Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Saving on Family Fun

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Saving on Family FunOne of the biggest changes in our budget is the need to account for an additional person when it comes to family outings.

Everything from plane tickets, to dinners out to attending our local hockey team now have three people instead of two. Though this is something we obviously expected with a child, it was nice to enjoy the early days!

Gone are the newborn days when she would quietly sleep through the odd dinner out or stay snuggled in my arms, usually asleep during a local hockey game. The little girl is a full grown toddler who now demands her own meals and requires her own seat and if we’re not careful, it can get crazy expensive.

While there are certain things we can’t do anything about, like extra seat for airplanes there are many other areas you can save on.

Meals Out

Eating out isn’t a huge part of our lives (I’d much rather entertain at home) it does happen occasionally. When possible, we opt to look for restaurants that not only have a kids menu but offer discounts for kids such as kids eat free.

Growing up we would go to a restaurant where they offered free Shirley Temples for kids and my parents had to pay $0.10/pound of body weight for kids under 12.  Though restaurants probably can’t get away with literally weighing kids in the restaurant anymore, there are still many places the have kids eat free with the purchase of a regular entree.

Online Deals

Online sites such as Groupon can be a great place to find coupons and deals for a family that makes an otherwise unattainable event, possible. This can include things like buying discounted restaurant (I often buy gift certificates for our favorite restaurants when they come up at 50% off) or deals on ticked events.

Take Advantage of Specials

Our local movie theater caters to families during regular school breaks such as spring break and Christmas break by putting on discounted days and promos like buy one ticket get one 50% off. During the rest of the year they offer a cheap ticket price on Tuesday. Going to the movies on Tuesday if the only way I pay, especially with children. If you don’t know, call and ask!

Friends of ours always take advantage of our local stage theater by taking their kids to ”pay what you can” night. Basically you show up on the first Tuesday of the seasonal performance, stand in line and pay whatever you can. Tickets normally start at $40 per person but on this night you can pay as much or little as you want.When you have a family and a budget this sort of event is perfect. This is something the theater has always done but never makes a big public announcement.

Good deals usually require some digging!

Membership Discounts

Sometimes it pays to have a kid (in terms of savings acquired).

If I wanted a membership to our local rec center I would be looking at $600 per year as an individual or I could get a family price (no limit on children) for $750 for the year. My husband, daughter and I can all capitalize on the gym, pool, rink and hundreds of classes for only $150 more per year and as our family grows the price stays the same (as is it locked in as long as you renew annually). This membership also gives us some ”free” events to partake in during the year when we’re looking to have a little family fun without breaking the bank.

How do you save on family fun?

Coupon Tips and Tricks

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Coupon Tips and TricksMoney is hard to come by these days. But why sacrifice the things you need? Saving money is definitely an art that few people have mastered. You might have a budget or monthly spending plan to keep your finances on track. However, if you want to take your savings to the next level and beef up your bank account, learn how to make the most out of coupons.

Coupons are a godsend for financially strapped families. Whether you need to save on groceries, clothes, home decor or entertainment, there is a coupon to meet your needs.

1. Never shop online without a promo code. Promo codes are an excellent way to receive free shipping and discounts on online orders. Simply go online, search promotions offered by different retailers and shop according to the savings. NerdWallet coupons feature savings for practically every shopping category from health to school supplies.

2. Check online before buying in the store. Shopping locally is one way to obtain products quickly. But if your local online retailers do not have coupons and promotions, you can spend more than necessary for an item. For generic or everyday items, such as home decor, crafts and clothes, the Internet is your best bet. Let’s say you need party supplies or craft items. Rather than head to your local party store, check coupon codes for Oriental Trading and save on your purchase. You may find a coupon code to discount your purchase, letting you buy more for your money.

3. Use multiple coupons. For items that you use regularly, don’t be afraid to use multiple coupons and stockpile your food supply. For example, if you have six $1 off coupons for yogurt, go ahead and purchase six. And if you wait until the item is on sale, you’ll maximize your savings and keep more cash in your pocket.

