Secrets of a SuperSaver
by
Janet Woody
Copyright
2012 Janet Woody
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition License Notes:
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
CONTENTS
My Journey to Becoming a Supersaver
Combining Coupons w/ Sale Items
How Much Can You "Really" Save?
My Favorite Manufacturer's Sites
My Favorite Coupon/Saving Sites
My Journey to Becoming a Supersaver
To say our economy isn't doing well, would be an understatement. Times are tough and with the price of food and other commodities rising daily, everyone is looking for ways to save. I started to coupon about a year ago, after realizing I was paying more for food, than I was on our mortgage. At the time, I had just retired my real estate license, which had allowed my family to live comfortably for the past 7 years. I knew if I was going to stay at home with my two kids and rely solely on my husband's income, we would need to re-evaluate the way we spent money. When I heard coupons would allow me to purchase all the necessities my family would ever need, at only a fraction of the cost, I was all in! Since my curiosity was fully peaked, I knew I had to educate myself with everything savings. Thus, my journey began. Follow me as I share some basic tips to becoming a Supersaver!
Coupons were introduced in 1895 by the Postum Cereal Company (aka Post). Coupons issued during this time were valued at pennies, which is nothing compared to the "dollar plus" coupons we can find today. The coupon industry is a 300 billion dollar a year business. That‘s right, I said BILLION! Problem is, we utilize less than 1% of this enormous amount each year! Why oh why do we throw away this FREE money?! To put it simply, Coupons = Cash. If you think this way, you've already learned the most valuable tip in becoming a Supersaver. When you find products to purchase, you have to pay for them. By handing over coupons, your overall total gets reduced! So yes, coupons are as good as cash and are the STAPLE to maximizing your savings.
Combining Coupons w/ Sale Items
This is the KEY ingredient to maximizing your savings. By combining coupons with products that are already on sale, you will be able to obtain everything you need at only a fraction of the cost. You can even stack your coupons (discussed in another chapter) to increase these savings even more and most of the time, get products you really need for absolutely FREE! Your ultimate goal should be to keep your out of pocket expense (otherwise known as OOP) as low as possible, while still obtaining the products you truly need. I'm not just talking about food either, savings are EVERYWHERE. You can find amazing deals on anything you could ever imagine...clothes, shoes, dining out, car repairs, entertainment, travel and healthcare, just to name a few.
Supersaving is like putting together a puzzle. Once you have all the pieces in place, the entire picture comes together. The bonus, most of these pieces are already provided for you. All you need to do is put them in their appropriate place. There are numerous saving sites now available on the internet that are amazing! It's important you become familiar with a few to get you started. These sites already have built in communities of other Supersavers trying to accomplish the same goal...SAVE MONEY! These sites also provide coupon match-ups (which we will discuss later), coupon databases, daily deals, helpful tips and so much more.
Make sure and utilize these sites to their fullest. Most sites offer a free email sign up for daily or weekly updates. We have all heard the saying...two heads are better than one. Well, just imagine 200, 2000 or even 200,000 heads. That's a lot of Supersavers helping each other out. There is no possible way we can capture every deal, see every sale or know every coupon policy but with a community of Supersavers focused on the same goal, you'll be amazed at the wealth of information that is available at your fingertips. Use these sites to ask questions and obtain additional saving secrets. I promise you, there is always another Supersaver out there willing to help!
Supersaving is not only a strategy, it's a mindset. You have to shop smart to SAVE big! You must have a positive mindset towards shopping so you can stay ahead of the game. By preparing prior to a shopping trip and educating yourself with savings knowledge, you will guarantee yourself savings at the checkout! To keep it simple…
Plan Ahead: Constructing a list of items you need, gathering the weekly sale ads, reviewing online databases and pulling your applicable coupons are all means of planning ahead. Once you have your materials together, it's time to organize.
Stay Organized: Set up a filing system you are comfortable with, coordinate your shopping list with the weekly sales (most savings websites do this for you), pull the needed coupons and allow yourself enough prep time before and during your shopping trip. These are all key components to staying organized.
Practice, Practice, Practice: As with anything, practice makes perfect. The more you work at it, the easier it becomes and the less time it will take.
SUPERSAVER BONUS TIP: It will take some time to get used to these practices. There may be some frustration which is completely normal, but once you get the hang of it, you will see just how fun and enjoyable saving money can actually be!!
Where do I get all those coupons?
Sunday Newspaper: Sunday's Edition of your local newspaper contains manufacturer coupon inserts. Red Plum, Smart Source and Procter & Gamble are just a few coupon inserts that may be available any given Sunday. Most newspaper companies offer discounts on subscriptions for any number of reasons, so you may want to check into your local paper's options. Either way, you will want to start picking up at least one copy every Sunday to start stockpiling those precious coupons to help you save!
Printable Coupons: There are a number of coupon sites out there that offer printable coupons. Prints are usually limited to two per computer and are usually reset at the beginning of each month. Coupons.Com, CouponBug.com, CouponMom.com, SmartSource.com and RedPlum.com are just a few.
Store Coupons: CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Target and many other stores offer their own coupons. These are actual STORE coupons and can only be used at the store that issues them. Most of the time, these can be used in addition to a manufacturer coupon (know as stacking), which I will discuss in a later chapter.
Tear Pad: A pad of manufacturer coupons that are usually found near the product that is being promoted.
Magazines: Many magazines have coupons. The "All You" Magazine would probably be the most popular magazine for savings. This magazine is sold exclusively at Walmart and will pay for itself when you see the wealth of coupons it offers. Good Housekeeping, Parents, Baby Talk, Woman's Day and Redbook also offer great coupons. Make sure and keep an eye out anytime you read a magazine...you'd be surprised how many savings you can find inside.
Facebook/Twitter: So many companies are utilizing social networks to spread the word for their products. Don't be afraid to take advantage of these great deals! I find multiple high value coupons, FREE product offers and fabulous giveaways just by searching these sites daily.