Independent Beginnings » Frugal Living

30% Off In Store and Online at Old Navy!

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:27:36 +0000

Right now until 6/29, you can get 30% off in store or online at Old Navy! Just use the coupon code ONBIG30 when you check out! Don’t miss out on this great deal!Similar Posts:

Stock Up or Buy As Needed?

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:43:59 +0000

When a great deal comes around, it is tempting to stock up on a large quantity of the item that is on sale. I have personally experienced this temptation many times and, with a baby coming next month, I seem to be looking out for great stock up opportunities even more. However, is it always a good idea to stock up on an item that is on sale? Does it always save you money? This article will give you some tips on when to stock up and when to buy as needed.

Stock up on items you use often. When an item you use frequently goes on sale, it is usually a good idea to stock up on that item. For example, toilet paper, paper towels, deodorant, and other household/personal items are great stock up items. If you do not use an item often, you might actually be losing money by stocking up. Remember, a bargain is NEVER a bargain if you will not use the item.

Do not stock up on perishable items. For the most parts, perishable foods are not good items to stock up on. Sure, you may have gotten a great deal on those loaves of bread, but what good do they do for you if they go bad before you can use them? Make sure to only buy what you will use.

Only stock up if you have room to store the items. While buying fifty boxes of cereal on sale might seem like a good idea at first, you may run into problems when you get that cereal home. Where are you going to put them? Is the storage area clean, cool, and dry or is it warm and humid? You can be creative on where you store your stockpiles, but remember that you do not have an infinite amount of storage space.

Stock up on items that rarely go on sale. Some items go on sale at various stores almost every week. For these items, it is usually not worth it to stock up. However, other items only go on sale every once in a while. For these items, you may be better off stocking up on them when a rare sale comes around.

Only stock up on items you like. If you are particular about what brand of toothpaste you use, don’t stock up on a different brand just because it is on sale. What is the point of saving money if you are going to be miserable with your buy? At the same time, though, keep an open mind about brands. Many times, different brands are just as good as your favorite brands. If you are tempted to stock up on an unfamiliar brand, buy one sale item first and test it out. You can always come back later and buy a larger quantity of that item.

If you follow these tips, you are likely to save a lot of money by stocking up on appropriate items! What items do you stock up on? Are there any items you specifically would NOT stock up on? Please share your experiences with us!

Don’t stock up on “temptation” foods. What do I mean by “temptation” foods? I mean chocolate, ice cream, sweets, baked goods, and anything else you simply cannot resist. While these items may be wonderful to have around the house, you are almost certain to eat them more often if you stock up on them than you would if you bought them as needed. Not only will this cost you more money overall, but it can have a very negative effect on you health.Similar Posts:

Frugal Friday: Best Deals of the Week 5/23 through 5/29

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:19:50 +0000

Image: Daniel Y. Go

Happy Friday, everyone!!! It’s Memorial Day weekend and you know what that means–lots of great deals!!! This weekend is jam packed with Memorial Day sales, coupons, and promotions. If you have been waiting to make a purchase, now is the time to do it. Below you will find the best deals from around the blogosphere! Most of these are only good this weekend, so make sure you take advantage of them!

$10 Off $50 or $15 Off $75 At JCPenney! Now through tomorrow, you can get $10 off $50 or $15 off $75 with this coupon at JCPenney! You can also use the code 15MEDALS to get this offer online! Start from Ebates or ShopAtHome when shopping online and you will get an additional 3% cash back at JCPenney!

Free Full-Sized Body-Care Item at Bath & Body Works! Now through June 10th, you can get a FREE full-sized body-care item at Bath & Body Works with any $10 purchase! Use the code FREEBODYCARE to take advantage of this deal online! Start at ShopAtHome when shopping online to get an additional 4% cash back at Bath & Body Works!

40% Off at Borders! Now through tomorrow, get 40% off at Borders with this coupon! You must be a Borders Rewards member to use this, but it is free to sign up online. Use the code BYW7772A to take advantage of this online. Start at ShopAtHome when shopping online to get an additional 7% cash back at Borders!

$5 Sale & 15% Off at The Children’s Place! This weekend, The Children’s Place is having a huge $5 sale on knits, tees, tanks, and shorts! Additionally, you get can 15% off your online order by using the coupon code G4AQMRAG5A. Finally, start from ShopAtHome when shopping online to get an additional 5% cash back at The Children’s Place!