4. Combine coupons with store sales. Watch for grocery store sales and plan your shopping trips accordingly. Call the grocery store and inquire about double coupon days, or check the Sunday’s paper for sale information. Combining a coupon with a buy-one-get-one free offer, or another discount can significantly reduce your grocery bill.

5. Combine store and manufacturer coupons. Did you know that you can use more than one coupon for a single item? Several grocery stores allow both manufacturer and store coupons. And if you know how to play the game, you can actually get cash back. Let’s say you purchase a jar of pasta for $2.50. If you have a store coupon for $1.50 off and a manufacturer coupon for $1.50 off, the grocery store will refund you $0.50.

Couponing can be a bit intimidating and time consuming. But it doesn’t take long to grasp the routine. Learn how coupons can save your family money and you’ll free up cash for more important things, such as a stronger emergency cushion or perhaps a family vacation. Get the newspaper, head online and check your mailbox. Don’t let free money pass you by.

Getting the Most From Your Shopping Experience with Coupons

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Making The Most of CouponsIf you go shopping on a regular basis, whether it be for food, household items, or clothing, it’s a little pricy when you leave with a basket full of items. One of the best assets to have if your going any type of shopping, is to have some coupons. There are millions of coupons that get printed everyday, the trick is to get your hands on the right ones.

Along with all of the paper coupons printed in the daily newspaper, you can also find coupons online. Depending on what you are searching for, whether it be coupons or promos for clothing, deals that you can find and use on your groceries, the gift of floral arrangements, or even electronics, then there is a coupon that is available for you for whatever it is that you seek.

 

The Basics of Finding and Using Coupons

First you have to find the best coupons to use. There are a ton of different ways to get coupons.

The most common way to find coupons is in your local paper. Every day there are coupons, but the best coupon days are usually Sunday and Wednesday. In fact, that is why you typically pay more for the Sunday paper.

If you’re in the know, you can also buy inserts from the Sunday paper. There are typically outlets that will sell these in bulk. This is the “secret” that many extreme couponers don’t tell you. That’s how they get multiples of the same coupon.

Second, you can find a lot of coupons online. Most retailers put coupons on their website for you to print out.

We also maintain a list of coupons to print: Printable Coupon Page. We update the list regularly for coupons that you can print out online. Be sure to check back.

 

Saving Even More Money With Double Coupons

You’ve seen it on TV, but the trick to saving the most money with coupons is to double coupon. Most retail stores and grocery stores allow some type of double coupons.

At grocery stores, you can typically do straight double coupons – where you use two manufacturer coupons per item.

At retail stores like Target, you can double coupon with one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon (i.e. coupons from Target).

 

Combo-ing Coupons With Online and Store Discounts

The next big way to save is that you need to take advantage of the unique discounts that each store offers.

At grocery stores, this typically involves joining their club. Being a part of the grocery store club not only allows for special perks, but it get’s you special sales and discounts on products. You can then combine this club discount with the coupons you have for even more savings.

At retail stores, you can now find apps that are luring shoppers with savings. For example, Target has Cartwheel and Walmart has Savings Catcher. These apps provide special discounts which you can combine with your coupons for even more savings.

 

The Icing On The Cake: Partnering Coupons With Ads

Finally, the creme de la creme is to combine all of your couponing efforts with the store ad this week. This is how the best do it to save the most money.

Typically, the best deals you’re going to find involve buying multiples or buying something and getting a gift card. For example, you could find a sale for Buy 2, Get a $5.00 gift card. What if you could also find a double coupon that made the original item or very cheap? Then, you’re getting the $5.00 gift card on top of the coupon saving – which you can then spend later. That’s free money!

What other coupon tricks do you have?

Is Black Friday Worth the Hype?

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Black Friday humor

(via Falling Fifth)

I have ventured out on Black Friday a time or two. The first time I ever did this was during the Furby craze! These annoying little robotic toys were all the rage during Christmas season 1998 or 1999. I didn’t have children at the time but one of my BFFs did. These chatty creatures were in such high demand that each customer was only allowed to purchase one at a time — and my friend had two kids. I thought it would be fun adventure to get out there with all the other bargain hunters — plus, I wanted to help my friend. So we met at a department store at 3:30am the day after Thanksgiving.

