The Couponizer Company
Hey Shoppers! Check out our great money-saving tips below!
Hey Shoppers! Check out our great money-saving tips below!
High on many consumer's New Year's resolutions list is saving money and the problem with this resolution is that it can be vague and lack a commitment to change behavior. Anyone can loosely resolve to save money but what does this mean? Perhaps it means an admission of poor money management in the past year and a pledge to do better. Or could it mean making a conscious decision to pay less on goods and services purchased from this day forward. Whatever the meaning, what I have learned is that saving money is directly linked to smart spending behaviors and practices. Smart spending involves three important things...
AWARENESS
The USA.gov publishes 66 Ways to Save Money and in this list the following verbs are used over and over again - compare, ask, check, select, remember, look for, talk to, make certain, be aware, be cautious, avoid, plan and each one of these point towards actions associated with establishing awareness before buying something. Also, it is important to be aware of your spending patterns by paying close attention to your bank statement and monitoring spending activity. Try one of the many cellphone apps dedicated to helping with this task if you need help in this area. Check out this iPhone app - ExpenseTracker, I have decided to use it to monitor my grocery expenses exclusively in 2011.
PLANNING
"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." - A. A. Milne
Having a plan however big like a retirement plan or small like a shopping list is organizing what you do before you do it! When a coupon is clipped and set aside, this too is planning to buy something in advance. Where savings build at the grocery store is when store sale items and published coupon savings are organized together to form a grocery list. Organizations like Savings Angel are in the business of providing this information to consumers who want it, need it and will use it. Our team of Couponizer Coaches along with others like Jill Cataldo teach others how to plan and use tools like our system to spend money wisely.
TIMING
Deals, discounts and offers are everywhere these days, however most if not all have expiration dates attached to them. Recently a show on TLC titled "Extreme Couponing" showcased what happens when a person armed with hundreds of coupons that match clearance prices. Well, the coupon value can match or exceed the purchase price which results in buying $100's of items and paying a few $1's. This is all about timing. Being at the right place at the right time does help when searching for great deals when it comes to finding great deals!
Wishing you much success and prosperity in 2011!
It is interesting to watch how manufacturer coupon offers match the seasons of consumer spending. This has all the makings of a love fest between consumer and manufacturer. Most recently leading up to the Super Bowl there were coupons available for all sorts of creative snacks, and appetizers. Now with Valentine's Day a day away, coupon offers over the last weekend were bursting for delectable candies, chocolates and even products used to enhance romance! On the heels of that will come coupons for everything Easter.
Obviously this predictable display of seasonal offers is designed to get you to buy certain brands; many of which have been around since my parents were kids! However for the consumer who is willing to consider these offers; there is real money to be saved while maintain value for your family. Coupon expiration dates average about 3 - 6 months so to clip and organize coupons means you will save money now and later after the frenzy has died down. Besides, some of the best deals ever are available in the day's right before and following a holiday when clearance offers/prices plus coupons equal huge savings. Combine a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon and this really boosts savings!
In the end, you get what you need at a great price, the store and manufacturer move inventory and the cycle repeats itself over and over. Like I said a real love fest and these days we need more of this!
How to get through this time of economic change.
I have played sports all my life and the one thing every good coach I remember does is stick to the basics. For example, I still recall my high school basketball coach, Mr. Ellinger
drilling me at nearly every practice the fundamentals of a jump shot and free throw. Even today my tennis coach Kevin does the same thing, he is all about teaching the fundamentals of
tennis. He never wastes our time and my money on coaching me outside of my ability since I am not trying to win Wimbledon! The same is true for saving more of your hard earned money
especially now at a time when prices are increasing faster than we can absorb the shock.
Everyone is feeling the pinch so now is the time to stick to money saving basics which are tied to your financial LIMITS:
Not rocket science just the basics.
Make the most of your earned rewards for summer vacations and other travel!
If anyone travels in your family, it is a good idea to sign-up for customer loyalty programs for hotels and airlines. Most companies allow their employees to use the points earned on
business trips for personal use as is the case with my husband. Over time these points add up and then you have more options when it comes to planning a vacation or perhaps need to
travel unexpectedly. Below are a few ways to create more options for yourself and your family using your earned rewards:
Buy remaining points to get to award level
On our recent family vacation, we needed a rental car for the week; however we did not have enough Hilton Honors points to get a week rental on points. So my husband did the math and
figured out that if he spent $20 to buy the remaining points to get to the award level for car rental for a week, then we would come out ahead. This small calculation ended up saving
us about $600!
Use your points on the most expensive night's stay
On this same vacation, we needed to move locations and stay in a hotel for 2 nights and had enough Marriott points for one night's stay. We checked the rates and Friday night was $200
and Saturday night was $150, so we used our points for the Saturday night stay. This saved us $50!
Sign up the whole family!