Memorial Day Sale at Amazon! For a limited time (probably just a couple days at most), get $10 off a $50 order or $25 off a $100 order of clothes sold directly by Amazon! Restrictions apply, so check the website for details!

Kmart Memorial Day Sale! Just about everything online at Kmart.com is on sale for 5%-20% off! They are also offering free shipping on any order of at least $49. On top of that, use the code RETAILMENOT or KMART5OFF50 to get an additional $5 off your order of $50 or more. Finally, start from ShopAtHome when shopping online to get an additional 5% cash back at Kmart.com!

Babies “R” Us Printable Coupons and Memorial Day Sale! Babies “R” Us has released some great printable coupons for its Memorial Day sale! These coupons include 20% off a baby gear item, 20% off Serta crib mattresses, and a $15 gift card when you buy a certain amount of Huggies! These coupons are in-store only, but there are a few online deals as well. Start from ShopAtHome or MrRebates to get an additional 2% cash back on your online Babies “R” Us order!

Free Breakfast at IKEA! Get a free breakfast this weekend when you go to IKEA!

Other deal reminders:

Make sure to check Ebates, ShopAtHome, and MrRebates for other great cash-back offers every time you shop online. Up to 25% cash back!!!
Don’t forget to print out your free coupons at Coupons.com.
Make sure to load your Upromise Ecoupons onto your cards. Activate all of them in case you accidentally buy something on the list!
Make sure you use Swagbucks for all of your web searches. Today is Mega Swagbucks Friday, so you have a chance to win a lot of Swagbucks! I am up to over $245 in Amazon gift cards!
Sign up for YouData to easily make money viewing ads. I get paid each Friday from this site!

Did you take advantage of any of these deals? Did I miss any great deals? Make sure you let me know!Similar Posts:

Ways to Save Money on Home Decorating

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:41:29 +0000

Image: found_drama

Well, folks, I am excited to announce that my husband and I have finally started to decorate the nursery for our baby!!! We put the primer on the walls last night and we will paint the room either today or tomorrow. It is just amazing to me how fast the time is going by. My baby will be here in just two months!

As we’ve gotten to work on this nursery, one thing has becoming very clear to me: decorating is expensive. There are so many things needed to make a room look nice: paint, furniture, decorations, etc. We were lucky enough to receive most of these items from my mom at our baby shower. All we’ve really had to spend money on is the paint and a baby dresser we are building. Many people, though, have to pay for all of their own home decorations. Because of this, I decided to write this blog post. Below, you will find some ways to save money on home decorating while still achieving the look you want!

1. Buy used. Furniture does not have to be brand new to look great! Check out your local garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets, and auctions to find great deals on secondhand furniture. Also, don’t forget to keep an eye out on Craigslist and other local online classified ads websites.

2. Refinish your old furniture. Who says you need new furniture at all? Consider refinishing your old furniture instead of buying new furniture. Re-upholster a couch or refinish your kitchen table. You can make an old piece of furniture look brand new again!

3. Build your own furniture. If you have access to a wood shop, you can make brand new furniture completely from scratch! That is what we are doing with our baby dresser. This is a great way to get high-quality furniture for a fraction of the price. You might even gain a hobby out of it.

4. Make your own curtains. Instead of purchasing new curtains, make your own out of fabric of your choosing. You can even reuse old sheets and other materials for curtains.

5. Consider wall decals instead of paint or wallpaper. Stick-on wall decals are a great way to add color to a room without the hassle of paint or wallpaper. Decals come in all shapes, colors, and sizes–pick the one that matches your style.

6. Use accent rugs instead of new carpet. Is your carpet getting worn and stained? Consider covering it with an accent rug instead of getting new carpet. Find a nice used one and you can save significantly.

7. Create your own wall hangings. Cut out pictures from magazines and frame them to add class to a room without spending a lot of money. If you are really artistic, you can even paint your own pictures!

8. Reuse old decorations in new ways. Perhaps your couch pillows would look great on your master bed or an old baby blanket would look great hung up in a nursery. Use your imagination!

9. Do the work yourself. Don’t spend money hiring a professional painter or interior designer. Do it yourself and save the expense!

10. Choose a theme and stick to it. Decide on a theme for your room/home from the very beginning and stick to it. This will help you avoid the temptation of buying unnecessary items that do not match your theme.

