Advanced Coupon Strategies

Here's the scoop on finding the real deals using coupons. These simple advanced coupon strategies can really help you save money.

Combine Coupons. Increase your savings by combining a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon for the same item. Hint: Take your savings to the next level, by combining these coupons during a store sale and/or coupling it with an in-store rebate.

Buy Multiple Papers. If the Sunday paper contains a good set of coupons, it may make sense buy another copy of it. Sometimes, you need to spend $3 on the extra paper to get an extra $15 saved in coupons - not a bad trade off. Hint: Some stores will discount their Sunday paper on Monday, so you can save even more money.)

Buy Out of Town Papers. Sunday coupon inserts vary region to region. Buying an out of town paper can score you coupons on products that you would otherwise not get.

Make A Coupon File. Carry your coupons with you wherever you go, so you can use your coupons on the fly. Talked with my nephews the other day, and within 5 minutes of the conversation, I forked over $35 in discounts and free passes to the movies and a museum. Hint: Organize them in a pocket file organizer with the 12 folders. Leave the organize in your car or carry it in your purse.

Double Your Savings. Find out which stores double coupons and up to what amount. At these stores, prices may run higher in generally, but a double coupon will still net you a great deal.

Buy an Entertainment Book. By July, the price for this book has dropped to $5 (from $30 in Nov). My edition offers 4 separate $5 coupons at my local supermarket. So, the $5 purchase nets me $15. In addition, the book is loaded with great coupons for the movies, the driving range, and a large variety of stores that I purchase at frequently. Chia-ching!

Sign up for Email Alerts. Register online at your favorite stores for email alerts and advance notice of sales. Hint: To manage the large volume of email, I have these alerts to a seperate email account that I use strictly for coupon tracking only.

Go to Coupon Sites. While there are hundreds of online coupon sites, here's my short list of the best of breed of e-coupons . I like these sites because: (1) the discounts are fresh, (2) the deals are reliable, and (3) the interfaces are easy to use. Coupons.com, CouponMom, Smartsource, Retailmenot, and Couponcabin.

Staples Back to School Sale

April showers bring May flowers and Staples Back to School sales in July. aBck to school deals are a great way to stock up on supplies and save money too. Last year, I stock my home office completely with the weekly deals at Staples.

This week's weekly flyer features $.01 (penny) deals, $1 deals, Easy Saver Rebates, and a special $5 off $20 purchase coupon. Most deals are limited to 2 items per customer (so don't forget to drag your spouse along, ring his purchases separately, and double your supplies and savings). These deals end on July 15. Read Coupon Sudoku (below) to max. saving money.

Penny Deals
Staples pencils 8ct. 1¢ (until 7/15)
Staples Copy Paper 1 ream for 1¢ (Final price after you submit $3.68 for an online rebate)

Dollar Deals
Photo Paper 4″x6″ for $1 (Final price after you submit $8.99 for an online rebate.)
Pencil cases, $1
Stapler, $1
5 " scissors 2pk., $1
BIC Wite-Out Quick Dry, 2 Pack, $1
Pink Wedge Erasers, 3 Pack, $1
Sharpie Major Accent® Highlighters, Assorted, 6 Pk, $1
BIC Velocity Stick Fashion Pens, Assorted, 5 Pack, $1
Scotch Magic Tape, $1

Coupon Sudoku
And now for alittle Coupon Sudoku - my term for how to line up your purchase to maximize your savings in minimal time:

Scenario #1: Spend less, Save 50%+
Buy the tollowing items:
(2) of every dollar deal ($16)
(2) reams of Copy Paper ($3.69 each)
==========================
Subtotal: $23.38
Less $5 off $20 coupon = $18.38
Less $7.36 in rebates($3.68 x 2, for the reams of paper)=
$11.02 (final price)


Scenario #2: Get more money back than you actually spent.
Buy the following items:
(2) Staples Photo Paper ($9.99 each,)
(2) Staples Pencils 8 Ct ($.01)
========================
Subtotal: $20
Less $5 off $20 coupon= $15.00
Less $17.98 in rebates ($8.99 each x2 for the photo paper) =
$2.98 net profit - Yes, you make more money than you spent


Random Note: And since there is almost always a McDonalds near a Staples Store, you might as well celebrate Free Coffee Monday. Get a free 7 oz iced Mocha or an 8 oz hot McCafe Mocha at participating McDonalds from 7 am to 7 pm.