For those of you who are avid Black Friday shoppers you are probably thinking, “What? 3:30am? You must have been at the back of the line!” The rest of you are probably wondering, “What the heck were you thinking?”

Well, we got our Furbies but it was pretty wild out there. My friend and I made our Black Friday outing an annual tradition for about 4 years. I think the only other super great deal we got was a Barbie Dream House for her daughter, which was normally $100 and I think it was on sale for $40. Even though we were far from the front of the line we got it and it was worth it — her daughter was thrilled on Christmas morning.

Is Black Friday really worth the hype?

For many people the answer is yes. For me? The answer is yes and no. Sure there are great deals to be had but you have to to get up ridiculously early to even have a chance at some of the hottest items. I’m not saying you won’t save money because you will, as long as the items you go out for are still in stock by the time you get there. Retailers leure you into their stores with promises of crazy low prices on specific items but they usually only have a few of these items in stock. So let’s say that you see a 32″ HD TV advertised for only $99.  If you are one of the very first people at the front of the line you have a good chance at getting this item. The bad news is, you may have to skip the pumpkin pie to start standing in line before the sun even sets on your Thanksgiving Day.

Online retailers take notice of Black Friday sales and the folks at Amazon.com are constantly dropping their prices to one up other retailers. So if you don’t want to wait out in the freezing cold or throw elbows with the big boys and girls, you might just want to start shopping early and do some research so you can find the best deals on and offline. Another great thing is that a lot of stores today will price match competitors if you have the ad with you. This can help save you time and money.

Now for the record I’m not saying shopping on Black Friday is a bust. I do like to hit the stores after I have slept off the tryptophan from the day before and had a few cups of coffee. I usually get out around 10-11am. By this time the crazy has settled and there are still a few Early Bird Specials to be had.

If you do want to venture out:

Have a plan

Look at the ads and decide which stores and what deals you want to take advantage of. Write it down!

Got coupons?

Bring those too. There are often retail coupons, which you can find online that can be used in addition to sale prices but read the fine print just to be sure.

Don’t take it too seriously

Have fun! Make a plan to shop till you drop, then meet friends for breakfast or lunch. This can help you de-stress. Plus, it’s fun to compare deals.

What do you think about Black Friday? Are you a die hard shopper or do you stay away from the stores as much as possible on that day?

Online Coupons ~ Spend Less and Get More

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I have talked a lot about couponing lately but most of those posts have centered around using coupons in stores — and not really about getting great deals online. While I do try really hard to do the majority of my shopping locally, there are many times when buying online is just so much easier and in some cases, less expensive. Plus, there are many instances when buying online is the only way to find exactly what you are looking for.

One of the great things about shopping online is you can quickly compare prices between several stores. This can help you save a lot of money. Another great thing is that from time to time these online store offer coupon codes. COUPONS — yippee! These codes are usually good for free shipping, a percentage or certain dollar amount off an order and sometimes (if you are super lucky) you can find coupon codes that make items free — or almost free once you add shipping.

How to Find Coupon Codes

So how does one find these elusive coupon codes? It’s actually pretty simple. First of all, here at Kids Ain’t Cheap we have a Family Coupon Code Directory. There you will find many codes to help you save money on everything from baby furniture to audio downloads. Check it often because we get new codes all the time.

Search Engines

Another thing you can do is to do a search for: (your favorite store) coupons before placing an order.

Here’s an example, I was looking for a certain iPhone cover for a friend’s birthday. He wanted his alma mater’s logo and I had no idea where to find such a thing. I first searched for iPhone covers with his former university’s name. The company Coveroo.com came up and had exactly what I was looking for. The price seemed comparable to other covers I had seen — but I wanted to see if I might be able to save just a little bit more more money. On the home page of the site was 20% my order with xyz coupon code. SWEET! I still decided to look via my favorite search engine to see if it might turn up an even better coupon. Guess what — it did! So not only was I able to save 20% I also got free shipping. I was so please that when I was asked if I wanted to include personalization on the cover (my husband’s name) I said, “Heck yes I do!” So I got more that I had anticipated and still ended up spending less than I thought I would.

