Coastal Office and Promo Products

The Coupon Craze! Is it worth your time?

2012-02-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Save Time. Save Money. No Hassles.
At Coastal we can help your business concentrate on what is important to your line of work and not the supplies it takes to run your business. As a coupon clipper, i found this article interesting, Enjoy!

Ever wonder if coupon clipping is worth your time? While it can save extra dollars and cents, it can also cost you time and effort. So, is it worth it? Some say we should just wait for sales and buy in bulk and we can fore go coupon clipping altogether.

Here's a quick guide on how to assess if it's worth your time

How Much Do You Make Per Hour?
If you only know your gross salary per year, here's a quick way to figure out how much you make (gross) per hour. Take your salary, $40,000 as an example, and divide it by 2,000 hours to get $20/hour.

Many people argue that time is money. With that in mind, if you spend an hour clipping coupons, you should expect at least a savings of $21 to make it worth your time ($20 for your "wage" and $1 to make a "profit".) However, if you've only saved $5, then you've just "lost" $15 in earnings you otherwise could have made.This time-is-money philosophy can be dangerous, though, because it starts to account for every hour of your day, even the ones where you sleep and can't make any money!

Many people don't necessarily charge overtime either, so whether you work 40 hours or 60, it makes no difference in your hourly wage, in fact it lessens it. Besides, if you already have a full-time job that you work 40 hours a week at, the rest of your time is free time for you to do whatever you please without any economic productivity.

Therefore, if you clip coupons on your free time, you would actually be "earning" extra dollars for each coupon you clip.

Would You Buy It Anyway?
Many people see a coupon for an item and decide to buy it because it'd be cheaper than at full retail cost, but in reality, you should look at whether you were going to buy the item to begin with.

Let's say it was a coupon for a pair of nail clippers. You could get $1 off a $4 pair, for a savings of 25%. This is a great deal, but do you really need another pair of nail clippers? If you don't need to replace what you have, then you've just wasted $3 on an unnecessary purchase.

Also, watch out for impulse purchases that are made just because there's a coupon. Savings on an impulse item doesn't necessarily justify the purchase. However, if you were going to buy white vinegar this week, then clipping the coupon only takes a few seconds for quick savings.

Do You Need to Travel Farther to Use the Coupon?
If the coupon is for a 50-cent savings on an item but has to be used at a store 20 minutes out of your way, it may not be worth your time, or even the gas to get there!

Or even if you need to go to multiple stores to reap all of these savings - it may not be worth the hassle and the traffic, depending on how far apart these stores are, and if the savings are big enough to be worth it.

Watch out for in-store coupons, rebates or sales. Know what staples you need each week so you can scan the list of coupons and quickly pick out what you'd buy and what you wouldn't. You can also keep a coupon binder and clip any coupon you find interesting but don't have a use for right away, but you may use in the future. When it comes time to buy the item, then you can bring out your coupons to score some great deals.

The Bottom LineClipping coupons doesn't have to be a chore and if you already have idle time (such as when you're in front of the TV), why not clip coupons and save a little cash? It may not yield big savings all at once, but if you saved $5 a week, you're still $260 richer at the end of the year. After all, any money saved is still money that stays in your pocket and saving may become second nature before you know it. (For additional reading, also check out 4 Coupon Sites Worth Checking Out.)

10 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy at the Office

2012-01-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

There are a number of steps you can implement with very little effort that can help you stay healthy at the office. A little bit of planning and a few small additions to your daily office routine can help you live a healthier lifestyle.

1. Stay Hydrated

Water helps your body with physical and mental performance, detoxification and digestion. Keep a water bottle at your desk and you’ll find it much easier to drink the recommend 8 glasses of water each day. Adding some ionic trace minerals can help ease stress due to dehydration and result in sustained energy throughout the day.

2.Clean Your Work Area

Is your desk making you sick? Your keyboard, mouse, telephone and even your desk itself harbor germs, microorganisms, viruses and bacteria. Use disinfecting wipes, a UV light or a natural micro-fiber cloth with a disinfecting solution to help keep your workspace clean and free of contaminants.

TIP: Don't forget about your cell phone, it's a breeding ground for bacteria and one of the filthiest items you come in contact with each day.

