Online Coupons Can Help Keep You On Budget

March 21, 2013 By MotherCreative Leave a Comment

Using online coupons can help you keep more money in your pocket!

One of the easiest ways to save money is through couponing and online coupons are now a huge trick of the trade. What many don’t realize is that saving money with coupons, whether traditional or online, is not quite as easy as some people make it look. Couponing, like any other money saving strategy, requires some research, planning and dedication. However, it doesn’t require much of an investment other than time. Because of the low cost and high potential savings, lots of people have jumped on the coupon bandwagon.

Where to Find Them

Because the majority of businesses today have an online presence, many companies and stores offer coupons that you can access directly online. Some even make it possible to have online coupons sent directly to your cell phone via text message. This allows you to simply show your phone at the register and the cashier can either punch in the code or scan the bar code from your phone to let you take advantage of instant savings.

You can also find a wide variety of online coupons by visiting various websites that specialize in connecting consumers with the wide array of coupons available online today. There are several large players in this game, so finding the site that works best for you shouldn’t be too difficult.

Finally, one of the newest methods of couponing is through a card that you can download coupons to. Of course, using this method will require you to make a list of what coupons are on the card, along with values of each so that you know what you should be purchasing and how much you can save.

Things to Remember

Every store has a coupon policy. Many stores allow you to stack coupons, which means using a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon. I’ve had several people ask me if they could use an online coupon and a store coupon together. Generally, the answer is yes; however, this varies by store. I’ve also had people ask me if they could use an online manufacturer’s coupon with a manufacturer’s coupon obtained from their newspaper inserts. The answer is no. In my personal experience, I have never come across a store that will allow this.

Unfortunately, store coupon policies are not always clear. Because of this, it is important for couponers to perform their due diligence before they plan their shopping trip. This means clarifying any questionable areas in the policy with the store manager. Once you are familiar with your store’s policies, you can plan a (hopefully) flawless trip and really maximize your savings.

Filed Under: Coupons 101, Extreme Couponing, Saving Money Tagged With: coupon policies, coupon policy, couponer, couponers, couponing, coupons on cell phone, manufacturer coupon, manufacturer's coupon, online coupons, save money, store coupons

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How to Save Money on Electronics

February 6, 2013 By MotherCreative Leave a Comment

Saving money on typically pricey purchases is just as important as saving money on your groceries. In fact, you could do your grocery shopping for a month with coupons and likely not save as much as you could on a major electronics purchase – but only if you play your cards right. So how can you keep $100 or more in your pocket?

Here are a few different methods I use to save the most money on electronics:

Coupons – yes, you CAN find coupons on electronics. They are rare, but they exist. In many cases, you can find store coupons for a percentage off your total purchase or a percentage off of a certain amount. Either way, it saves you cash, so use it! Even if it’s only a 15% off coupon, if you’re planning to spend $800 on a computer or television, that little piece of paper is going to allow you to keep $120 of that in your pocket. I’ve even seen an occasional promo code from Best Buy for 25% off of some items. Imagine the savings!
Watch for the sales and plan to shop them. There are several different times of the year that electronics go on sale at deep discounts. The holiday season is one of them, but don’t forget about tax season and the fall back to school sales. If you can shop the sale AND use a coupon to discount your price even further, you can often save several hundred dollars off the regular retail price on items like computers and televisions.
Check for damaged boxes, dents and dings. Every single one of these issues can lower the price, but only if you mention it and ask for the price to be reduced. If you don’t ask for the reduction, don’t expect it to be given automatically because that’s not likely to happen.
Ask how much the floor model is. If you’re purchasing an item that has been set out for display and there are limited quantities available, the store may be inclined to sell the floor model. Because it has been out on display and already used, you should be able to purchase it for a significant discount compared to a product that has never been out of the box. The same is true for returned items.
Are you in the military or a veteran? Be sure to claim your discount. Most stores offer at least a 10% discount for veterans, providing you are able to flash them your military ID card to prove it.
Using store loyalty cards or store credit cards also often result in an additional percentage off of your purchase price. These discounts often range between 2% and 10%. Don’t let these discounts go to waste if you have them on hand.

