At our live marriage events AKA Playbook Pep-Rally’s we talk about money. We get even more in detail with tips and sites that can help you save money when you go shopping. We want to pass that info on to you:  Websites:

A little hard to navigate, but the people on this forum really know their stuff. You have to register (for free) to use the site effectively. They have great Freebie Forums.

http://www.afullcup.com/ A great site to help find deals at stores each week.

http://www.couponmom.com/ This site matches store deals with the coupons in the Sunday paper. It is a little confusing at first, but once you get it, it is very user friendly.

http://www.vocalpoint.com/ This site allows you to get free samples and coupons for free or nearly free items.  All you have to do is come back after trying the item and let them know what you think. You get a coupon for free or nearly free item in addition to 5 lower value coupons to share with friends or use yourself.

http://smartsource.com/ a site for printable coupons

http://www.couponbug.com/ a site for printable coupons

http://www.pgesaver.com/ this site attaches coupons to your Kroger or Scott’s card that you can use without having to cut out coupons or keep up with them. Simply scan your card at check out and the coupons come off automatically when you buy those items. Kroger at Dupont will not let you use paper coupons with the card coupons, but most other Krogers and Scott’s will.

http://shortcuts.com/ The same as the pgesaver.com

http://www.freestufftimes.com/ Free sample site, only the posts on actually store items are good, the rest are spam sites

http://freebeezndealz.com/ Another free stuff site

http://freecycle.org/ A site where people locally post items they want to give away. You post your own stuff here as well. You have to give something before you can take something, but it is a great site if you are looking to get rid of something to big to haul or throw away and you can also find perfectly good items that others don’t need anymore, but are still in good shape.

These are all useful sites for being thrifty. It can seem overwhelming at first, but the more you do it the easier it gets and you can get your own system down.  It is important to always go with a list and take a calculator with you. Everyone’s budget will vary depending on the size of your family, your income and your family’s needs.

Clearance sales at the end of a season or holiday are great ways to stock up for the following year, but if you buy things you don’t need just because they are on sale you are not saving money. Clearance sales for items you will need though are a great place to stock up on items.  Day 4 after Christmas is a great way to buy items for teachers or Secret Santas. Most stores put their items on 75% off on Day 4 and still have many good items left.  Target has clearance items on end caps in the health and beauty section, food section, toys, stationary and home décor.  Walmart has an entire aisle of clearance items, but they have been known to put items they want to sell on that aisle with a red tag, but no mark down. This is where it pays to know how much the items you normally buy are.  With prices going up it is hard to keep track of prices, but you can have a general idea. This is also important if you shop multiple stores so you know if a sale at Store A is cheaper than Store B so you get the best price.

Another important area to keep in mind is healthy eating. As the price of corn has gone up due to the production of ethanol the price of foods and beverages containing corn syrup has gone up. So there has never been a better time to eat healthy because now healthier foods are costing less than processed foods. Buy fresh fruits and veggies in season for the best price and best taste.  You can plan your menu around these seasonal items and save money. If you buy your meats on sale as well you are also saving money. Meat can be bought and frozen when it is on sale and you can have it stored up for when you need it when meat is not on sale.

Overall a lot of saving money is knowing how to use coupons and knowing what is a good price for the items you use most often.  Using the websites listed above can teach you how to be thrifty, but some of them can go a little overboard in their shopping. I do not believe in buying items you won’t use or need, but if you have the extra money to spend and want to donate those extra items go ahead. The Consumer queen and Coupon Mom recommend shopping that way. Personally unless I can get it for free I won’t buy items I won’t use and those items I save for when the schools or organizations are collecting items so I can give to those in need.

Let us know if you have tips of your own. We’d love to pass them on to others.

The Marriage Playbook

~where marriage is going~