When each family member accrues miles and points, then you may consolidate when you need to get to an award level. For example, I transferred points out of my Marriott account my
husband's account to push it up so we could cash in for 2 FREE night's at a Ritz Carlton for our 10th anniversary! Also, each of our kids has their own frequent flyer account on
airlines we use. Even if you do not fly very often, when each child accrues points, you may transfer these to one account to build them up.
By remembering these simple tips, you will maximize your points and/or miles earned with customer loyalty programs much the way you maximize your money when you use coupons!
The context in which you compare prices makes a difference!
When comparing prices you are usually trying to determine how much to money to spend and prices become anchors or standards for comparison in the decision process.
To illustrate this, let's pretend you are shopping for summer sandals to jazz up your summer look. In one store some sandals cost over $200 pair, so a pair costing $95 looks like a bargain. Another store sells sandals costing on average $40 and below and now the same $95 pair of sandals seems expensive. Do you notice that the price of the sandals is at the mercy of the context in which it is found? Sometimes a high priced item is placed to anchor your thinking and make the other prices seem better when they may not be.
To avoid unknowingly being influenced when making purchasing decisions:
To run all over town trying to get the best price eventually defeats the purpose, however armed with a little education and awareness; you can find the right price for almost anything.
The people who stock the shelves of your grocery store know the prices!
One day when I was comparing prices of frozen waffles, the guy that was stocking the freezer gave me a price tip. He said, "If you wait until tomorrow, all the EGGO brands go on sale. It happens every Thursday." I replied, "So what other price tips do you have for me?" He went on to inform me of the sale cycles for other items. He also indicated that most of the stock clerks in the store can help you find the best prices since they see this stuff all the time! From time to time I see this nice man in the store and thank him for helping me save money. He then tells me of another impending sale so now I have a small notebook in my Couponizer bag and I have started taking notes!!
By Connie Jennings, Marketing Director
My total savings for April 2004 - March 2005 using my Couponizer was $1,514.13!!
Want to make the most of your savings efforts? If you keep ahead of the game, you’ll never have to pay too much for an item again. I’m beginning to keep up with my spending by keeping a price book. None of us can remember all those prices for the items we buy week after week, we need a little help! To make a price book you only need a small notepad (one that will fit into your Couponizer bag, of course), and a pencil (Be sure to use a pencil, you can change the prices as the stores offer specials). List those items you buy on a regular basis and keep up with this for a couple of months. Over time you will see some definite trends. My price book looks something like this:
| Ingles | Kroger | Wal-Mart | Publix | Target | |
| Dixie Crystals Sugar - 5 lb. | $1.99 | $1.89 | $2.29 | $2.06 | $1.89 |
| Land-o-Lakes Stick Margarine | $.99 | $.99 | $.99 | $.94 | $1.12 |
| Toaster Strudel | $2.42 | $1.95 | $1.99 | $1.97 | $1.97 |
| Cool Whip – 8 oz. | $1.59 | $1.49 | $1.00 | $.97 | $.89 |
| Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup | $.99 | $.99 | $.87 | $.88 | $1.07 |
| Mueller's 16 oz. Macaroni | $.89 | $.79 | $.99 | $.78 | $.79 |
Before making my shopping list, I look at my price book and my coupons so I will know exactly which store to shop to save the most money. If you get a great sale price and double coupons sometimes it’s FREE!
After a few months of keeping a price book, you will begin to recognize those stores that raise and lower prices hoping to catch the unwary. You’ll become skilled at seeing through the hype that surrounds many so-called sales. Good luck and Happy Saving!
Kick off the year with getting your taxes organized for two reasons:
This simple step will save you the anxiety that's inevitable at tax time in April. By understanding your tax situation now, you will have 3+ months to create a plan, either for relieving your tax debt, or investing your tax return!
In the spirit of our savings mission, the great people at Jackson Hewitt are offering a $15 coupon towards tax prep services.
Did you know that the top 10 New Year’s resolutions really don't change from year to year? Also, did you ever stop to consider the notion that new patterns come about only when we truly determine to change.
Getting out of debt or becoming more financially stable are always at or near the top of the list of New Year's resolutions and it is silly to think anyone would just wake up one day and be out of debt without real action. Obviously, debt commonly occurs when you spend more money than you have and overspending during the holidays is common practice. So for 2006, below are some simple suggestions to inspire you to make lasting changes:
Develop a Spending Strategy
A spending strategy is a plan that enables you to spend less and save more money through making smart spending decisions. To chip away at debt, you must spend money differently than
you have been. If you commonly catch yourself asking the question,"Where does all my money go?", then your strategy is not working and it's time for a new plan.
Set boundaries for spending
Simply put, when limits are clear for expenses, especially the variable ones like groceries, then you are likely to be more diligent in how you spend your money. When limits are unclear, it leaves room for error and overspending. So just giving yourself a boundary for spending will make you more motivated to make those dollars go as far as they can. A great way to set your spending boundaries is to utilize online budget calculators. These tools enable you to play around with the numbers until you find what works for you.