There are a lot of other ways to find coupon codes as well. If you love a certain brand, item, store, etc. sign up for their newsletters. It is a good idea to have a separate email account that you have these types of emails set to that way your personal email account does get overloaded.

Facebook

Also, if you “like” certain pages on Facebook you can sometimes get printable coupons or coupon codes periodically. I have been waiting for a Petco coupon for while and haven’t seen any come through. My dog’s food is kind of spendy (but she’s so worth it!), so I try to stock-up when I find coupons for the food, which are extremely hard to come by. However, in my news feed on Facebook the other day there it was a coupon code! If I hadn’t “liked” their page I wouldn’t have seen it. If you are on twitter you can also follow certain brands and stores and some of them will periodically post special offers and coupon codes as well.

Coupon blogs

I have also talked a lot about following coupon blogs. These folks will also post details about online deals as well. This can come is especially handy with the holidays just around the corner!!! Speaking of the holidays shopping online can save you a trip to the post office and many online retailers offer free shipping during this time of year to entice you to buy from them.

So what are some of your favorite ways to save online?

5 Lazy Couponing Strategies

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Couponing is great! As I have mentioned before, I have been bitten by the coupon bug and I have had a great time learning the ropes from experienced coupon bloggers in my area. So far it it has saved my family and I lots of money — plus it’s really fun (and a little addicting). Even though I enjoy doing it, I simply do not have the time, energy or drive — to spend hours on end working as hard as some of these extreme couponers do. So as you might imagine, I am a HUGE fan of couponing shortcuts and that is what I plan on sharing with you in this post today.

If your goal is to get cart loads of items for free or almost free, or reduce you bill for grocery and household items by 80% or more, or you want insider information from an highly experienced couponing expert — this post is not for you. There are many awesome couponing gurus from all across the country who are sharing their tips and tricks and all kinds of great coupon information on blogs. I am what some might call a lazy couponer — or perhaps a better, nicer term might be a laid back couponer. I have only been couponing effectively for about four months but during that time I have learned a lot and I am excited to share what I know.

So without further adieu here are some simple tips that you can use to save on your grocery bill:

1. Pay Attention

I had no idea how much things really cost. I know that may sound silly but I really wasn’t paying attention to the actual price of the items we were purchasing. I had a general idea of course but when I really started to look at the prices – and realize what was and wasn’t a good deal – it really opened my eyes. Prices on items can vary drastically. I thought all retailers were within a few cents of each other on most items, but boy was I wrong! I would have to say that this is one of the most important tips for saving money because even if coupons became extinct, you would still save just by being observant and shopping sales.

2. Do Your Research

I do not have time to spend hours on end matching up the coupons I have, with items that retailers put on sale. This was probably one of the biggest reasons I didn’t coupon before — I just didn’t have the time to commit to such a project. Luckily, there are people out there who do this for a living and I love them for it! I have three favorite coupon blogs that I visit. They do store and coupon match-ups, they alert me to other sales that I might find on the internet, they provide money saving tips and they do so in a fun and informative way. Oh yeah, and the best part is it’s F-R-E-E. Just be sure that if you decided to take advantage of any coupons or deals they tell you about, that you use the links provided on their site. This is how they can bring such valuable information to you at no-charge. I highly encourage you to seek out these sites in your area. Facebook is a great place to find these people and if you have any frugal friends, ask them who their favorite coupon bloggers are.

3. Get Organized

Before you embark on any shopping trip it is to your advantage to check out what sales are going on at the store you are headed to. I usually just check out one of my favorite coupon blogging sites, make a list of the things I need and the deals that are going on and then I compile my coupons. Sometimes I take my whole coupon binder but most of the time I just throw coupons in of things that I know will be a good deal. It would be nearly impossible for these sites to list EVERY sale item, so it’s good to keep an eye out for other store savings. You can always go back later when you have your coupons with you.