Free Starbucks Ice Cream

Now, here's a sweet deal for Facebook fans looking to save some money ($4) and enjoy some ice cream too! Win a free pint of Starbuck's Ice Cream. This promo runs through July 19th. One coupon per household address. Click here to access the link, then follow the instructions.



Four choices of ice cream flavors:

Caramel Macchiato

Mocha Frappuccino

Java Chip Frappuccino

Coffee





FYI : I'll be get the java chip frappuccino and sandwiching it between two giant Oreo cookie lids (purchased at Ocean State Job Lots). So feel free to drop and enjoy Don't know what to do with your print, check out the recipes available at Starbucksicecream.com

Aoril's Great Deals for Smart Shoppers

End of month always provides great deals for smart spenders. Here's a few deals I've stumbled upon this week provide great bargains for the saavy shopper. Easy ways to save money buying what you want.

Sears - Friends and Family Discount on May 3rd (Sunday) from 6 - 9PM Kenmore appliances, gas grills, home and garden equipment are all on sale offering great savings. Get an additional 10% off by purchasing during this time frame. Also, check your receipt. Sears is offering a $10 of $50 purchase coupon of home and garden items. (Tip: Don't have one? Make nice with the person in front of you in line - you might be able to snag their coupon and apply it to your purchase.) I'll be saving $117 off a $350 gas grill purchase by applying all these incentives.

Lands End. 30 - 50% off all swimwear and 20% off all shoes and sandals. Sale ends April 29th. Just in time for the beach.

Talbots. Talbot cardholders get a 20% off coupon good through May 2 for all clothing purchases. Good opportunity to purchase a nice Mother's Day gift. (May 10th) Don't forget!

Ann Taylor. 30% off your total purchase using your Friends and Family discount, now through May 3. Present at any Ann Taylor and LOFT stores or enter code FRIENDS during online checkout.(Store associates: use code 107020024). Free shipping on purchases of $100 or more! Yes, its time to pick up this season's little black dress before Michelle Obama does.

Happy Shopping!

The Dining Out Stimulas Plan

Even in these tough times, eating out at a restaurant is one of those simple luxuries you just can't seem to give up. And you shouldn't have to. Eat well and spend less by using these tips to managing to a better food budget without going for broke in the process.

1. Use a coupon. Browse your Sunday coupon flyers for discounts at your favorite nationwide chains like Olive Garden, TGIF, and Bugaboo Creek. Use the coupons in your Entertainment book. Flip through the coupon directory of your yellow pages book. Check out Restaurant.com or Open Table for the latest deals and promotions. Call your local chamber of commerce or tourism board for coupons to your local restaurants. (It's ok. You can be a tourist in your own city!)

2. Search for Kids Eat Free. Google "Kids Eat Free" and "Your town" and find out which family friendly restaurants are offering deals or visit a site like Mommysavers.com . You can also use this same tactic for "early bird specials" and "senior citizen" discounts.

3 Enjoy the Freebies. Skip the appetizers at the restaurant and enjoy the basket of bread and that little plate of olive oil.

4. Do Lunch. It's less expansive than dinner and equally delicious. Better yet, do breakfast and save even more.

5. Order Sides/Salads. A nice salad and a tasty appetizer is a great meal for one. And it tends to be $3-5 than a main entree.

