything else in my life fall to the wayside. I’m not complaining. I love what I do. I love it too much. But, something’s gotta give.
As you may or may not know, I started homeschooling (through Ohio Virtual Academy, K12 Curriculum) my daughter this past fall. Since it was just half day Kindergarten, I asked my sister to help out a few hours a day on the blog while I taught school everyday. While this helped tremendously, I still found myself working long hours. I couldn’t shut it off. So many deals…so little time! It was becoming too much. Incidentally, the picture above is me when I first started blogging…I have LOTS more wrinkles now. 😉
This brings me to present day. Summer is quickly approaching, which means the deals will be slowing down. Who wants to be stuck inside on the computer when it’s beautiful outside and the kids are home anyway? Then, come fall when school starts again…I will be teaching full-time first grade. While we excelled this year (Kindergarten was a TON of lessons, but fairly easy), first grade will be a whole lot more work than half day kindergarten. I am stressed. I am torn between being a great deal blogger and being super mom. It’s impossible for me to sit here and post deals all day and all night, while maintaining a happy home and teaching a first grader at the same time. I’m only one person. So I have come up with a solution that I hope saves my sanity without giving up on this thing I’ve built called Coupon Katarina, which I could never fathom doing. I’ve put so much into it – it’s my second child.
Drumroll please…
That’s right…Coupon Katarina is “Kroger Krazy”! I am re-branding as a Kroger-specific blog. What does this mean? Well, for those of you who shop Kroger – I will be your one-stop shop for all things Kroger. I think saving money on groceries is definitely at the top of most of your lists, right? Well, if I can concentrate on just one store – I can attempt to do a FANTASTIC job at it and find you all the best deals. I just don’t have it in me anymore to be pulled in so many different directions. So I really believe this is the best thing for me and my blog…and ultimately for you.
For those of you who don’t shop at Kroger, there’s something here for you too! I do plan on posting all the newest coupons and a few online deals sprinkled in here and there. I will just have to be more selective as to how I spend my time. I can no longer post 30 deals a day. I will post only the best deals – what I consider post-worthy. I do think you’ll find some worth here, even if you must ignore all the Kroger posts. Plus, I say funny things once in awhile and you don’t want to miss that! 🙂
This also means I will be saying goodbye to drug store deals, Walmart & Target deals, other grocery stores like Meijer and Giant Eagle, etc. No worries, there are plenty of other blogs who provide this information and do a great job at it. Below you can find a list of my favorite blogs and what they offer.
As far as Kroger goes, these grocery stores are quite regional…so I will be recruiting others to help me with regional sale differences. If you’d like to help with this, please email me at coupon katarina at gmail dot com (remove spaces). As always, there is a submit a deal button in my top menu bar for you to submit your Kroger deals you find. I would love accompanying pictures as well. Those can always be emailed.
I am super eager to get started with this new venture. I hope most of you will keep following me in this journey. I just want to be balanced, happy AND do what I love which is finding/posting great deals. It will just need to be a smaller spectrum now.
In the near future you will be seeing a few slight changes to the look of things around here. I am in the process of having a few of my sidebar items redesigned in order to make things easier to navigate. If you shop at Kroger, I just know you’re going to love it here.
As promised…here are my favorite blogs for all your other store needs:
- Walmart – Couponing To Disney (she keeps a running list of under $1 Deals at both Walmart & Target)
- Target – Totally Target (the name says it all)
- Rite Aid – Southern Cali Saver (the Rite Aid queen!)
- CVS – Wild For CVS (all things CVS)
- Walgreens – Wild For Wags (all things Walgreens)
- HOT Deals and Free Samples – Swag Grabber, Rose Knows Coupons (these gals are on top of things)
- Beauty & Fashion – Jessica’s Coupons (LOVE this blog…this girl knows her stuff, plus she’s a hoot!)
- Giant Eagle – Lady Savings (she pretty much LIVES at Giant Eagle and has all the best deals)
- Meijer – Happy Homemaker Cindy (great matchups, plus updates throughout the week)
Ok, in closing – I’m SUPER excited to get started with this, but I need your support!! Your turn to talk. 🙂
Congratulations to you on your new venture!! You HAVE to do what’s best for you and I’m so happy to know it’s exclusively Kroger!! I love Kroger, but didn’t shop there often until I started couponing, so I’m HAPPY to have you dish out all the deals!! Plus, all our Kroger doubles and one of them, up to 0.99!!
I’m sorry you have to deal with ungrateful and rude comments to your blog. People have to remember that your loyalty is to yourself and your family and while you love helping others, it’s not about them when it comes to your sanity!! Good for you on your dedication to yourself!! You’ll still have plenty reading because some of us are Krazy for Kroger too!! Enjoy your day!!