3.Wash Your Hands

In addition to your immediate workspace, anything you touch at work could potentially be harboring contaminants, so it’s a good idea to wash your hands regularly. Ordinary soap and hot water is sufficient for washing your hands and face. If you’re in contact with a lot of people during the day, keep a small bottle of a natural hand sanitizer nearby in your desk or car. Remember, even if you maintain good hygiene and a clean workspace, others you work with may not.

4. Use Full Spectrum Lighting

Poor lighting in your office? No windows in your workplace? Regular office lighting can leave you feeling drained. Get a small full spectrum lamp for your work area, you may notice a big difference. Simulating daylight inside, full spectrum lighting is not only brighter, it saves energy and is easier on your eyes.

5.Take it Easy on Your Eyes

Poor lighting may not be the only problem for your eyes at the office. If you're working at a computer all day, be sure to look away from your monitor periodically and focus on other targets at varying distances to give your eyes a rest every 15-30 minutes.

6. Get a Good Chair

If you're spending 8+ hours in a chair almost every day, investing in a high quality chair can have great health benefits. No seat can enforce all the proper posture habits at work, but switching to a good chair may provide you with an immediate benefit and make a difference in the way you feel at the end of the work day.

7. Get Up. Walk Around. Stretch.

Take a break, stand up, and move around every 30 minutes or so. Simply getting up and moving around for a few moments combined with some light stretching can help keep you focused, less fatigued, and feeling better.

8. Eat Healthy

Good nutrition is the foundation for any healthy lifestyle and it's not difficult to incorporate some of that into the work day. Try to make better decisions about your eating at work and be sure to take a quality multi-vitamin with each meal. Proper dietary supplementation with super green foods, probiotics and omega-3 essential fatty acids can often have a huge impact on your overall health.

Snacking on seeds and nuts at work can provide sustained energy with many health benefits. Supply your body with essential fats, protein, minerals, and immune system boosting plant sterols just by eating a small handful of nuts and seeds including pistachios, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

9.Use an Air Purifier

Place a small, portable air filter near your desk to keep the air in your environment clean. This can be especially valuable if you suffer from any allergies, are sensitive to air pollutants, or if you work in an office environment with poor air ventilation.

10.Get a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep is vital for your body's healing and regeneration. Getting enough quality sleep boosts your immune system and energy levels while improving memory, concentration and reaction time. Getting a good night's sleep is a surefire way to look better, feel better and work better each day.

Stay productive, happy and healthy!

WOW! The Tallest File Cabinet in the World

2012-01-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

WORLDS TALLEST FILE CABINET - 7 Stories High!

An office worker’s dream or actually worst nightmare was created by Samuel Yates in California, USA. It is now recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as ‘The Tallest File Cabinet on Earth’. Seven stories high this, in actual fact, is not one filing cabinet, but a total of some 60 individual drawers stacked and welded together – and all in the name of art. Check out more of Samuel Yates art here.

You think its really tall, but wait it gets better...... It contains a 1974 MG Midget sports car that was donated, shredded, steamrolled, photographed, bagged, labeled, numbered and filled away. The parts are filled from heaviest to lightest in order not to create the leaning tower of files.

This Months Featured Sale Item
It's not 7 stories high but this
Four-Drawer Economy Vertical
has a great sale price till 3/31/2012 Reg Price: $299
Sale Price: $189

Scroll Down to see the the entirety of this structure, that most of us know as four drawers high.
Call or visit our website for more specials. 366-5502
buylocal@coastalop.net

Win some Hoops Time at The Ted

2011-12-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

Get Ted Constant Clubbin'

Two luxury club level ODU basketball tickets! Two passes to the Big Blue room for pregame fun with the faithful! Its maximum Home Team fun whether or not you're a Hoops nut.

Start by grabbing your December Smart Deals Extra. (Click here for the eflip book version if you don't have the printed copy) Email John.Willcox@Coastalop.net the following correct answers:

Page 19, What is the percentage savings for the page? (Hint..its in a Monarch blue area)
Page 26, What do you get for free when you purchase two HP toner cartridges?

The 2nd correct email will receive two club level tickets to the ODU vs VMI game on December 22.
The 10th correct email will see the Monarchs take on the 10th ranked team in the country from Missouri,

Get started now!