Put these tips to good use the next time you plan to purchase electronics. If you can combine two or more of the tips above, the savings can be significant.

Let’s look at a hypothetical scenario:

You’re a veteran that wants to purchase a brand new HDTV. You have the cash, but you wait for the sale to maximize your savings. The television you want retails for $899, but the sale price is $799. You find a coupon for 15% off your total purchase of $250 or more and you have a store credit card that will save you another 5% off your purchase. The store has the television you want in stock, but the only one left has a damaged box.

You put the item in your cart and find a store employee who you can consult regarding the damaged box. If the box is damaged, a typical consumer might feel that the item itself could have sustained some damage as well. Even though the product looks okay, whatever caused that damage might have jolted the product enough to damage it internally. Are you taking a risk? Yes, absolutely! That’s why you should not hesitate to ask for a discount due to the potential damage to your item. If you get it home, open it up and it doesn’t work, then you’re out the time, labor and gas money it took to get it home and back to the store. It’s not unreasonable to receive 10% – 20% off for this alone.

So the employee calls the manager, who approves a 10% discount. You take your product to the cashier. You obtain your 10% manager discount for the damaged box, use your 15% off coupon, use your military discount for another 10% off and then pull out your store credit card to save another 5%. Congratulations! You just saved almost 47% off of your electronics purchase! That’s a savings of $420!!!

Yes, now you all know why I’m addicted to saving money. It’s like going to the casino – but I always walk away a winner!

Image credit: Justpowers

Filed Under: Coupons 101, Other Ways to Save, Saving Money Tagged With: best buy promo code, coupons, discount, discounts, how to save money on electronics, how to save on electronics, promo code from best buy, save money on major electronics, save on electronics, save the most money on electronics, saving money on electronics, saving on groceries

Easy Ways to Save When You Shop

January 20, 2013 By MotherCreative 4 Comments

With the economy in shambles and job security growing more uncertain, it is more important than ever to sock away every penny you can. There are many ways to keep more in your pocket, whether it is by saving on utility bills or learning how to get more product for less cash. I prefer the latter, because I am working on building a stockpile for my family.

There are many ways to save money when you shop, but most consumers simply don’t take the time to take advantage of them all. Of course, if you don’t follow personal finance gurus, money-saving bloggers or have close friends and family members to teach you, it can be a long journey. Below are a few tips to help you on your quest to save more cash and boost your budget.

Coupons – of course!

Coupons are a fabulous way to stretch your shopping dollar. Whether you are shopping for groceries, clothing, shoes or services, there’s a good chance that you can find a coupon to help offset those costs. This may be a monetary amount off of a certain item, a monetary amount off of your entire purchase or a percentage off of your purchase. Obviously, coupons vary from product to product and from store to store. If you want to save the most money when you shop, you have to do your research.

Shop the Sales

There’s something to be said for a fabulous sale – it’s true. Black Friday is one example of an almost guaranteed day to save. However, there are also big sales at many other points during the year that you shouldn’t overlook. Back to school sales are usually held in mid-late July or early August. You’ll find tax season sales from early March – April 15th. You’re also going to find goods on sale around each of the major holidays. I’ve noticed that the sales are usually better up to a week before the holiday you are shopping for. Of course, the best sales are the ones we don’t expect, so always keep your eyes and ears open.

Price Matching

Price matching is something that several stores are doing nowadays. Because of this, many savvy shoppers are able to waste less gas and less money by getting more of the items they want at one store. What is price matching? When an item is on sale and listed in the sale ad for a specific store, but another store (let’s use Walmart as an example) offers price matching, you can shop at the price matching store. When you get to the register, simply show the sale ad from the other store to the cashier and you will receive it for the competitor’s advertised sale price. Please note that any price match items do have to be the same brand, size or advertised style.

Research Products Online

If you want to make sure that the items you purchase will fit within your budget, then you’ve got to do your homework. Sites like PriceGrabber.com, Inc can really make a big difference when you’re dead-set on saving every dime you can. Sites like this allow you to instantly check for the best price available. You can use these sites to find the best deals on a wide variety of items, but I have the most success with clothing and shoes. In fact, yesterday I saw Levi’s jeans were on sale for $21.99! That’s a deal! Want to make that deal better? Pair it with a coupon!