No big deal.. You copy most of your content from other sites anyway. It was just nice having them all in one spot. I can go to those sites and find the deals you were posting. Good luck.
I just started following your site and love the fact that I can get all the KROGER deals in one place. I am a homeschooling mom with 5 children and I too don’t have time to be all over the web looking for deals~you make it so easy to see find them all in one place. As for the mom who said that homeschooling is “doing someone else’s busywork” and it “just doesn’t work” and it “is not a bargain when you have to give up your freedom as a parent” I must say that it is MY job to raise and educate my child. Not the state. It does work~ my 10 year old is already a whole grade ahead and excelling because of the individualized attention he gets at home. And the moment you choose to have a child you kinda are “giving up you freedom”. But that is what being a parent is all about. Soon my children will be grown and gone and I will have time just for me. But for now I must balance the things I want to do-and I do alot- with what is best for my children. Yes, it’s a sacrifice, but definatly one that pays off in the end!I applaud you for balancing both!!!
Good for you and your family!!!!! Enjoy her while she is still little, as a mother of a grown daughter and a teenaged daughter I cannot stress to you how much she will change as she starts getting older. Thank you for all that you do and i personally love the new format.
Good for you! I also started blogging and realized it takes so much time away from my kids. Your daughter will only be little once. Being a mother and teacher to her is a million times more important than posting grocery deals for a bunch of complete strangers! Although I do TOTALLY love your blog!! 🙂
So sorry to see the change, Kroger is not in my area but I do understand. You were the best at being complete and accurate. Good luck to you and enjoy your summer!! Thank you for all you do!
You are wonderful, and I totally understand about being pulled in 8,000 directions. Best of luck in your new endeavor. I am an avid Kroger shopper, so I will continue to check out your blog daily. You are an awesome person, and I haven’t even met you. You have saved me tons of money in the year I have been following you. Thank you so much for all that you do for us, the people trying to save a buck or two…..or three or four lol.
luckily i have a kroger and it is the main place i grocery shop…love your site and it was the only one i went to (almost) daily…will miss your other posts, but of course FAMILY COMES FIRST, as a mom of 4 i totally understand.
It is only day one and I already miss you!!
Kroger is my main grocery store, so I am excited about you focusing on this store mainly.
Katie,
I am so happy for you. I think it is awesome! I TOTALLY Understand since I blog as well. The time commitment of running a site can be overwhelming. People have to realize they can’t have it all- at least not at one time. At the end of the day being a Terrific Mom is more important that being a Terrific blogger. I think you will still do a wonderful job with “Kroger Krazy”. For the comment about match-ups- those take such a long time- hours and hours of time…I know when I did drugstore match-ups it took up one whole day every week (that is why I no longer do those). Thank you for all the wonderful info you have provided all of us and will continue to provide. I don’t shop at Kroger, but I know your site will still be a great resource for printable coupons.
You do a great job at what you do! Thanks for everything you post. I mainly came to your blog anyways for Kroger. You always knew about the awesome catalinas and specific deals first.
And you always seemed to know about the best deals too first before they were posted on the bigger blogs like moneysavingmom and southernsavers. By the time the best deals posted on those blogs, all the coupons were out! So I always check here first.
Great job on raising and homeschooling her. I wish you the best and thanks for all you do!
I have loved your blog and will miss the many match ups. You have taught me so much about couponing. I could not have done it without you. When people would stop me in the store and ask me about couponing, your blog was the ONLY one I ever recommend to them. I totally understand the need to refocus your life, to the ones who matter most. I too have had to reevaluate the time I spend couponing, but I still find it enjoyable just in smaller doses. I will still keep you on my “favorites list” for Kroger deals. Thanks again all your hard work!
40 comments…people must not be to upset about this decision or they have already moved on, like me. See ya!
We will miss you but understand your need for change. Sometimes I wonder when you slept!!
Proud of you for doing whats right for you and your family. Sometimes you just have to step out and have faith in you decisions. Your family is first just as our families are first in our lives. Thank you for all you do!
Omg I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Like a punch right to my stomach. This is horrible news, you have so many followers and you’re going to loss them now. I understand why your doing this but don’t you think you could still do match ups and post those. I feel like I’ve been brushed to the side and forgotten now. I guess it’s great news for those who have a Krogers near but for the majority of us, that isn’t the case. I can’t believe this is happening, I’ve been a dedicated CouponKatarina and now I have to look elsewhere. Major disappointment, you’ve lost a dedicated follower. Good luck…with the new site. Annie is signing out…forever.
Omg… It’s only 1 day since u announced and I feel so crippled already… I thought its ok… Let’s just visit the other sites and search for th matchups… Now I realize that it’s so difficult without u… This week to do the matchup is going to be a nightmare for me… Love that you are doing what u want to do… But me so down…..sad sad…I hate Kroger now… Lol… I don’t have one here… Anyways y’day and today is being spent on searching some other site for the deal… CK used to be soooooooooo nice… I just love your site.. Don’t want you to go… U know what maybe u should hire someone to do this stuff… I don’t want you to leave… Me sooooooo sad….all the best for ur future endeavors ….
