Saving money with coupons...

Many people are concerned about saving money these days. A great way to do that is to clip coupons! If you've never done this before we'll go through the steps for you.

First, you'll need access to the Wednesday and Sunday papers, if possible. This doesn't mean that you have to subscribe to the paper. You probably have a neighbor or relative that throws this stuff away. Just ask around. You can find most coupons in Sundays paper, but Wednesday has the grocery store sale papers and you may find more coupons in those. You can also use the sale papers to find good deals that will use many of Sunday's coupons!

Second, you need to try to avoid "brand loyalty". That is where you become so loyal to one product that you refuse to use any other. Sometimes you make this purchase because your mother or grandmother always purchased that brand. It's important to note that in their day there weren't as many brands and they didn't have store brands. MANY of the store brands on shelves are manufactured by the same companies you normally buy; they just slap on a different label. If this is very important to you, try to wean yourself off by first comparing ingredients of items. Take home items with similar ingredients and do taste tests. (The great thing about the taste tests is that sometimes you find better ingredients than you originally used!)

Third, have some way to organize your coupons and sales information. You can set up a computer program that you plug all of the data into. You can write notes on scrap pieces of paper. They have coupon "wallets" available at stores. Some have cute designs. I would recommend a thick plastic one if you go this route, as the paper ones wear out faster. You can normally find the plastic ones at a dollar store - which makes this an even better decision. Recently, I've seen several ladies with 3-ring binders loaded to the gils. Whatever works for you.

Fourth, be sure to sign up for each stores customer savings card. It may be called "Important Customer" card, "Extra Savings" card, you get the point...Most major stores have them now and the savings you'll receive is well worth letting them track your spending. (Yes, they do that!) The combination of coupons and these savings cards will amaze you.

A tip for storing those store cards: Keep them on a seperate key chain designated especially for those cards, that way they don't clutter up your regular keys. If you don't receive a key chain ready card, you can punch a hole in your regular sized card or you can keep all of the regular sized cards together in a small zipper bag. The seperate bag will keep them from bulking up your wallet and you can stash them in your glove box!

Fifth, get to know your store. Some stores offer double coupons, but have regulations - up to $.50, up to $.99. Some stores regulary offer triple coupons. Again, get to know the regulations. This is a terrific time to stock up and most stores will do the triple coupons about the same week each year, so you can plan around it.

Sixth, always take a calculator with you. You never know when you'll need it. Occasionally, you'll find that you'll save more by buying another brand, even with a coupon or sale.

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On Wednesday, I grab some scrap paper, one for each store, and note items of interest on each, along with the sale price. As I flip through each store flyer, I compare my notes on the previous store. Many weeks you'll find that stores will have the same items on sale, but some have drastically different prices! Watch the sales flyers for additional "this store only" coupons.

Sunday, I sit down with my scrap paper notes and flip through the new coupons. I clip any coupons I might need in the near future, paying special attention to those that I may want to utilize this week. After clipping the coupons out, I immediately paper clip the ones to be used this week to each stores notes, according to where I'll get the best deal. This will save you precious time at each store especially if you're going to multiple.

When shopping, always remember to take your other coupons along. Sometimes stores will have unadvertised specials that you can cash in on while picking up the necessities! Don't be afraid to stock up on common household items that have long shelf lives, such as toilet paper, dish detergent, toothpaste, etc. You know you'll use them one day and a good deal is a good deal even if it's 6 months until you use it.

NEVER pay for groceries with a credit card, unless you pay your card in full each month. Paying with a credit card will wipe out any savings you receive initially. If you are in a situation where this is your only alternative, perhaps you should seek asisstance from a local food bank or other charity. Don't be embarassed about seeking asisstance, either. Things happen. That's life and that's why these organizations are there, because there was a need.

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There are companies that will compile these lists for you. One that was featured last year on the local news was The Grocery Game. For a fee, these people will provide a detailed list of coupons available and what stores to use them at. They even state that they have listings on the unadvertised deals. You can get a list for one store or multiple stores. Charges vary depending on which service you pick. It may be worth the fee if you don't have the time or wish to work out a list on your own.

I also found a link for another site that is supposed to be similar, but it's FREE. That's CouponMom. It looks like this site also offers free sample links and free coupons online. BUT, be careful about printing online coupons. Check with your stores to make sure they accept these before wasting your time. Many large chains don't accept them due to fraud. Apparently, people were making their own coupons with PhotoShop type programs.

Other links that you may like:

A post on another blog gave me this idea. If you have other ideas for her, please leave her a comment on the original post!

More gift ideas...

Many of us are in the final days of Christmas shopping and some have hardly started. While you're considering those left on your list and the possible debt already incurred, I encourage you to consider creating some gifts with your own two hands. For many, there is nothing quite as delightful as receiving a handmade gift!


For the coffee or hot chocolate lover:

Consider a "new" mug filled with single coffee or hot chocolate packets. There are many flavors available at the market or you can throw some together you're own. (See "Another Gift Idea" for a quick cocoa mix.) The added benefit here would be that you could customize each serving for the individual gift recipient.