6. Split a Dinner. Restaurant dinner portions are equivalent to 2- 3 meals. Tres unhealthy for one person to consume. Rather than order two dinners, spilt one dinner and order an appetizer. When dining with Dreamboat, we typically save $7-9 when we split.

7. Drink the tap. Skip the mineral waters, club sodas, oxygenated water, and holy water. Drink the water from your city tap. Its probably as pure and tasty. And you'll be so "green" -- no bottle means you'll be doing your share of saving the environment.

8. Skip the Special. Always tempting when the waiter reads the special, but rarely do they mention the price. On a recent dinner out, I ordered the special. It wasn't until the bill came that I realized it was $15 more than almost anything else on the menu.

9. Order a Doggie Bag. Leave No Crumbs behind. Today's dinner is tomorrow's lunch. Restaurant portions are typically 2-3 meals worth of food. Stretch your food budget, by leaving 1/3 of what's served on the plate for the doogie bag. You'll be the talk of the lunchroom.

10. Go to new restaurants. A new restaurant that has just opened for business often attract new customers with discounts and specials. These are often advertised in the newspaper, menu mailings, or those Value-Pak direct mailers. Keep an eye out and take advantage.

11. Understand how to menus are designed. Menus are designed to drive profitable choices by the customer by focusing the consumer not on the price but the product.

- Restaurants tend to list the prices into the food descriptions rather than off to the right side margin, and remove the dollar sign to help avoid price shopping by customers.

- Resist buying either one of the first two items or the last item in each menu category. Restaurants tend to place the menu items with the highest gross profits in these spots.

- On three-panel (page) menus, people most often look at the center panel first, and then move counter clockwise. On two-panel (page) menus people most often look at the top right-hand side first. So, restaurants put their high profit items such as specials or specialty drinks in these spots.

-Beware of stars, symbols, icons for house specialities. They're designed and placed near items that are priced higher. Attention grabbing and wallet draining all at once.


See you around town!

What's free today

In the age of online media, where reading the daily newspaper from your computer is routine and ordinary, friends often wonder why I still subscribe to the newspaper. Here are my reasons:

1. It's a simple luxury. I live an online life; I need to unplug like everyone else. And who can resist the tactile sensation of flipping pages? And its pretty cheap deal. I get 7 days for the price of 4.

2. It's a social thing. Dreamboat reads the with his coffee; I read it post-workout; my retired neighbors grab the paper when we're done, then pass it along to the person next door, who saves the comics page for wrapping paper. Doing good in all sorts of ways.

3. Keeps me smart and informed. And if that isn't enough, the daily crossword that I complete has bolstered my Scrabble score.

4. Reaping the benefits of free. The online version of my paper doesn't include the same level of free items/giveaways as the newspaper version. Here are a few quick examples:

- Coupons: I clipped over $125 of coupons from the Sunday paper. While I'll only use $8 from this week. I'll donate the remaining coupons to the local library where other savers can use them.

- Free movie passes. In today's Boston Globe, there is an ad for complimentary movie passes to see The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. ($22 savings, the equivalent of 4 weeks worth of the home delivery of my newspaper). All you need to do is send your name, age and email address to boystripedboston@alliedadvpub.com.

- Free audiobook from Audible.com. You can download a free audiobook as part of a free trial 14 day membership. You'll be required to provide your credit card information as part of the membership registration and the membership will renew automatically at the end of your free trial. Cancel your membership before the free trial ends, the download is free for you; and you will not incur any additional charges.


Happy reading

Spending some money to get some more money.

Or in other words, get big savings on your next purchase by maximizing your deal margin (the difference between the retail price and what you actually spend). Some times you need to spend some money to get a little more money. And some times you need to put some effort behind getting a great deal. A little planning, quick research and a little store loyalty love can get you a great deal. Combine these two efforts and win big savings on the items you want or need most. Check out my ideas and the example below to get a better understanding of this Nifty and Thrifty shopping tactic.