Woe is me, soooo sad but sooo totally understand. Me & my sis have followed you daily and we enjoy your blog. We don’t have a Kroger but followed you for the drugstore and other great deals/posts. You have a sweet little girl, she’s so cute 🙂
You are doing what is right for you now. Best of luck to you, it won’t be the same since we always came to your blog first!! Thanks for all you have done and will still do (will still be around for other great posts) 🙂
Good Luck, family is so precious.
I am glad u picked Kroger, your sales are the same as my area.
Thanks for all you do.
Well this is bad news. Great for you, but bad for us. I don’t have a Kroger near me at all. I would have to travel several hours to get to one. I guess I’ll have to look else where. Lost a dedicated blog watcher. Good luck.
Thanks for all the scoops! I’m a commissary shopper, so I’ll have to look elsewhere more often, but you are definitely making the right decision to commit more time to your daughter. I couldn’t do a blog like this while homeschooling our kids. Homeschooling doesn’t leave a lot time for other things, but if we did K-12, I’d have lost my mind years ago. Katarina, you are a smart cookie. Catch the irony here. K-12 is all about doing someone else’s busy work and jumping through their hoops while trying to give your child the benefit of your time and influence. It just doesn’t work. The “free” part is not a bargain when you have to give up your freedom as a parent. Truly, truly, truly, you can give her a much better education with your library card. Just sayin’… :0) Best wishes as you start a new chapter, and thanks again!
Good for you! I think we can all understand a mom who puts her family first. There’s definitely a glut of deals out there, and I’m amazing you’ve been posting all these by yourself (I work with four other ladies!)
I am moving soon, and will be doing more of my shopping at Ralph’s (Kroger store) so I’ll definitely stay tuned in.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO i follow you forall the deals.. the Kroger ones i simply overlooked as we don’t have them where i live
Im sad……this was my one and only blog stop for deals ! I will just have to puruse a couple different ones now. Good Luck in your new adventures.
I never understood how you could do it anyway. I have a hard time just getting the deals you tell me about. Work full-time etc etc I am usually just happy when I can get few things really cheap. Thanks for all you do and thanks in advance to the new sites. I only do Riteaid, Wags and Target. I wouldn’t shop at Walmart even if I could make money at it. What they are doing to the eco-systems of Peru and other countries is criminal. Besides their other ways they don’t care for their employees.
I’m really happy for your new venture but really saddened for myself. I’m in NY and unfortunately, there’s no Kroger in sight (I wish!). I completely understand why you are doing this and I think it’s really wonderful that you are putting your family first. You were always my favorite coupon blogger and I checked your site daily. My sincere thanks for all you’ve done and all the money you saved me! Lots of luck to you!!
It was a fun run.. learned a lot and can see where something has to give.. family first but saving will always be in the blood. No Kroegers by me but will on board. Thanks again and look forward to more posts and deals on a smaller scale.
Homeschooling is a great adventure (I have been homeschooling 2 of my 3 for 6 yrs now with OHVA my son is now in 5th grade and my middle daughter is in 2nd) it will take a lot of your time but it is sooooo worth all the time and work involved! I had to decide on just doing one store at this time in my life too and I chose Kroger too. Looking forward to seeing the changes. Have fun homeschooling, I know we are!!!
Thanks for all your help. No Kroger in my area, sorry to say. Best of luck to you
Wow, super proud of you for recognizing the changes you need to make and actually following through with them. I too have gotten carried away with the time in front of the computer, working and couponing. You are SO right when you say no one can do it all! We don’t have Kroger, but I can’t imagine not following your blog!! You are DEFINITELY my fave!! I will miss the “old” way, but am so happy to be losing it for these reasons! Good for you Katie!!!! 🙂 Squeeze that little cutie for us!
Thank goodness you’re still going to do Central Ohio Kroger! I’d have been lost without you…
All the best,
Amy
YAY I am a Kroger shopper (King Soopers here in Colorado) and am very happy to hear about this change! I have wasted so much time browsing different blogs (yours the first and most though) and have decided to cut down to just store specific ones for time reasons as well. I spend hours on here as well and this was my solution. I can’t wait to see where your journey takes you!
Your blog is wonderful and very helpful. I appreciate all of your hard work. Thanks. Best of luck with the first grade teaching. I thing that you are making a wonderful and difficult decision at the same time. I commend you on being a great mom and putting her first. I will continue to follow your blog, and if I spot something worthy of sharing, I will do so. Keep up the great work. And, happy early Mother’s Day.
