Hip2Save’s Sweetest Memories Over the Past Decade
We’re strolling down memory lane!
As I’m reminiscing over the past ten years, I am amazed at how much we’ve grown, and how much all of you loyal readers mean to me. ❤ Hip2Save would not be where it is today if it weren’t for the constant outpouring of love, support, and loyalty from all of you.
From Blogspot, to Life Gives You Lemons, to “Coffee with Collin” and “Follow Me Mondays“, to the Hip2Help Tour, to the TODAY partnership, to shopping at Target with Ma and my Dad, to Hip2Save and now Hip2Keto, and SO much more… we’ve been through a lot, grown a bunch, and we’ve loved every bit of the journey. ❤
Here’s a walk through the past 10 years and the moments which have meant the most…
2008: Hip2Save founded on BlogSpot
Look at my little ones! Way back in 2008, I started Hip2Save on BlogSpot to actually help me be more accountable with my spending. I was a young stay-at-home mom with three kids (who were at the time ages 7, 3, and 2) and my husband was also serving in the Marines — and we had a lot of debt 😬.
By writing things down on the blog, I was motivated to take the necessary steps I needed to start my frugal journey. But once I got going, I actually realized how much fun saving money could be and wanted others to know! I was onlinepelled to show everyone, especially the younger generation, that saving money and using coupons is actually HIP, and not just for adorable old grannies! And that’s how Hip2Save was born 😁.
2009: NEW Hip2Save Site Launched
If you’ve been following Hip2Save since we were on BlogSpot, you may remember the day that they took the blog offline 😳. I absolutely panicked. I was freaked out, upset, and genuinely so sad.
But when life closes one door, you just open it back up — it’s a door. So I found a team who helped me create a new and improved Hip2Save site on WordPress and we were up and running within a only few days! Plus, my incredible sister Bryn jumped on board to help me as the site had grown so much over the previous year — I was beyond thankful for her help!
Who remembers these fun logos we used to have on Hip2Save.online? 😁
2010: Life Gives You Lemons 🍋
During the early years of Hip2Save, I learned how to be resourceful and clever to find fresh ways to save money. In this Follow Me Monday video about how to have a cheap date night, and I mentioned putting lemons in my water and making lemonade instead of buying a drink. I thought, “this is simple but brilliant way to save!”
But man, did that make some people mad… That video sparked quite the debate, and I have to say that it was very eye opening to the nasty things that can be said on the internet. But, in truly fitting make lemonade from lemons fashion, we started the super fun “Life Gives You Lemons” T-Shirt Reader Giveaways as a way to show that when life gives you lemons, you should keep them… because, hey, FREE lemons 🍋!
2011: Hip2Help Tour 🚌
I’m about tear up just thinking about the amazing experiences we had in 2011. This year had some of our best memories ever ❤. The Hip2Help tour made me realize that life is such a blessing and tragedy can strike absolutely anyone. I was incredibly inspired and amazed at the generosity of Hip2Save readers and the willingness to step up to help those who were devastated by the terrible tornadoes. You gave SO much and restored my faith that there can be SO much good in this world! I couldn’t be more proud of the amazing Hip2Save onlinemunity.
Also in 2011, we partnered with TODAY.online based on the huge response Hip2Save readers had to Jill’s Steals and Deals. It was definitely a new journey and a learning experience along the way.
2012: The Morgans Move to Idaho
This was a GIANT step for me and my family! After over 10 years of service, my hubby was medically discharged from the Marine Corps after injuring himself during physical training. It was a concerning time that left us wondering what would be our next move. So we moved — literally!
We took the 2,500 mile trek from North Carolina to Boise, Idaho!
Check out what I wrote in this post from December of 2011:
As we drove off the base, I lost it. I couldn’t seem to hold back the tears. Part of me hoped we could just turn around and go back to our house on base – rewind time and cherish all of those wonderful memories we’ve made. As we curved around the road to leave base, I looked up and couldn’t believe what I saw. Yep… exactly what you see above. Idaho plates.
You can read the full post here.
While moving can be such a drag, there was a light at the end of our journey as we were about to be so much closer to my two sisters and awesome mom who live in and around Boise 💛.
2013: Lina Joins Hip2Save
Oh, my lovely Lina 💕. Hiring her has been one of my proudest moments as she adds a wonderful touch to Hip2Save with delicious recipes and creative DIY projects, which was so necessary for me as cooking and crafts are not my strengths. Throughout the past 5 years, Hip2Save has benefited immensely from her talents and I’m fortunate enough to have gained a new friend in the process! Have I mentioned she makes a mean keto pizza?!
2014: Hello, Instagram and Ma 📷
Can you believe that Hip2Save first posted on Instagram way back in 2014?! This was well before influencers and over-filtered pictures took over the social media platform. My first post was of my favorite person — my sweet Ma. She graced the site with her joyful presence and I know readers loved her just as much I did! Who can forget all the fun we had Target Deal Shopping with Ma and my dad back in the day 😂!
I love looking back on these moments and sweet memories with Ma as it reminds me of all the valuable life lessons she taught me. Words cannot express how much I miss Ma and her beautiful life❤.
2015: How Coupons Saved My Life Video
2015 was when things got very personal. I had decided to open up to you all with a video about my life. But this wasn’t the fun and quirky side everyone was so used to seeing — it was my story about addiction and depression, and it left me feeling extremely vulnerable. Truthfully, this was a video I actually filmed back in 2012, but I just couldn’t bring myself to share it back then.
As much as this video dug into my personal struggles, what it really represented was how those little things called coupons have done so much more than save me money — they onlinepletely saved my life. And while it took me a while to gain the courage to share my story, you truly filled my heart from all the love and support in the onlinements 💛!
On a much lighter note, we also launched TONS of new site features back in 2015 — including the popular HIP List that made saving your favorite posts so much easier!
2016: “Big Red Ball” Music Video
This by far was the most fun video we’ve ever created at Hip2Save. If you’ve followed me over the years, you know that I LOVE April Fools Day… and Target! With my army of fellow deal lovers, we created the “Big Red Ball” Music Video and loved every minute of filming it! Now that I think of it, we’re totally open to suggestions for our next parody video 😂.
2017: Hip2Save Employee Retreat
It’s no secret that it’s not just me who makes Hip2Save run every single day. I’m lucky to have a team of amazing men and women across the US who work for the site! Since many of them work remotely, I had the Hip2Save team gather for an employee retreat. It was really the first time that we had met each other and were all together under one roof — you can only imagine how much fun we had 😄!
We had the chance to truly bond together (on a personal and professional level) and re-establish our onlinemon goal towards building the ultimate money-saving resource full of the best deals, frugal tips, budget-friendly recipes, and so much more!
2018: Has it Really Been TEN Years?!
And here we are in 2018! We’re already halfway through this year and we’ve got some awesome projects onlineing down the pipeline. Our growing team is hard at work developing new ways to make Hip2Save even better so that we can provide you with the best deal shopping experience possible. 😉 We can’t wait to keep making memories for the next 10 years and hope you’ll continue to join us through this exciting journey. 🙌