Buy Gift Cards and Use Them Yourself. Shop at your favorite retailers straight from your credit card's reward program. Use your cashback rewards, get great deals and discounts. For example, using a Discover Card Partner Offer, I spent $60 to get $75 by buying (3) $25 gift cards for $20 each. If you have a favorite retailer, it can make sense to have a few gift cards on hand for future purchases just for the extra dollars you can acquire. Most credit card companies offer similar programs. Some magazines are also starting subscriber loyalty programs (e.g., Good Housekeeping and Parenting) . Use your cashback bonus to purchase the cards and it costs you nothing. Otherwise, charge the purchase and save $15.

Use Member Only Coupons. Join the email listing of only your favorite retailers. Retailers are offering great incentives to draw you into the store. Lands End sent a “Save $15 off a $75 purchase (online or in-store Sears). If you don't want to have the deals come to you via an email black, then take a few minutes to search for deals at online coupon sites such as Couponmom, eCoupons, or ebates.

Drive to avoid the sales tax. I live near the border of three states. If I'm buying a big ticket item or doing multiple shopping errands, it can make sense to drive across the state line and escape the sales tax. It’s a small savings on most items purchases, but I’m on austerity budget so every penny saved is used elsewhere.

Check for In-Store Sales. Sears is currently running 30% off selected Lands End Merchandise. Sometimes the in-store deals are better than its internet counterpart. Stores need to move the inventory to make room for new merchandise, often they mark down the item before the discount posts on the website. You may be able to maximize your savings if what you’re looking for is on the 30% rack.

Now that you have the basics, let me show you how this Nifty and Thrifty plays out with a real life example:

$59: Lands End Dorey Jacket
$49: Canvas Tote with Patent Leather Trim
___
$108.00 Total Retail Value of Items to be Purchased.
- $14.70 (30% off in-store sale for the $49 Canvas Tote)
- $15.00 ($15 off $75 members only coupon for Lands End)
- $15.00 ($15 saved by buying $75 worth of gift cards for $60 via Discover Card Back Rewards Program)
- $03.17 (Save 5% sales tax on canvas tote bought in a sales tax free state)
------------

$63.30 – Actual Total Price Paid ($44.70 – Amount Saved)

Do a Nifty and Thrifty. Be happier being a saavy shopper.

Time Saving Tips for Holiday Projects

Holidays are just around the corner. No time like the present to start thinking about your projects are presents. So, here are some tips for you to consider:

1. Plan ahead. Make the most of your time by planning ahead. Organize your projects, develop your checklists for supplies, keep an eye on estimated time for completing. Whatever you've estimated for time, tack on an extra 30% to ensure on-time completion. I usually start planning in April and collect items over the course of several months for my projects.

2. Load balance. Keep an eye on your availability to complete. Be careful not to take on more projects than you can realistically handle. Nothing like over-committing to drive up your stress level and reduce your own level of fun.

3. Set Aside Time. Carve out some time for yourself either daily or weekly basis to work on your projects. Looking to squeak out some extra time? Look for opportunities to multi-task. Toss a small project in your bag and work on it when you've got a few ideal moments (e.g., waiting for a dr. appointment to begin, kid pickup at school, waiting for jury duty selection to begin, etc.). Or round up your friends for a bi-weekly project social. See your friends, chat, gossip and complete whatever you're working on.

4. Dummy it Down. Simplify and Pick Easy Projects. Eliminate a level of stress by picking smaller projects, ones that are less complicated, time-demanding, and with fewer color choices or in.While I love to tackle complex needlepoint projects, I also recognize that the holiday season probably isn't the best time to do one. Pick a smaller project and give yourself a break. Remember it's ultimately the thought that counts, not the scale of effort.

5. Make Multiples. Make multiples of the gift you're making. Set yourself up with a simple production line for whatever you're making. Repeating the creation process gets easier with each one you complete, saving you time and effort in the long run.