This is great news for me. I live in southern WV and Kroger is about the only chain grocery store around other than the supercenters. I’ve never been able to find very good deals on Kroger so this is awesome!
Congratulations!! I am excited because I am a Kroger shopper and still get the reap the benefits of your hard work. I love your blog- good luck to you!!!
Bummer! I wish I had a Kroger in PA 🙁 But, your family NEEDS to come first. Good luck with your blog changes and homeschooling and THANKS YOU for all you have done for me in the past, you saved me alot of money 🙂
Hi K
You’ve been and will remain my favorite coupon Queen. How anyone wouldn’t understand and spank you if you didn’t make the decision you have (oh and not comprehend that the way you may teach takes more time than someone else explaining “steam while cooking” is beyond me…good luck to that kid!). I am an exclusive Kroger shopper so yay for me and my family and have an exciting summer!
Its a huge loss to the blog-o-sphere, nobody does it like u. But at the same time, how could you care about the blog-o-sphere when you have that sweet little face looking up at you?? I totally understand- I gave up an amazing career to focus on my little one. EVERYTHING else in the world can wait, but the child I chose to have cannot and will not. This part of my life is his; and I could not aspire to do anything more important with it than raise him right. I fully support you in your choice and applaud your wonderful priorities. And since Kroger is the only store I really shop anymore, I am sure you’ll be seeing me just as often as ever. Best of luck, lots of warmth, compassion, and gratitude coming from me to you. <3 Felicia
Best of luck to you. I’m sad… you have always had the best blog, offering the most deals. I’ll stick around as I have a Kroger. Unfortunately their policies have changed so much that I rarely shop there. I second the referral to Happy Homemaker Cindy! I love her blog. Thank you for all the countless hours you’ve spent helping us save. I’ve learned everything I know about couponing from you!!!!
Good Luck, I understand why you need to do this. I will continue to view your blog. Again, good luck to you and your family.
You go, girl!!! Keep your family first! Isn’t that we are all trying to do….make a better life for our family…by saving some cash? I applaude you!
Will miss you and your deals..we have no Kroger in town and the nearest one is 45 minutes away. :0( I learned how to coupon by reading your blog and tips on your posted deals…THANK YOU for the education! I have saved tons of money since I started couponing.
I applaud your commitment to family first! :0) Best of luck with homeschooling. I had four kids and just couldn’t do it…you are one strong woman! :0) I will still follow your posts on Facebook and will say a prayer for you in your new adventures! Best wishes Coupon Katarina! :0)
Family first, everything else second, third, etc. I will STILL follow you and what do you know, I HAVE KROGER here. 🙂 All the best with the new adventures and do what feels best and right to you!! 🙂
Good Luck, You are always right on top of it. Our Kroger affiliate doesn’t double, but still get great deals through you. So I can’t wait to see the changes, I am sure they will be wonderful as always. Thanks for all you do.
I just want to thank you for all the hard work! I completely understand, since I myself have shifted my focus on the most important things in life (my family) and it feels great!
I also homeschool my 12 & 11 yo’s. I know how time consuming it is, good luck! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! I will also be sticking around the blog. We do have a Kroger here. I used to shop them every week, but they changed their coupon policy to only 3 IP’s per day. That made me mad, so I haven’t been back. I’m sure I’ll get over it and eventually start shopping there again, so I’ll have you’re blog ready to roll when my feelings get over being hurt by them! 🙂 Hope everything works out the way you plan!! Good luck!!
T.
Congrats on your new focus! Since you are going to be putting a lot of energy to homeschooling first grade – you should blog about this! It would be great because you are still starting in the begining~ Just a thought! 🙂
Great news for us here in Georgia. I work for Kroger and have for 38 years. I always check your site for Kroger deals and I will spread the word to my friends and co workers. Very kind of you to give non Kroger shoppers other sites to go to. You are a Gem!
Wooo, you had me scared. I thought you were about to go away on us..your one of my favorites. LOVE Kroger and will of course still follow your blog!! 🙂 Family comes first…no mater what!!!
Good luck. I will miss the “old” site but look forward to a site where I don’t have to sift through so much.
As for a “whole lot of work for Kindergarten” and more for 1st grade, I don’t understand that. I homeschool and we do NOT have tedious work. My little one is in 2nd grade and we do our “paperwork” and throughout the day I teach during our normal life. When I am cooking, I explain steam, temperature, measurements, etc.
I am a sped teacher for CAVA (California Virtual Academy). I wish you well on you new venture in homeschooling your little one! It will definitely take ALOT of your time, but well worth the effort. K12 is a fantastic curriculum. We will miss the blog (don’t have Kroger here), but completely understand and wish you the best. Thank you for all the great deal leads over the past few years! You are amazing.
Best of luck to you. My Kroger in Albuquerque does not double, but often has great deals. I will continue to follow you, you have saved my family tons of money.