Have fun decorating your home and remember, HAVE FUN! Do you have any other home decorating tips? What projects have you done recently? We would love to hear from you!Similar Posts:

AMAZING Rite Aid Huggies Diapers Deal

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:48:08 +0000

Considering that I just had my baby shower this past weekend, baby supplies have been on my mind. Therefore, when I came across this great diapers deal, I just HAD to show it to you! This offer is only available in some regions, but it is definitely worth a trip to Rite Aid to see if your store is participating.

Right now at Rite Aid, some stores have a tag in front of their Huggies diapers that says: “BUY ANY 3 Huggies Items GET A $11.99 +UP Reward”. Here is a picture of this tag:

If you find this tag at your Rite Aid, then when you purchase three Huggies items using your Wellness card at Rite Aid you will get a coupon good for $11.99 off your next non-prescription purchase that prints out at the cash register. When you add coupons to this deal, it gets even better. Try this following scenario:

Buy three packs of Huggies diapers $8.99
Use one $5/25 Rite aid coupon (search for “Rite Aid” when you get to this site to access the coupon)
Use three $3/1 Huggies diaper printable coupons
Pay $12.97 plus tax out of pocket and at check out get the coupon for $11.99 next next purchase.

Wait! This deal gets EVEN BETTER! Some people have had success so far ROLLING THE $11.99 COUPON!!! This means that they used the $11.99 coupon to buy three more packs of Huggies diapers (using more coupons) and got ANOTHER $11.99 coupon at the register!

If this deal works in your area, this can mean MAJOR savings on diapers. It appears that only certain regions are participating and even then it is kind of hit or miss on whether or not the $11.99 coupon will roll.

Let me know if this deal works for you! We would love to find out exactly where this deal is available.Similar Posts:

Save Money By Saving Water

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:07:11 +0000

This is a guest post by Independent Beginnings reader Marcy Tate.

Whether you are living in a dorm, your parents’ house or in a home of your own, there are simple ways you can save water and lower your water bills. By changing a few habits and learning about other ways to save water at home, you could end up saving a few hundred dollars a year – or more. Don’t overlook the possibilities of water conservation. Creating good habits now will make saving water second nature as you start your life on your own.

The best way to change your water usage habits is to do so gradually. Pick one habit to change and as you get comfortable with it, try another.

Brushing Teeth. We all need a little reminder sometimes to turn off the faucet while brushing teeth. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime can save up to 8 gallons of water per day, which equals 240 gallons a month.”

Wet, Lather and Rinse…But Not in the Tub. Take fewer baths than showers. A standard full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons. When in the shower, turn off the water while you lather. If you shave in the shower, turn off the water or do it before you enter the shower.

Dirty Dishes. Turn off the faucet while scrubbing up your dishes. After the dishes are scrubbed, turn the faucet back on and rinse them. You’ll save a tremendous amount of water. Avoid using the dishwasher until you have a full load. Avoid using the pre-wash cycle by rinsing dishes before you place them in the dishwasher.

Get to Know Your Plumbing. Pay attention to the faucets, toilets and sinks in your home. Inspect monthly for leaks. Leaky pipes and faucets can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water each year; that’s hundreds of dollars. If you are unsure if your toilet is leaking, try this simple test as recommended by the EPA: Place a drop of food coloring in the tank; if the color shows in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.

Green Grass vs. Greens in Your Pocket. If you spend lots of water on watering your lawn, simply cut back. Use a drip irrigation system rather than in-ground sprinkler systems. Drip irrigation systems use between 20 and 50 percent less water than in-ground sprinklers and work more efficiently, as they limit water runoff.

Wear it More than Once. Avoid wearing clothes just one time. This makes for lots of laundry. Cutting down on laundry will help decrease your water bills significantly. Likewise, wait until you have a full load, or use the appropriate water-level setting on your machine.

Water-Saving Devices. There are several inexpensive devices that you can easily install on your faucets, showers and toilets to conserve water. Most inexperienced do-it-yourselfers can handle installing these devices. Just follow the instructions or search for easy tutorials online.

Low-Flow Faucet Aerators. Faucet aerators look like tiny screens and come installed with most faucets. Low-flow faucet aerators decrease the amount of water flowing out from the faucet and can be installed in kitchen and bathroom faucets. An aerator spreads the flow of water, which saves water. Aerators can be purchased for under $10.

Dual-Flush Toilet Switch. In the average U.S. home, the toilet accounts for 28% of water use. Several products, such as the Perfect Flush Adapter, can turn a conventional toilet into a dual-flush toilet. It will provide you with two flushing options: full flush or half flush. The Perfect Flush Adapter costs about $100.