Rewards – Use Them!

Whether you have a store loyalty card or have managed to get the nifty little Catalina’s to print out some spendable credit at your store of choice, you have to be sure you spend it. Don’t let those rewards go unused and certainly don’t wait until they expire to realize what you’ve got! That’s free money that you’re throwing away if you do! In fact, many of us couponers use these rewards to help lower our out of pocket cost and build our stockpiles with ease. Check out one of our store match-ups to get a better idea of how you can use these wonderful little blessings.

Don’t Shop Hungry

It might sound silly, but I promise you it’s not. Shopping while you’re hungry can influence not only the amount of food you purchase, but the types of foods you purchase. This is a new year. If you want to stay on track, you can’t set yourself up for defeat by going to the grocery store with a rumbling tummy. Grab a bag of trail mix, a granola bar, a handful of almonds or cashews – anything that is going to help tide you over until you can make it to the store and back. I guarantee it will make a difference.

Mix It Up!

Don’t limit yourself to just one method of saving. There are so many fabulous ways to help keep more of your money in your pocket that it just makes good sense to combine them. Use coupons, rewards and sale prices together whenever possible and I promise you that you will start to see a huge difference in what you spend while shopping – providing you don’t spend what you save on something you really don’t need.

Filed Under: Coupons 101, Extreme Couponing, Saving Money Tagged With: consumers save money, coupons, many ways to save money, price matching, rewards, sales, save money, Spotlight, ways to save money

What I Learned from My Neighbor: The Extreme Couponer

October 18, 2011 By MotherCreative 8 Comments

Last week, I went across the street to visit my neighbor. She’s an extreme couponer and I finally decided to ask her for some coupon tips. She’s probably going to read this and chuckle, so thank you, Lori!

Seriously, I’ve been having a rough time trying to figure out the whole “extreme couponing” thing. I’ve been watching the show, collecting the coupons, paying attention to the sales ads and all of that good stuff, but I just wasn’t putting it all together to save a fortune. In fact, I’ve actually started purchasing more store brands instead of using coupons to save money on the name brands. Lori gave me some great information that I doubt would have sunk in had I continued to try to pursue extreme couponing on my own. Sure, over time I would have managed to figure it all out, but I want and need to save now!

So, here’s what I learned…

If you are going to use coupons, use them wisely.
Know your store’s coupon policy.
Pay attention to any coupons that the store may offer in addition to the manufacturer coupons. Check online, in inserts and in-store.
Keep an eye on the sales and specials that each store is offering – for instance, our local Target (Alton, IL) is offering several “remodel specials” to celebrate their recent remodel.
Pair manufacturer’s coupons with store coupons and specials to maximize savings. You can find tons of websites and blogs that will show you coupon match-ups in your area. Heck, if I can find the time, I might start doing it soon.
Don’t clear the shelves. This is greedy. If you were to come behind someone doing this and needed the product that they just cleared out, it would be disappointing and frustrating. Think of others.
Watch the register at check-out to ensure that all coupons are scanned and take off the proper amount.
Always question issues.
Enjoy your savings and your haul!

I used my Target receipt for the image above because I’m so proud that I was able to save more than 70% on my shopping trip. Here’s what I did right:

I kept an eye on the ads to see what was on sale, then had a friend tell me that Target was offering several specials to celebrate the store’s remodel.
Got online on Target.com and checked out the store coupons, printed the ones that I could match with manufacturer’s coupons I already had and paired them together so that I could easily locate them.
Went to the store completely focused on only buying items that I could save a ton on.
Walked through the store and successfully followed through with my plan without impulse buying anything.
I nabbed a cool Transformers toy for my son for Christmas and it only cost me $2.19!

What I did wrong:

I forgot to grab a bag of frozen chicken breasts that were on sale for $4.99!
I didn’t pay close enough attention at the register. If you take a close peek at the receipt, the numbers don’t add up. I ended up losing $2.00 in savings due to the cashier not properly ringing the coupons for $1.50 and $0.50 off that I had for the Dog Treats and the Extra Gum.
I didn’t check the receipt before I made payment.