Make saving money a family priority
Whether you’re buying a car or a gallon of milk, getting the best deal to save you money needs to be a priority for everyone in the family. If each person in the family is on the same
page when it comes to how money is managed, then the overall chances for success are much greater.
Learn to NOT spend money and feel good about it
For some spending money feels good, it may evoke feelings of control and power. So why not make NOT spending money have the same affect. Getting through a day not spending one thin
dime can be a great feeling. It means you have maintained control and are that much closer to your savings goals. String together a few days of NOT spending any money and you'll be
amazed at how great you will feel knowing you have regained power over when and how your money is spent.
Spending money is a simple skill we learn early in life and we use all through our lives, so why not make this year, the year you take steps to sharpen this skill and reap the rewards.
According to the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, it is estimated that, on average, 20% of Americans have “maxed out” their credit cards and about 25% of adults in the United States have a history of credit problems. Americans’ average credit card debt is $8400 per household and in the first quarter of 2002, total credit debt was $660 billion. So in a nutshell, the Federal Reserve reports that more than 40% of American families spend more than they earn.
These financial statistics are sobering, but there is hope. You must take action to reverse a debt situation that you may never have intended. Events, circumstances and choices may have lead you into debt and now may be the time to implement change. If you find yourself or your family in debt and have made a deliberate decision to pay down debt, then below is a successful strategy that will help you attack your debt with the goal of eliminating it.
Assuming you have created a spending plan (budget) and you know exactly how much money is set aside for debt reduction, and then I recommend setting up what is commonly referred to as a "Debt Snowball." This process is taught by Crown Financial Ministries and simply put, it is a plan that lists debts in a way that sets up a snowball effect meaning you eliminate the small ones first and you gain momentum as the larger and larger debts are eliminated until you are debt free.
The plan looks like this: Create a table with the following columns:
Then order the list from the lowest amount owed to the highest amount owed. Typically, for example a home mortgage would be listed at the bottom of the list since often this is the largest amount of debt carried and perhaps a gas credit card with a small balance would be listed at the top.
Then with the money you have set aside to pay down debt start by eliminating the small debts first by paying the maximum towards smaller balances and minimum payments against the highest debt. As debts are paid off you may end up rearranging the order you pay off debts when debts that are lower in $ amount carry a higher interest rate. For example you may owe $1500 with an interest rate of 14%, then the next debt is $1900 with a interest rate of 22%, it makes sense to pay off the debt with the higher interest rate first, then go back and pay down the other one. As each debt is paid off move the payment to the next higher until all your debts are eliminated.
With a plan like this, you will find yourself regaining control which is critical to long term success. Also, you will have to work hard to maintain zero balances on all the debts you have eliminated in the process. You can quickly sabotage your efforts if you build debt back up while trying to pay it down. It is kind of like trying to walk up the down escalator, you will never reach the top!
Creating a plan like I just described and sticking to it over the long haul, will place you well on your way to establishing healthier spending habits which will yield benefits far beyond just financial.
If you would like to share your story of becoming debt-free, please do! My e-mail address listed at the end of the newsletter.
Building relationships helps build your savings!
To maximize your savings, try shopping the 1-2 grocery store(s) closest to your home or in a well traveled path to your home like on the way home from work and go there 90% of the time. In doing this, over time you and your kids (if they shop with you) will become as familiar with the layout of the store(s) as you are with your own pantry therefore making shopping a breeze. Finding ingredients for your recipes or certain brands you buy over and over is fast and easy when you know where to find them. I recommend 1-2 stores since this is manageable and will provide plenty of variety. Beyond that you start spending more time in the car than shopping!
Another benefit of shopping the same 1-2 store(s) rather than traveling around to three or more stores is getting to know the staff and they get to know you. Everyone from the store manager on down to the bagger is interested in your loyalty to their store. When you share with them your goal of making shopping fast and economical, then usually they will help you find items and good prices.
For example at my grocery store, I am acquainted with one man who stocks the freezer section and he has shared tips with me on when the frozen waffles go on sale and my kids go through waffles every week so this really helps to stock up when the price is right!! Also, the gentleman in produce helps me find the fruits and vegetables that are in season and at lower prices since coupons are scare for these items. Also, the meat department is another place to make friends since often they have meat in the back to offer or can prepare for you just what you need and this saves time! Lastly, the baggers know me and they help me get the groceries in my car quickly, especially when I have all 3 kids with me at the store!
You see, most of the staff in the store gain job satisfaction out of helping YOU and if they don't, they are likely not in the right job. It is also my job to stock the house and feed the family, so I too enjoy it more when I make connections with real people. Sure, you can go store to store chasing low prices all over town but in the end, unless it is an irresistible deal, this will usually end up costing you time and energy and you will miss the chance to make new friends.
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