Low-Flow Showerhead. Low flow showerheads are a great way to limit the water flow from your showerhead. They deliver fewer gallons per minute (gpm) of water than conventional showerheads. They deliver 1.6 gallons of water per minute instead of 4-5 gallons per minute (as conventional showerheads deliver). There are many excellent low-flow showerheads on the market that cost anywhere from $20-$200. The more expensive low-flow showerheads are made with special features, such as massaging options.

Marcy Tate is a blogger at Networx. She has been working with residential plumbers for over a decade on ways to conserve water at home.Similar Posts:

Frugal Friday: Best Deals of the Week 5-2 through 5-8

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:35:58 +0000

Image: Daniel Y. Go

Welcome to this week’s edition of Frugal Friday! Here, you will find the best deals of the week from around the blogosphere! There were not many extraordinary deals this week, but hopefully you will be able to make use of some of these.

Half-Price Frappuccinos at Starbucks. From May 7th to May 16th, Starbucks will be offering half-price frappuccinos during their happy hour, 3-5 p.m. Don’t miss out on this great deal!

25% Off Storewide at Lane Bryant. Now until May 10th (better use this soon), at Lane Bryant you can get 25% off storewide using this coupon. You can also use the coupon to get 10% any $50 purchase at any Lane Bryant Outlet store.

Free 8×10 Collage Photo Print from Walgreens. Now until TOMORROW, you can get a FREE 8×10 collage photo print from Walgreens when you use the code GOODTHOUGHTS. Make sure to choose in-store pickup to avoid shipping charges.

$15 Off Any $15 Order at Monterey Bay Clothing Company. Use the coupon code KAAFH to get $15 off your next order of $15 or more at Monterey Bay. Also, if you start by going to ShopAtHome (a website that offers cash back for online purchase just like Ebates) and accessing the Monterey Bay website from there, then you will get an additional 6% cash back on your order as well as a $5 sign up bonus! There are many clearance items on the Monterey Bay website, so this could be an amazing deal for you!

Free Delicious Summer Sample Pack from Kraft! Now until May 10th, or while supplies last, you can get a FREE Delicious Summer Sample Pack from Kraft when you Like Kraft on Facebook. The sample pack will include samples, coupons, and a rebate offer for $10 back when you spend $30 on Kraft foods between 5/23 and 6/13. This is a very attractive sample offer!

Great Cash-Back Deals on Mother’s Day Flowers. You’ve all heard me praise Ebates before. Well, now it’s time to add ShopAtHome and MrRebates to the mix. Each of these three websites works the same way: you get cash back for any online purchase you make when you click on the link to a store’s website from those three sites. It helps to check all three sites to find out which one is offering the highest amount of cash back for the store you want. Plus, you get a $5 sign up bonus at each website!!! Right now you can get great cash back deals from both Ebates, ShopAtHome, and MrRebates on Mother’s Day flowers! Get 12% cash back from Teleflora when you access the Teleflora site from Ebates. Get 17% cash back from FTD when you start from MrRebates. Get 12% cash back from ProFlowers when you start from Ebates, ShopAtHome, or MrRebates. Get 18% cash back from From You Flowers when you start from ShopAtHome. Don’t miss out on this FREE MONEY if you are going to be getting Mother’s Day flowers!

Other deal reminders:

Make sure to check Ebates, ShopAtHome, and MrRebates for other great cash-back offers every time you shop online. Up to 25% cash back!!!
Don’t forget to print out your free coupons at Coupons.com.
Make sure to load your Upromise Ecoupons onto your cards. Activate all of them in case you accidentally buy something on the list!
Make sure you use Swagbucks for all of your web searches. Today is Mega Swagbucks Friday AND this week they are giving out more Swagbucks than usual, so you have a chance to win a lot of Swagbucks! I am up to over $245 in Amazon gift cards!
Sign up for YouData to easily make money viewing ads. I get paid each Friday from this site!

Did you take advantage of any of these deals? Did I miss any great deals? Make sure you let me know!Similar Posts:

Ten Ways to Save Money on Gardening

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:25:06 +0000

It’s finally May and that means it’s time to plant the garden! Gardening can be a fun pastime as well as a great way to save money on food. I started my very first vegetable garden last year and I was amazed with the results. We had so many cucumbers we didn’t know if we could find enough people take some from us! This year, we have done a little more planning and we hope to have a more reasonable amount of a bigger variety of vegetables.