4. Stock Up!

When you see a great deal — stock up! This is really a money saver. Paying attention to sales cycles is a great idea because then you will know what items go on sale at certain times of the year. If you purchase these items when they are at their lowest and stock up until their next sale cycle starts you’ll save a lot! Most of the coupon blogs will make note of “stock up” prices which is helpful for folks like me.

5. Make it a Lifestyle

Saving money can be like a diet. You might do really great for a month or so — you might lose a few pounds (or save a few bucks) then you might revert back to the old ways. If you want to save money you really can do it simply and it really can make a difference. It is a relatively painless process. Sure there is a little hassle associated with it but no pain, no gain right? You don’t need to starve yourself you look like a supermodel, just as you don’t need to spend your every waking hour obsessing over coupons. Once you get into the swing of things you’ll be able to save some money and have a great time doing it!!!

My next post will be about how to save money other than using coupons…stay tuned 🙂

How much effort do you put into couponing?

Couponing Dos and Don’ts

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Couponing Dos and Don'tsAs I mentioned last week , over the summer I decided to give couponing a real go. I am pleased to say that I have had so much fun saving money and stocking up on things that my family and I use the most. I am in no way an extreme couponing queen. I am probably what some might consider a lazy couponer. If you want to save money but don’t have 40 hours a week to burn, then I’ve got some tips that can still help you save money with coupons.

However, that post will have to wait for another day…

Today, I am going to share some couponing dos and don’ts. These are things I have learned from my own experience and from all the wonderful couponing blogs I follow. I had no idea some of the lengths people will go to to get coupons — some of it may surprise you as well. Couponing the right way means being ethical, being courteous to the store, the store employees and other shoppers who may be trying to save money for their family as well.

Couponing is actually pretty fun. I seriously NEVER thought I would ever hear myself say that; not even as I began my couponing journey/experiment. Saving money isn’t just about the coupons themselves — it’s also a combination watching sales cycles and stockpiling (not hoarding). If you have been wanting to try it out I highly recommend giving it a go but I’ll warn you , it can be a little addicting.

Do Get Organized but Don’t go Overboard!

Don’t go crazy! This is something I always have to tell myself when starting a new project. I once tried – unsuccessfully I might add – to crochet. Well, I actually tried it twice the second time was when I was on pregnancy bedrest — but the first time I tried it, I rushed out to the craft store bought a ton of yarn, about 10 different crochet needles in various sizes, and a couple of books on how to crochet. I didn’t crochet a thing! So, as you can see I tend to go a little overboard when starting out. This is why – when I decided to start couponing – my first instinct was to go out about buy 20 newspapers the first week, a binder, a bunch of baseball card holders to put the coupons in, a DVD on how to coupon, etc.

Being organized is key — for sure. However, when you first start out you won’t have enough coupons to fill a binder but a small coupon organizer is a great investment. I actually used envelopes in the very beginning. Now, I do have a binder but I still use my small organizer to hold the coupons I know I will need for certain trips to the store. I worked up to it slowly. So far — so good.

Do stockpile but Don’t hoard

We don’t have a very big house so I know my limits on what we have room for and what we don’t. I also know that certain items go on sale at different times of the year. It’s ideal; to buy when the prices are at their lowest, utilize coupons as much as possible and have enough stock on hand to last until the next time those items go on sale. If you pay attention to grocery sale cycles it can help you calculate how much of a certain item your family will need until the next sale cycle.

Let me just say, there are very few people who need to purchase 70 bottles of mustard. If you own a hot dog stand or a ballpark — sure, you might use that much or more. Buy what you know you’ll need. However, buying something just to buy it – AND clearing the shelves to do it – is excessive and rude. If you do own a hot dog stand and you want to purchase 100 bottles of mustard at the super low price – that’s awesome – just be sure you call the store ahead of time and pre-order the amount of items you want to buy. This helps the store and the other customers who would also like to get a good deal on that item.

