Saving Money With Coupons 2009 #6

There are a lot of sites and blogs on the web where they list freebies, deals and coupons. The list below is a partial list. Look at these sites and you'll get an idea of what is available and how you can save money.

www.the freebieblogger.com

www.imommies.com

www.thefrugalfind.com

www.centsiblesavings.com

www.scoringdeals.com

www.momsneedtoknow.com

www.freeflys.com

www.nwadeals.net

www.freebies4mom.blogspot.com

www.thethriftymama.com

www.mommysnacks.net

www.dailyessentialsanddeals.blogspot.com

www.southernsavers.com

www.tomorrowsplight.blogspot.com

www.pueblopennypincher.blogspot.com

www.coupons.com

www.myfrugaladventures.blogspot.com

www.bargainbriana.com

www.newfrugalmom.com

www.coupongeek.net

www.happyhomemakercindy.blogpost.com

www.savingsherry.blogspot.com

Saving Money 2009 #5 -- Coupons

Can you save money using coupons. Yes, you can. Whether you save a little or a lot depends on how much time and effort you put into couponing. On January 15, 23, and 24 I had posts on coupons and how to save money. They included the usual save you coupons for when the item goes on sale (when you can really save a lot) and other coupon ideas.

By using the Internet you can also save a lot of money. There are coupons that can be pritned out directly, free offers available only on the Internet and websites that comb the Internet looking for them. There are also websites that go trhough each weeks offereing from national chains like CVS and Walgreens to see what their offers are and how to combine them with coupons so you get the items for free or very little money.

One fo the best is www.couponcravings.com which each week has an amazing list of coupons and free items. Each week it also lists what the national drugstore chains have in their circulars that you can combine with coupons and get for free. It also has a glossary tht expalins to new couponers the terms used and what they mean. For instance BOGO -- Buy One Get One Free. But their list of terms is quite extensive and it really explains them.

Paying The Same, Getting Less

Once again I urge everyone to take note of the size of the item you are buying. Many, many manufacturers of just about everything have cut down on the size of the product but are charging the same price.

Haagen Dazs ice cream is just the latest that I have noticed. Their "pints" are now 14 oz. A pint is 16 oz. I saw that packaging looked a little strange on the "pints". I checked the amount and sure enough they have reduced it by 2 ounces which is about 12%. The price has stayed the same. I have looked at other pints and they are all still 16 oz.

Tuna quite a while ago went to 5 oz. from 6. I rummaged around for a while on the shelves looking for 6 oz. cans and found quite a few but they no longer exist.

A friend who has a dog said dog food no longer comes in 50 pound bags, it's now 44 I believe.

So watch the unit price to see what you are really getting. If you look at the ice cream price of Haagen Dazs and then look at their unit price compared to any other ice cream their unit price is the highest by far -- even when compared to other premium ice creams. It's the reduced size of the container that does it.

So check the unit price and check the amoutn in the package. It's only going to get worse.

I'll be posting a lot more about coupons and free samples soon.

Saving Money In 2009 #3 -- Salvage Grocery Stores

Throughout the country there are salvage grocery stores which can save you whopping amounts on your grocery bills. The things they sell may be:

Near or past date

Dented cans

New products that didn't sell well

Manufacturers overruns

Goods from damaged boxes or pallets (the damaged goods are discarded but the box or pallet was broken or damaged)

Out-of-season items (Christmas candy in January)

Items that are popular in one part of the country but not in another

There are two sites that I have found that have lists of salvage groceries by state:

www.gnivas.com -- look in right hand column

www.andersonscountrymarket.net/directory

Some of the stores are better (and some much better) than others. Some are set up like regular supermarkets and have produce as well as lots of regular brand name goods of all kinds -- at great prices. Some are dingy and have mainly dented cans. It varies wildly from store to store. It's always smart to call ahead and check on the hours and make sure they are open.

You have to be a smart shopper and make sure that the goods you buy are in good condition and still within date. You also have to make sure that you are getting good buys. Can you do better at your grocery store with coupons and sales? If you know the prices of items you regularly buy -- and many you don't -- then you can be sure you're getting bargain. You can find things for as little as 25% or as much as 80% off the regular price.

What they have will depend on what they are able to buy so if you find something you like stock up because they may never get it again.

Saving Money in 2009 #2

When it comes to clipping coupons for grocery purchases you may not find coupons that fit your needs or wants. It can be hard to find coupons for some fresh items and other products that fit your shopping list.

Go to www.thecouponclippers.com for a list of coupons that you can order and get by mail. The coupons range from five cents to twelve cents apiece. You have to buy $3.00 worth of coupons and there are some fees but you can find coupons for things that are very difficult to find in the Sunday supplements. It is worth it for items that you use. And they have quite a few coupons for fresh items like eggs.

Or you may find a good coupon and want to get more of that coupon. There are a couple of different ways of getting more of a specific coupon and a couple of ways to get other coupons that may not be in your Sunday slick coupon supplements.

If there is a good coupon(s) in the Sunday paper you can buy extra copies of the paper.

You can also try www.coupons.com for Internet coupons. As I've writen before one of the problems here is whether or not your supermarket will take coupons printed from the Internet. Make sure they will.

Coupons

Coupons are becoming more and more a topic of interest. I see more questions and articles about coupons than I ever have before.

Back on July 1, 2008 I wrote about coupons in a post about saving money on food. This will have some new points and a few of the previous ones.

1. Why is a $.75 coupon better than a $1 coupon? Because when stores double or triple coupons they will not do it on coupons over $.99. So your $1 coupon is never worth more than $1. While your $.75 coupon can be worth as much $2.25.

2. Check store circulars every week. The circulars are in the stores themselves, in the Sunday papers, thrown onto your lawn in plastic bags, or sometimes available online. See what is on sale and plan your menu for the week around the sale items.

3. Save your coupons for the time the store has a sale on the item. You can get items for very little if they are on sale, you have a coupon and if the coupon is also being doubled or tripled.

4. Check the inserts in the Sunday paper for coupons. You can also get some coupons online. Not all stores take online coupons.

5. If there are a lot of good coupons it can be worth it to buy an extra Sunday paper.

6. I highlight the expiration date of my coupons so it is easier for me to see when they expire.

7. Check for more coupons in women's magazines, store circulars, inside packaged products and in special store promotional pieces that have coupons.

10 Ways to Save Money In 2009

1. Use Coupons.


2. Use the library, it's free.

3. Learn to tell the difference between want and need.

4. Pay off credit card balances so you're no longer paying high interest rates.

5. Stop buying fast food.

6. Stop buying processed foods.

7. Don't buy new clothes or shoes unless they are an absolute necessity.

8. Keep track of your expenses. Write down what you spend every day so you see where your money goes.

9. Cut your utility bill. Turn off the lights when the are not needed. Use energy saving light bulbs. Turn down your thermostat in winter and turn it up in summer.

10. Learn how to cook and make cheaper and more nutritious meals at home.