Yesterday, I went shopping for the things I would need for my garden, including my flower beds around my decks. As you can see in the picture, I bought two planters to replace broken ones, a flat of petunias, two green bell pepper plants, a four pack of tomato plants, a new cheap pair of gloves, and six packets of seeds (two watermelon varieties, zucchini, cucumber, canteloupe, and pumpkin). With these things as well as some stuff I still have from last year, I am now ready to plant my garden!

While gardening can be a great way to save money, it can also become very expensive very quickly. If your main goal for your garden is to save money, there are some frugal guidelines you will need to follow. Try out some of the following suggestions to save money on your next vegetable garden:

If you can, start from seeds. It is much cheaper to start from seeds than it is to start from transplants. Most seeds run around $1.00 a packet; however, you can get them much cheaper than that if you are not planting a huge garden. The Family Dollar store in my area has seed packets for $0.20 a packet! Another option is to buy seeds in bulk online and split them with a friend or neighbor. This can lead to some significant savings.
Grow your own seeds. Why buy seeds at all if you can use your own seeds from last year’s garden? If you want to grow your own seeds, you will need to make sure you are using heirloom plants and not hybrid plants. Hybrid plants will not reproduce the next year.
If starting from transplants, shop around. Some vegetables do better when started from a transplant. In this situation, make sure you shop around instead of buying the first plant you come across. When looking for tomato plants this year, I went to several stores and could only find tomato plants at $2.00 per plant. Finally, I went to my local Dillons store and sitting outside the store were four packs of tomato plants for $1.58. That’s four plants for less than the price of one at other stores. The plants were a little younger than at other stores, but they were healthy and strong. If you do not shop around, you can spend much more than is necessary on transplants.
Make your own compost. Use garden clippings and other organic matter to make your own compost. Composting is not very difficult and is completely free! You will never need to buy compost again!
Ask local farmers for their extra manure. If you do not wish to make your own compost, you may be able to get free manure if you ask your local farmers. Many of them have plenty of it lying around and are more than happy to share.
Use homemade pesticides. It is often not necessary to use a commercial pesticide. Instead, make your own! There are a variety of options for homemade pesticides, including garlic solutions and insecticidal soaps. Another option is to plant insect-repelling plants along your garden, such as mint or basil.
Save rainwater for future use. Set out buckets to collect rainwater and use it at a later time on your garden. Make sure to store the water in a child-safe location.
Use simple garden tools instead of expensive motorized ones. When it comes down to it, tools such as rototillers are not absolute requirements for gardening. Use a regular hoe and work up a sweat instead of spending extras on expensive tools.
Subscribe to gardening newsletters. There are many gardening newsletters, such as the Home Depot Garden Club, that you can sign up for. These newsletter will often send coupons and money-saving tips in the mail or online. Take advantage of these deals when they come around.
Store, store, store! Don’t waste your excess vegetables. Can them, dry them, freeze them, or preserve your vegetables in some other way. For example, you can shred your zucchini, divide it into one cup portions, and freeze it to use for zucchini bread throughout the year!

With these tips, you are ready to start your own frugal vegetable garden! Do you have any other money-saving gardening tips? What are you planting in your garden this year? We would love to hear from you!Similar Posts:

Frugal Friday: Best Deals of the Week 4-25 through 5-1

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:57:35 +0000

Image: Daniel Y. Go

Welcome to this week’s edition of Frugal Friday! Here, you will find the best deals of the week from around the blogosphere! This week’s edition features several deals that pair well with Ebates, a website that gives you cash back for many of your online purchases. So, if you are not an Ebates member yet, now would be a great time to sign up! You will get a $5 bonus when you first sign up, so that will make these deals even better! Make sure you take advantage of these deals before they expire!

Old Navy 30% Off Sale! Today through May 2nd, in store only, EVERYTHING at Old Navy will be 30% off! This is a rare sale that you won’t want to miss!

Today Only–Restaurant.com 80% Off. Today is the last day to get 80% off at Restaurant.com when you use the coupon code MEAL. This means you could pay just $0.80 for a $10.00 gift card! The deal gets even better, though, if you sign up for Ebates and use their link to Restaurant.com. Not only will you get the $5 sign up bonus if you are a new member, but you will also get 15% cash back on your Restaurant.com purchase! With the bonus, this gives you a $25.00 gift certificate for FREE!