Do buy what you’ll need but Don’t forget to check expiration dates!

When you are making purchases be mindful of expiration dates and only buy what your family will use. There are many items that never expire, so buy what you have room for — if your house is busting at the seams but you find a rockin’ deal on toilet paper that you can’t pass up get it and give it away. Getting great deals also allows us to give more to others. Couponing will benefit your family and allow you to bless others as well.

Do ask friends and family for their unused inserts but DON’T steal inserts.

Do I really have to say this? Sadly, yes. There have been reports of people heading to their local store to purchase newspapers, only to get them home and realize the inserts have been removed. There are so many ways to get coupons and inserts. You should never have to stoop to this level and there is no deal in the world worth stealing for. Instead, ask friends and family for their inserts. You can even post on twitter and Facebook that you would love to have any leftover coupons people aren’t going to use and I’m sure you will be flooded with them.

The rule of thumb is one newspaper for each person in your household. If you have four people in your family, then four papers should be good. There are certain times when you may need or want more coupons but I bet if you ask around you can get more. Some people purchase coupons off of eBay. I haven’t done this and I’m not sure that I will ever get to that point but it apparently works well for some people.

Do have fun!

It is such a rush to get good deals. I love it! I don’t get tons of stuff for free but if I can even shave 20% off of my grocery bill, I am a happy camper! 🙂

So do any of you coupon? What advice might you have for folks just starting out? What are some of the best deals you have ever done?

My Mission if I Choose to Accept it… Couponing

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CouponingCouponing! I talked about it in my extreme couponing post. I mentioned how my husband and I have attempted to use coupons — and how we just haven’t been very good at it. BUT, something inside of me  keeps pushing me to really give a go. It could be all the episodes of Extreme Couponing that I’ve been watching,maybe it has something to do with the fact that my Mom hands me a stack of coupons every time I see her, maybe it’s the blogs I’ve been reading, or maybe it was my friend telling me how much she saved and how she did it.

My guess is that it is a combination of all of these things. So — I have now made the decision to really try this coupon thing and see where it takes me. Now, before you all start worrying about me — I’ll just say upfront that I won’t be stock piling a bunch of stuff, or buying things I know my family and I will not be able to use within a reasonable amount of time (unless of course I plan on donating it or something). My husband has clutter-phobia!

Okay fine — maybe he’s not afraid of clutter but it drives him nuts and makes it makes him grumpy. So even if I wanted to store toilet paper under the beds, or soup in the fireplace — he would have none of it.

Let’s Get Started

After speaking with my friend – who has shared some of her couponing tips with me – I decided to see what I could do. Sunday morning, I headed to the store and bought two newspapers. I figured if I’m going to do this, I might as well make sure I had a good amount of coupons. I really wasn’t confident enough in my abilities to buy five papers — which I am told (by my mother-in-law who took a couponing class) is the amount of papers serious coupon experts purchase.

Got Coupons ~ Now What Do I do?

I spent some time comparing the coupons I had on hand (that my Mom had given me the week before) with the weekly ads. One store had double coupons. Sweet!

I was also elated to discover that there are wonderful people who do the coupon comparisons for you  — and it’s free. All you have to do is follow their blog. There are two ladies in my area – that I follow – who do this. I have “liked” their pages on Facebook and these fantastic coupon mavens post a LOT of great stuff. Not just grocery deals either. They post restaurant, department store, and internet deals as well.

If you do some research and I am sure you will find someone in your area who does this too. I would start by checking out Facebook and twitter — this will then link you directly to their blog.

An example of what I can find on my favorite coupon web sites is this:

American Beauty Pasta $1.25/$0.75
$0.55/1 Quick Cook coupon from 4/17 Smart Source (if included)
Bottom line: $0.20

She tells me the store, the coupon, and the date it was in the paper. Then she includes my most favorite part — the bottom line (how much I have to spend).