You Can Help Save Their Christmas

2011-12-01T07:34:00.001-08:00

A local Head Start Program is in need of your community support and they need you! Every year the Head Start program helps more than 1500 preschool children here in Hampton Roads with education, nutrition, health and social services. During the holiday season families in need receive toys from a Salvation Army holiday assistance program. This year everything didn't go as planned and we have good news and bad news, which one would you like to hear first?

Bad News:
Unfortunately the Head Start leaders missed the October deadline to apply for this program through Salvation Army. The new management company CDI (Denver based) took over the Head Start locations in March and were unaware of this application process. "I don't know how that happened," Dowden said of the omission. "The person who handled this for the past 45 year left us in March, and no one at the time was thinking about Christmas, so it just slipped through the cracks." Lawanna Dowden, who directs Head Start for CDI told the Virginian Pilot.

Good News:
After several business owners and many individuals caught wind of this news, they decided to step up and collect toys for these children. The Meridian Group, a local marketing and communication firm, had been looking for a holiday service project and decided this was the one! They have quickly launched a website Save Their Christmas, creating posters and asking fellow local business to donate toys, provide drop off locations and most importantly spreading the word.
Coastal Office Products is more than thrilled to help collect toys, pick up donated toys from various business's from Chesapeake to Newport News. We truly do care about how we can help these children enjoy their holiday. At Coastal you are always a neighbor never a number. Call 366-5502 or email rachelkemp@coastalop.net to donate an unwrapped toy. Collect them in your office and we will come pick them up.

More Good News:
The Salvation Army has released that they will offer an extension on the application deadline till Monday Dec 5th for Head Start. Mathew Pochily, spokesman for the Salvations Army's Tidewater Command told the Virginian Pilot today "We heard an outcry today from people in the community who want to help this group directly," Read more on this story here. This does not mean the coast is clear, The Salvation Army has expressed that they need the community to help make this happen. You can make a difference! Call or email Coastal Office Products at 366-5502 or rachelkemp@coastalop.net to get involved.

ODU vs NSU Football- Are You Ready?

2011-11-21T13:09:00.001-08:00

To win tickets CLICK HERE to find our Smart Deals Extra flipbook here. Click on the book image and allow it load, then just flip the pages. Be the 3rd person to email john.willcox@coastalop.net with

price of Universal product on bottom of page 13 and the FREE item on top of page 26.

Its a day of firsts this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Foreman Field on the campus of Old Dominion University, when the ODU Monarchs and NSU Spartans square off in the first round of the playoffs of the Football Championship Series.

Its first time either Norfolk State or Old Dominion have made it to the FCS playoffs.

Its the first time ODU and NSU have met on any football field.

The Monarchs are the first team ever to make it to the playoffs in its 3rd year of play.

The event will also host the first battle of the ODU and NSU bands with each group given six minutes to play.

And Its the first time Hampton Roads has had this much reason to be proud of our local NCAA football programs. Coastal Office and Promo Products is very proud to be a supplier to ODU Sports Properties and NSU Athletics.

Tickets are sold out. The tailgate will be legendary. The game will be epic. Your chance to win tickets is a few clicks away.

Follow this blog by email or google for chances to win ODU Basketball tickets all season long.

(Ticket contestants CLICK HERE can find our Smart Deals Extra flipbook here. Click on the book image and allow it load, then just flip the pages.)

2011-11-15T08:55:00.001-08:00

Coastal Office & Promo Products has become the proud supplier of ODU Sports Properties Office Furniture. Coastal planned and installed three complete office suites, conference area and reception for the sports marketing organization's renovated offices on the Old Dominion University Campus. "Coastal did a great job finding the right furniture to meet our business and budget needs," says ODU Sports Properties General Manager Chuck Gray. Coastal also became a supporting partner of ODU Sports for the 2011/12 season. Go Monarchs!!!!

"Supporting our ODU home teams is part of Coastal's commitment to our home town community" according to Coastal president, John Willcox, "It's that local pride that helps make us different than our national chain competition."

Join us at a ODU Basketball game this season. Follow our facebook page, blog, website to win 2 "club" level tickets, Big Blue passes and prizes at the game. Head over to our ODU page and sign up for specials.

ODU vs Howard University on Wednesday November 16, 2011 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center at 7pm. 6,624 fans were at the last game vs Long Island University on Nov 14,2011. Don't miss out on the next home game. See you there!

Lets Be Elfish this Year

2011-11-08T15:44:00.000-08:00