Since this is my first "official" blog post about couponing, money saving and what not, I figured I would give an overview of how I save money and then go from there. I'm not a seasoned blogger so bear with me through these first phases of my journey.
I've always been a bargain hunter. It's in my blood. Both of my grandmothers used coupons while I was growing up and one of the fondest memories of my childhood was when Grandma Anne would save enough Del Monte UPC's to get me a new country yumpkin. They were stuffed animals shaped like fruits, veggies and farm related animals. I still have them to this day! And they were all free!!
Times have changed and you don't get as much bang for your buck as you used to. With the downturn of the economy, I saw more of a need to watch what I was spending and how I could save money. I wanted to still be able to enjoy the things in life that we had grown accustomed to like going to concerts and the occasional night out. The more I looked into things the more deals I found. And it didn't take very much effort at all to start reaping these benefits. Most are just a matter of paying attention to sales, reading and organizing things. And when the savings started to add up, it became FUN!
Coupons have always been around, and now with "extreme couponing" being en vogue, they are all over the place. Let me start off by saying I am not an "extreme" couponer. I don't have a stockpile to last me thorough armageddon. I buy what we use and need. There is no point in having 87 bottles of mustard in your home if no one eats it! If you get it for free, that is great but be sensible and donate it to someone that uses it or to a local food bank. That way, everyone wins! I also find those that buy out the entire store's supply of one item just becasue they can to be greedy and selfish. If you find a good deal, then get what you need, maybe a little more but don't empty the bin so no one else has the chance to take part of the deal. Can we be frugal and sensible? Yes, I do believe we can!
Coupons - No brainer really. Grab a Sunday paper and there you go! You have a start. I used to use one of the little cardboard coupon organizers, but those didn't hold up very well. Moved up to a plastic one which held up nicely and was portable, but I found myself flicking through coupons all through the store and it was obnoxious searching for that one coupon that I just couldn't find int he mix. So, I bit the bullet and started a coupon binder. Found a brand new zipper binder with pockets at Goodwill for $1.50. The baseball card sleeves that come 9 to a page work great. Separate and organize how you wish and off you go!
(Much more info. on coupons to come)
Coke Points/Rewards - Do you drink soda? Most major lables have some sort of point system. I was a diet coke drinker for a long while. Not so much now, but I do occasionally like a nice cold one ;p Each bottle cap has a code on it that is worth 3 points. Each 12 pack has a code worth 10., and so on. Save those caps and start a mycokerewards account. The points add up quickly and there are rewards available for anyone's tastes. I've been able to make wonderful photo gift books for family members for FREE!
If you know me, you know going to concerts is one of my favorite things to do in the entire world! Obsessed with is? Sure, why not! The feeling of watching one of my favorite artists perform live is amazing and worth every red cent. Wouldn't you know I found a way to save on that too! mycokerewards let me redeem points for a $10 off credit to livenation. So, when I got tickets to see A Perfect Circle this summer, you bet I saved $10 on those!
Disney Movie Rewards - Do you buy Disney movies? Ever go to the movies to see a Disney movie? Well if you do, then you have another way to save! Keep your ticket stubs and earn points by submitting them to DMR. That DVD of Tangled we got for Maddy just earned us 125 points, all in entering a code! As a thank you for being a DMR member for 2 years, I earned a free Blu-Ray! All I paid was $4.99 shipping and processing, AND it came with a DMR code! So it was basically free and I got points! You can get free DVD's, discounts, figurines of your favorite disney character and so much more. It's a free club so why not join?!
Well, that is a good chunk of info. to start. Stay tuned for more, and comments and requests are always welcome!!
Happy Friday!
Kelly
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