If your friend loves Mocha, Mint, Cappuccino, or any of the other popular flavors, this website has hundreds of recipes. Pick their favorite flavor and have an economical batch in no time.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/310/

Or, you could whip up some flavored stir sticks. You'll need some clear or white heavy duty plastic spoons, which can be found at the many dollar stores in large quantity, candy and/or chocolate. May we suggest peppermint patties, peppermint candies, butterscotch, Hershey chocolate bar, Butterfinger, dark chocolate or caramel.

Simply melt the candy or chocolate over a double-boiler, to prevent scorching.

Once the item has melted sufficiently, insert a clean spoon into the mixture to coat the base of the spoon.

Place the spoon face up on a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper until hardened.

After the candy coating has hardened, wrap them individually in plastic wrap.

Secure each wrapped spoon with a twist tie and include one in the coffee mug with coffee mix. Or, fill the coffee mug with multiple flavored spoons!

The mug you choose to gift can be a brand new mug, one they've always chosen to use at your home, or one purchased from a thrift store. Thrift stores have mugs that have hardly been used just waiting for a new home. Many of those stores, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, reuse the money in your community to help others. What a fantastic bonus!



For the movie critic:

Pick up a movie for them from the bargain bin at WalMart or another discount store. I have recently found many top 80's and 90's releases for $2-$5 each, brand new. Make sure to tailor your choice to their taste (comedy, horror, romance, etc...) perhaps tying the choice to a childhood memory or memory of something you may have experienced together.

Pop the movie into a bag with some microwave popcorn and 2 sodas. You'll give the gift of a movie night to celebrate with the person of their choice. If you're crafty, you could even print up some fake movie tickets to include or use as the gift tag.





For the music fiend:

Make a contemplation CD of their favorite songs or songs that bring back memories for them. You could included songs that were popular in their childhood, teen years, or college. There are many sites on the web that you can make them at, utilize your own collection, or the gift recipients.

Most computers come preloaded with the appropriate software. Roxio, Microsoft, Nero and My Music Tools are very popular for this application. If you don't have these services on your current computer you can normally download them at their respective websites.

Many software programs also have the capability of printing out CD labels or imprinting directly to the CD. Follow that up with a custom insert that details the contents of the CD. Be sure and include a special message! Use the space to note why you chose the songs you did or why you believe the recipient will enjoy your choices.

Whatever your gift choices make them thoughtful and remember that the smile upon the recipients face will be payment for your time and effort. NEVER gift with thoughts of a return gift. It takes away your joy of the moment!

Shopping for gifts

'Tis the time of year when we all scramble for last minute party gifts. People have come to expect gift exchange at holiday events. It's sad to say that a lot of thought rarely goes into what is purchased.

If it's for a younger child you instinctively head to the toy aisle, an adult - a gift card, but what do you do for teens? You can get a CD, but who knows what any particular person is into? What about clothes? There again, you're stuck because you may guess the wrong size or may purchase something with a design that they don't particularly care for. Do you really want to give another gift card? (Yes, I know you do. Let's face it, it's easier, especially when you have 10 other things you could be doing.)

My thoughts on gift giving are these - if you care enough about a person to give a gift, put some thought into it, gift lists are tacky, and gift cards are generally cop outs (even if they requested it on their dreaded gift list!).

My reasoning behind this - a gift card shows lack of thought unless it's to a favorite restaurant. They always make me feel like I was an after thought or that the person didn't want to make the effort to select a more personal gift. Gift lists, to me, are just shy of demands and if I can't figure out what you might need or want, I probably shouldn't be buying you something to begin with. Also, gift lists take the surprise out of gift giving. Part of the fun is the element of surprise. If you know what should be in every box why even bother to wrap it?

With that said, here's a basic shopping guide:

• Consider persons likes and dislikes. If you don't feel you know them well enough ask someone who has known them longer (and rethink why you're buying the gift to begin with).



• Try to figure their size if your buying clothing. Trickery is easy and useful in this. You can compliment them and attempt to get it out of them - "Mary, have you lost weight? I think you look great! What size is that?" or pretend that their tag is hanging out and "tuck it in" while checking out the tag.



• Be observative. When you're together, watch for things that they look at but don't purchase. Or, if you know that they constantly misplace things or always borrow certain items, make a purchase that could be a remedy for them.



• If you absolutely have to go with a gift card make sure it's personal. Anyone can go to Walmart and get a gift card, but only you may know how much the person enjoys a certain restaurant or that they have been really stressed and may enjoy a massage.



• Enjoy the shopping experience. If you are hurried or agitated when picking up the gift, it may show in the gift selection. Relax. Make sure that when you go shopping that you have enough time to consider your gift choice before making the purchase.

• Most importantly, remember that you don't have to go broke for someone to enjoy your gift! Sometimes the smallest gifts are the most important and are enjoyed more often than something you place on a shelf.