I don’t know all of the ins and outs of couponing and I don’t pretend to, but I am learning and as I do I’ll share some of my experience with you.

One thing I have learned, is that couponing people are super sweet and love to pass the savings on to others who love to save. My most recent example of this is happened when I was at the grocery store on Monday. I was feeling pretty good about myself because I found a fantastic deal on Raisin Bran Crunch cereal. I also had two coupons with doublers. As I was standing in line, the woman next to me saw that I had the coupons in my hot little hands. She ended up giving me 2 better coupons, telling me that if I bought four boxes of cereal — I would get an in-store coupon (aka Catalina) for a free milk. She even saved my place in line as I ran to get the other two boxes! THEN she made sure I had the doublers because she was going to offer me some of hers! I saved even more money, got even more cereal AND a free milk all because of her generosity. Very nice. She even apologized for all the coupons (she didn’t really have very many actually) and said that she and her husband were taking their kids to Disneyland because of the money she saves couponing. I say…sign me up! 🙂

Do you have a coupon story to share? Any tips or a favorite couponing web site?

Extreme Couponing ~ How do These People Do It

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extreme couponingHave any of you seen the show Extreme Couponing on TLC? I’ll go ahead and admit that my husband and I are not great at using coupons, we aren’t even really good at it. We try to use them occasionally — but we either forget to use them, or we end up spending more than we wanted to, because we end up buying things we probably wouldn’t have purchased. It just never seems like there are ever coupons for the things we actually do use.

This is why, when I watched Extreme Couponing I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. How on Earth do these people rack up a $300, $400, $500 or even $1000+ grocery bill and get away with spending $40 or less? In some cases they even get money back! It is crazy!!! Not only that — but they shop in some of the more expensive grocery stores that we try to avoid — especially when we are doing our weekly grocery shopping.

The drawbacks of extreme couponing

As far as I can tell, there is a lot of research that goes into extreme couponing. The people who are master couponers — have to know what the coupon policies are for each store, they need to know what is on sale, what coupons can be double and those that cannot. Also, extreme couponers have to be very organized and most put in as many hours (or more) as you would at a full-time job! This is not an activity that you can do, and do in an extreme way, unless you are very dedicated and super organized. I think it also becomes a sort of game and in some cases an obsession.

In doing some research, I was disappointed to learn that one of the extreme couponers featured, has allegedly committed coupon fraud and apparently did so on the TLC show. I won’t go into all the details – because there are a lot of them – but if you want to read about it, visit Jill Cataldo’s blog.

Another thing I noticed – is that when they show the homes of most of these couponing people – they have their own little mini-mart set up. They just have so much stuff and it’s everywhere. My husband would seriously freak out if we had that much clutter around our house — but I get it, they are saving boat loads of money so it makes sense to buy 70 bottles of mustard at one time…right?

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with extreme couponing. I think it’s great! If people can do this (if they do so without committing coupon fraud, which I think is how most people do it), I think they are very smart and dedicated individuals.

It would sure be nice if there was a show teaching people how to properly and effectively use coupons, instead of a show where we just stare at the screen – eyes wide is disbelieve – as these super couponers work their magic. It probably wouldn’t be as entertaining though.

Since I’m not great at coupons, I don’t have any fantastic advice on the subject. Do you?

How do you use coupons most effectively? Do you buy a bunch of Sunday papers to get coupons? Do you spend hours searching for deals on line?

Review of Groupon and Tips for Using It

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Groupon is a popular deal siteI have known of Groupon for awhile now but until recently, it wasn’t available in my local area.  I used to check out the site and see what deals were available in Philadelphia, which is about an hour and a half from us, but with two kids, work and a very tight budget, we don’t get the opportunity to go into the city as often as we used to.  I was pretty excited when Groupon starting offering deals right in our town and it looks like it plans on launching sites for many of the surrounding areas very soon.  The company seems to be growing at an amazing pace, hopefully the people behind it are able to manage that growth so they don’t become the next dot com fatality but only time will tell.