$10 Off a $10 Purchase at JCPenney! Now through May 9th, you can get $10 off your next $10 online purchase at JCPenney.com when you use the coupon code 4BESTMOM. You will still have to pay shipping, but this is still a great deal! Plus, if you click on the JCPenney link through Ebates, you will get 6% cash back on your purchase!

Get $10.50 in ARM & HAMMER Coupons! Get $10.50 in ARM & HAMMER coupons when you sign up for their email list. The following coupons are included:

$1/1 ARM & HAMMER Power Gel Detergent
$3/1 ARM & HAMMER® Clear Balance Pool Maintenance Tablets – Available at Walmart
$1/1 ARM & HAMMER Whitening Booster (2.5oz or Larger)
$1/1 ARM & HAMMER Whitening Booster (2.5oz or Larger)
$1/1 Arm & Hammer Cat Litter Deodorizer Spray
$1/1 Arm & Hammer Cat Litter Deodorizer Spray
$1/1 Arm & Hammer Cat Litter Deodorizer Spray
$1/1 Arm & Hammer Cat Litter Deodorizer Spray
$0.50/1 Arm & Hammer Carpet & Fabric Odor Eliminator Powder
$0.50/2 2lb or 4lb ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda OR Fridge Fresh Refrigerator Air Filter
$0.75/1 Arm & Hammer Scrub Free Bathroom Cleaner
$0.75/1 Arm & Hammer Clean Shower Daily Shower Cleaner

Free Bagel & Shmear at Einstein Bagels! Become a Facebook fan of Einstein Bagels and receive a coupon for a FREE bagel and shmear! Coupon is only good until May 2nd, so take advantage of this today!

Other deal reminders:

Make sure to check Ebates for other great cash-back offers every time you shop online. Up to 25% cash back!!!
Don’t forget to print out your free coupons at Coupons.com. It’s the end of the month, so some of your favorites may disappear after today! New ones may also show up tomorrow!
Make sure to load your Upromise Ecoupons onto your cards. Activate all of them in case you accidentally buy something on the list!
Make sure you use Swagbucks for all of your web searches. Today is Mega Swagbucks Friday, so you have a chance to win a lot of Swagbucks! I am up to over $240 in Amazon gift cards!
Sign up for YouData to easily make money viewing ads. I get paid each Friday from this site!

Did you take advantage of any of these deals? Did I miss any great deals? Make sure you let me know!Similar Posts:

The Power of Coupons

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:18:16 +0000

By now, I am sure many of you have learned that coupons are a great way to save money. However, you may not all fully appreciate the tremendous power of coupons just yet. I, myself, was an unbeliever for quite some time. In my area, no grocery stores double coupons. This means that most of the time, my coupons are worthless. I am better off buying the generic brand than I am buying the name brand with a coupon. I figured that coupons simply were not for me. Boy was I wrong!

In the last couple of weeks, I have had a lot of free time. As a way to fill some of this time, I have searched for great bargains. Surprisingly, I was able to find some AMAZING deals by using just a little bit of planning. For an example, let’s take a look at a deal I found at Smith’s.

This past week, Smith’s was running a Quaker promotion. The promotion was that Quaker instant oatmeal and Captain Crunch cereal were on sale for $2 a box, but if you bought five boxes you would get an additional $5.00 off. This meant that you could get a box of instant oatmeal or a box of cereal for $1.00. Sounds like a good deal, right? Well, it gets even better. After doing some searching online, I found printable coupons for $1.00 off 1 box of Quaker instant oatmeal. Since I have two computers at home and the coupons were available from more than one website, I was able to print out six of these coupons. That meant SIX BOXES OF OATMEAL FOR FREE at Smith’s!!! I was ecstatic! As I continued searching, I realized that other grocery stores in my area had coupons for $3.00 off five boxes of Quaker cereal or oatmeal in their ads. Luckily for me, my local Smith’s store accepted that coupon and I was able to get five boxes of Captain Crunch cereal for $0.40 a box! A good deal at Smith’s became an AMAZING deal all because of coupons.

Since that deal, I have found other great coupon deals in my area. None have been quite as amazing as that one, but I have still gotten some free items and several nearly-free items. My opinion has been forever changed about coupons. Coupons are great–just use them wisely! Wait for sales and then use your coupons. Don’t use a coupon if a generic brand is cheaper. Finally, don’t forget to check for printable coupons!!!

How have you used coupons to find great bargains? What is the best coupon deal you have ever found? I would love to hear from you!

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