6. Cut your coupons. By planning ahead (see Tip#1) and using your coupons, you plan out your materials list, saving yourself time and money. Take advantage of craft store's weekly sales and use store coupons to maximize your savings. And remember, most stores honor their competition's coupons if they sell similiar merchandise. So look for opportunities to double-dip on your savings.

Save Even More Money at the Warehouse

Yes, Virginia, its is actually possible to save even more money than you thought at the wholesale warehouses. Check out these shopping strategies:

Get A Free Pass. If you have not purchased a membership, you can still shop at the warehouses. Take advantage of the free guest membership trials or daily passes that the wholesale warehouse offer periodically. Use it to stock up on nonperishable basics; buy books at deep discount (40%); or get ready for your summer BBQ.

Manage your membership. New membership promotions offer a better deal than membership renewal promotions and reminders do. Let your membership expire at your favorite warehouse, then open a new account and take advantage of some great first timer benefits. Applying this strategy at BJ's translated into substantial savings such as -- a $10 merchandise credit; 2 free months of membership; and new member coupon books ($100 savings).

Double-dip with your coupons. Use both the wholesaler's coupons and the retail manufacturer's coupon whenever possible and watch the per unit price drop even further! Now that's great savings!

Shop with a Friend. Need some toilet paper, but can't store 36 rolls in your humble abode. Take a friend along to the warehouse and split the cost of essentials.

Chia-Ching!

How to Save with Hidden Deals

What ordinary girl doesn't like a good bargain? Get in touch with your inner savvy shopper and score great shopping deals with a few of my favorite shopping strategies below. Have any great tips, send them to me and I'll post them! Let's share the wisdom!

Get the inside deals. Many stores periodically offer 10-20% discounts to friends and family of sales associates. Ask a sales associate for the timing of the next sale, or check websites that track these deals such as (http://www.fatwallet.com/; http://www.dealmaker.com/; or http://www.pricetracker.com/)

Shop before the Sale Starts. It takes alot of time and effort for a store to get ready for a markdown sale. My favorite merchants typically start the afternoon prior to the sale. So, I often make it a point to stop the afternoon/evening the day before the sale starts to purchase a specific item. If it's not marked down, I'll ask if I can get the discount today rather than travel back tomorrow.

Hold the Item and Save Yourself a Hassle! Start shopping a few days prior to the sale. Find the items you want. Ask the Sales associate to hold the items until the sale starts. Get yourself the gift of a better choice of the inventory while you purchase your items at the sales price.

Ask when the item goes on sale. Nothing worse than purchasing an item one day, only to discover that on the next day the item is on sale. Sales associates are often empowered to provide you with the sales price in advance of the sale.

Barter for the bargain. Ask the sales associate the simple question"Is this the best price you can do?" Often times, a sales person can knock an additional 10-15% off an item. Never hurts to ask.

Matching the lowest price. Know the competition's pricing. Check your favorite retailer's pricing policies. In many cases, retailers advertise the low price guarantee - they'll match and beat the another retailer's price on an item.

Use a competitor's coupons to get a deal. Retailers will often accept a competitor's coupon if the product you're purchasing is also available at their store.

Refunds by the Retailer. Watch the flyers after you purchase the product, you just might be entitled to a refund. Several retailer's pricing policies will give you a refund if the same model/item goes on sale within a predetermined period of time (usually 30 days).

Helping others one coupon at at time

I'm sitting in the fab reading chair in my office, enjoying the solitude of a sunny Monday afternoon and wondering how I can help others when I'm short on cash myself. A solution comes to mind as I start of at a pile of unused coupons. Money is tight with many families. What about starting a coupon exchange at the local library? Just because I'm not using the coupon doesn't mean that someone else won't? Think I'm going to make a small box with my coupons that I'll just place next to the newspaper racks and check it over the next few weeks to see if anyone uses it. stay tuned for an update.