Groupon Deal of the Day

For those of you that don’t know, Groupon is a “deal of the day” web site that provides huge savings in your local area.  I have seen the savings range from 25% to 75% off with most being close to the 50% off range.   Each deal has a tipping point that activates the offer.  In other words, if enough people don’t buy it, then the deal is null and void.  Most of the time, more than enough people jump at the deal.   The deals can be for almost anything.  In the short time it’s been available in my local area I have seen discounts for restaurants, local stores, flying lessons, spa treatments, and more.  It’s part of the attraction of the site, every day brings something new and you feel compelled to read the emails, check the Twitter feed or view the site to see what the days deal is.  It’s the perfect execution of a viral marketing plan.

It’s hard to see how some of the companies that use Groupon actually make money.  To keep the math easy, let’s say a local restaurant offers a $100 meal for $50 (a pretty common deal on Groupon) the restaurant doesn’t get $50.  They split that money with Groupon so Groupon get’s $25 and the restaurant get’s $25.  After selling that particular deal, they still have to offer the $100 meal that was advertised.  It’s not unusual for hundreds of people to jump on a deal like that so if you do the math, it’s quite a lot for a small business to absorb.  Talk about eating into your margins!

Despite all that, there seems to be no limit to the number of companies interested in offering a huge discount on sites like Groupon.  So, how do they make money or at least hope to make money, offering such huge discounts?  I have a few thoughts this:

  • It’s a service or product that has huge margins and they can afford to offer big discounts in the hopes of gaining a new customer
  • The company knows it will lose money on the deal but hopes it will make up for it by the increased exposure and the chance to capture new and repeat customers
  • As with most coupons/gift certificates, a certain percentage of people will buy the deal but will never actually use it.  When that happens, it’s pure profit for the business offering the deal.

The only negative press I have been able to find online is from companies that have used it and failed to turn a profit on their particular deal but is that really Groupon’s fault?   They seem to be pretty up-front about what they have to offer companies but I have no first hand experience.  I am sure I am missing some strategies that businessmen smarter than me have been able to take advantage of and I would think that a good portion of the companies that use it must make out alright for the company to be growing as fast they are.

How to use Groupon

Okay, so enough about how Groupon works for the businesses that use it, let’s take a look at the customer, the end user for the service.  Can you really save that much using Groupon?  Absolutely!  That I know for certain.  The deals they offer are legitimate and easy to cash in on.  Before you give them your credit card number and start buying up discounts and special offers, we do have a few tips on how to best use the Groupon site:

  • As with any coupon, don’t get sucked in by the deal and spend money on something you didn’t need or never intended to buy in the first place.
  • You can get $10 just for referring other people to Groupon who make a purchase.  I signed up and referred my wife, my sister and my parents.  If they opt into any of the deals that come along, I will get $10 to spend on any deal I want.
  • The site can be fun and addictive, don’t let that overrule your own common sense.  If you can’t really use it, it doesn’t matter how good of a deal it is, don’t spend your money on it
  • If you do buy it, make sure you pay careful attention to the expiration date.  They are counting on a certain percentage of people buying into the deal but never getting around to actually using it.  If you aren’t sure you will be able to use it before the expiration date, don’t buy it.
  • Take a look at what other customers have to say about a particular deal before you purchase it by clicking on the “Jon the Discussion” link.
  • I never buy into the deal the first time I look at it.  I typically check out the Groupon site first thing in the morning before work.  If I am not interested, I don’t go back until the next day.  If I am interested, I wait a few hours and go back to the site on my lunch break.  It gives me time to think about whether I will really use or need the offer and helps to remove some of the emotional excitement from the transaction.
  • Make sure you read the fine print so you know exactly what you are getting and what the restrictions are.
  • If you are interested in the service, make sure you register and create a profile, it will make it a lot easier to purchase deals and keep track of what offers you have available to you.

I highly recommend Groupon, if you can exercise a little self control, it’s a great way to save a LOT of money.  You can check out their web site and sign up by going to Sign Up with Groupon


Do you use Groupon? How do you make it work for you?