Since I posted the link to the Star Tribune article recently, I've had a few people ask me if I had any tips on using coupons and saving money at the grocery store.First of all, I try to keep track of grocery prices. Some people keep a written price book, but I don't have time for that. I just try to pay very close attention to what I am paying for items and keep a mental tally. Know your unit prices. Know how much you pay per ounce or per item. This can help you decide if a "Price Shocker" is … [Read more...]
Some great tips for couponing
My frugal friend Shel sent me this article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune on how shoppers are combining internet coupons with manufacturer coupons for optimal savings.It's a trick I've already been using for some time, thanks to CouponMom. But this article has quite a few great tips for both the novice and the expert.One thing I will say, be careful if you buy coupons on eBay. There are a lot of scam artists out there who are shipping out fraudulent coupons. If you want to buy coupons, … [Read more...]
A night out… and a free tote bag
Last night my husband and I had a date. We went out to dinner and then went to the KAXE annual meeting. It was a good time. I especially liked that my name tag labeled me as the Northern Cheapskate. It's a label I'm still getting used to wearing, and it felt good. I've said it before... KAXE is a GREAT radio station (and not just because they give me and my husband a lot of air time!). Last night was further proof of what a great organization they are.... I'm only on the air a couple of … [Read more...]
Keeping "tabs" on products
The other day I went to put a diaper on my son and discovered that it was missing a tab. So aside from taping it, the diaper was completely useless. I was just going to let it go, but then I thought, "Hey, I have three kids in diapers. I NEED every diaper in this package."So, I called Huggies and told them what happened. They apologized, asked for some information and promised to send me some coupons to "Compensate me for my inconvenience."In today's mail, I had a coupon for $3 off any … [Read more...]
Sign Me Up for Bargains
One of the things I have done that has helped me save money is signing up to be on companies' e-mail lists. I have set up a yahoo e-mail account, because once you start signing up for these things, you will get a gazillion messages a week. Companies will send you links to information, recipes, and most importantly, coupons! I've also gotten a lot of tips on big sales and free shipping offers by doing this.I've added another favorite to my list of blogs - iMommies. Today iMommies posted about … [Read more...]
A good shopping trip
Yesterday my mom took me to Target (still not allowed to drive a car yet). It was nice to get out of the house. I had quite a few coupons (a total of $28 worth) and so I got some good deals. I like to document my savings because it keeps me motivated and reminds me of what I can do by spending a little time clipping coupons and printing coupons off the Web.Here are some of my deals:Gerber Rice Cereal - 16 oz package - $0.69Huggies diapers size three - 16 cents/diaperHuggies diapers size six … [Read more...]
Coupon mania
About the time we moved to our new house was when I first read Mary Hunt's "Live Your Life for Half the Price." The biggest piece of information I gathered from that book was about grocery shopping. Hunt suggests stocking your pantry by watching for sale items. Buy enough items to last until the next sale. This way you won't run out of something and be forced to run to the store and pay full price. You can "shop" from your well-stocked pantry. The trick is to watch the sales and match them … [Read more...]