Regardless, I’m happy with my savings and have learned from my mistakes. I plan to use my newly learned coupon techniques to help my family save money, hopefully build a stockpile, pay for Christmas and stay on budget. What will you use yours for?

Filed Under: Coupons 101, Extreme Couponing, Mother Creative's Corner, Saving Money Tagged With: build stockpile, coupons, extreme couponing, save money

Borrow Some Techniques from the Extremely Thrifty

July 14, 2011 By Maritza C 6 Comments

With the economy still under repair, you have probably thought of resorting to joining the extreme couponing bandwagon. The use of extreme couponing techniques has proven that people can leave stores with mountains of free products. Although you may not want to take it to extreme measures like some individuals on TV, you can still learn a few things from these thrifty spenders in order to save money. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Coupons 101, Deals and Steals, Extreme Couponing Tagged With: coupon, coupons, extreme couponing, free products, in-store sales, save money, thrifty spenders

Organizing a Coupon System That Works for You

July 1, 2011 By Katrina Moody Leave a Comment

Coupon System = Saving money

Organization is the key to successfully using a coupon system—whether that is a binder, container, or envelope—and it’s the key to saving money. The truth is, most people never think about how they are going to organize those coupons and then wonder why they haven’t been saving money at the grocery store. Let’s break down the key steps to organizing those coupons and have you ready for that next sale in just minutes a day.

Couponing Tips the Coupon Queens Use

Create a coupon wish list by going through the brands that you already use, and the products you buy weekly. When you stick to only one brand, put it down, but when you don’t care about brand loyalty just list the item (like “toilet paper” instead of “Cottonelle”).
Scour the Sunday paper for those Sunday coupons and always pull those inserts out. Subscribe to the newsletters at your favorite brands’ websites and be the first to know about their printable coupons. Do your own search for printable coupons—but only print the ones you know you will use!
Concentrate first on the brands you know you will use—search for grocery coupons on products you buy already, or which are on your own coupon wish list. Quickly search through inserts for these products and clip those coupons first. When you choose printable coupons always check for these first and make sure they are worth your ink.
Decide if you want to organize each coupon alphabetically by product name or if you want to organize them by categories. If you are thinking of categories, think about the layout of your favorite store and list categories similarly (like pastas and rice, or prepared foods).
Put a cheat sheet together to help you remember how you are organizing each type of coupon, if you choose to use categories. For instance, you’ll never find the peanut better if you are looking for it under prepared foods but you decided to list it under the kids’ food category instead. Write or type the list on a small piece of paper and add it to the beginning of your system.
Most folks have a favorite way to organize their coupons, either by using a container of some kind (even a shoebox!), a binder, or a trusty envelope (easy to lose and not so trusty!). In another series of articles we’ll go through all your different options, but if you are just starting out you don’t need anything fancy. Consider a basic organizer you can get at any store, which looks like a mini accordion file.
Spend a few minutes every day either clipping, filing, printing, or otherwise getting your system into order—this is important! You need to spend a little time each day, otherwise you will stare at a mess of coupons and tell yourself if isn’t worth it!Saving money is always worth it!
Test your system out and refine as needed.

That’s it, the simple way to get those coupons organized, one coupon at a time, in just minutes a day. What are your favorite or most-used tips for organizing coupons?

Filed Under: Coupons 101 Tagged With: Breaking, coupon queens, couponing, coupons, frugal choice, grocery store, grocery store trip, organize coupons

Coupon Planning for Your Trip to the Grocery Store

June 29, 2011 By Katrina Moody Leave a Comment

Saving money at the grocery store takes a bit of planning, but it isn’t hard to do if you have already organized your coupons. After physically sorting and organizing your coupons, planning for the trip is the most important thing you can do to help save money on groceries. Spending just a few minutes a day, you can plan for your next trip to the grocery store and maximize your own savings. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Coupons 101, Deals and Steals, Grocery, Grocery, Saving Money, Top Coupons, Top Online Coupons Tagged With: best deals, Breaking, coupon queens, couponing, coupons, extreme couponer, grocery store, grocery store trip, maximize savings, organize coupons, save lots of money, save money, save money at the grocery store, saving money, Spotlight, using coupons

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