Archive for June, 2008:
Organize Your Coupons With The Couponizer! (Review and Photos)
Okay, it’s true:
I haven’t been very good about organizing my coupons lately.
Between launching my ebook, email list, blog, and other related ventures, I haven’t had a whole lot of free time. Unfortunately, this has taken a serious toll on my coupon organization.
It’s pretty embarrassing to admit this, seeing as I run a site about saving money (and staying organized in the process), but it’s true!
So when I heard about the Couponizer, I knew I had to try it immediately. It’s a coupon and shopping organization system that includes the Couponizer organizer with 18 grocery coupon pockets, 4 non-grocery coupon pockets and three shopper loyalty card sleeves; shopping list; CoupStacker mat for quick and easy sorting; CoupTracker pad for tracking your savings; “Your Guide to Smart Savings” instruction booklet with spending strategies and coupon tips; scissors; and clear vinyl carrying case.
I dove in right away. Here are some photos I took in the process:
The whole Couponizer system out of the package
The CoupStacker, a coupon organization sheet
The CoupStacker categories match up with the categories in the Couponizer system so you can organize all of your coupons in one area and then transfer them all to their respective categories within the Couponizer.
Coupons placed in the Couponizer category sleeves
Coupons ready to be used for shopping!
The Couponizer has two areas to place coupons when you’re shopping. You can pull coupons out of certain categories and place them in the “shopping trip” sleeve (left-hand side) so you can easily reference them in the store. When you place an item in your cart, move the coupon from the left-hand side to the right-hand side (the “Checkout” side). This is an extremely helpful feature of the Couponizer! I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been scrambling at the check-out, trying to figure out which coupons I should be using and which ones I shouldn’t.
Clear plastic sleeves to organize gift cards
You can also use the clear plastic sleeves to organize store loyalty cards.
Couponizer Shopping List
CoupTracker to keep track of your coupons
All I can say is — The Couponizer rocks! I am well on my way to once again becoming uber-organized with my coupons.
Actually, I love the thing so much that I teamed up with the folks at The Couponizer to offer the system on my web site. You can order it for only $19.95 here. Trust me when I say it is WELL worth it! But… the even better news is I have a BETTER deal for you.
As an exclusive offer just for the customers of my ebook, 100 Ways to Save Money, you’ll be able to order The Couponizer system for only $15! The exclusive, low-price order link will be available to you after you make your ebook purchase.
I hope you’ll try The Couponizer out. It’s a great organizational tool, and a lot of fun to use, too!
New Restaurant.com Coupon Code
Restaurant.com is the best! They offer discount gift certificates for thousands of restaurants nationwide. I’ve never had any trouble redeeming them and have been able to get a lot of great deals.
They have a new coupon code out right now for 60% off $25 gift certificates and you also receive a $10 gift certificate free. The $25 gift certificates are normally only $10 (see, a great deal already), so with this code they are only $4. The code to use is MEALS. It expires June 30, 2008.
Have fun!
Best Deal Magazines Coupon Codes
In my ebook, 100 Ways to Save Money: Easy Tips Anyone Can Use to Cut Costs and Keep Their Money in the Bank!, I mention how great of a deal (no pun intended!) Best Deal Magazines is. They offer huge discounts on magazine subscriptions (for example, Elle magazine for only $4.95 per year — seriously!).
They have some new coupon codes out right now to make the deals even sweeter, so I thought I’d pass them along. You’ll need to order fast though because the codes expire June 29.
You’ll type the coupon code into a box on the order screen. Again, their site is located here. Enjoy!
Take An Extra 15% Off Most Titles
Code: PXSS629 Offer Expires June 29, 2008
250+ Magazines under $10 with this coupon!
90+ Popular Magazines - Just $3.99 with this coupon!
35+ Popular Magazines - Just $5.24 with this coupon!
TAKE AN EXTRA $5 OFF $30 ORDER COUPON
Code: MNDSS629 Offer Expires June 29, 2008
TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON
Code: MQQSS629 Offer Expires June 29, 2008
TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON
Code: MQPSS629 Offer Expires June 29, 2008
Sears $5 off $30 and 10% off appliances coupons
The first coupon is $5 off any $30 Sears purchase. Use it on clothes, home furnishings, appliances, and much more.
The second coupon is 10% off any appliance (regular price only) at Sears.
http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/coupons.action?coupon=save_5_on_purchase
They’re valid at Sears stores nationwide and don’t expire until January 31, 2009.
Ways to Enjoy Life Without Spending Money
It happens to all of us — something goes wrong in our lives, and in an attempt to console ourselves we suddenly end up at a department store cash register, drowning away our sorrows to the happy sound of the price scanner.
While a small self-pity purchase might be okay every once in awhile, continuing to follow such patterns can lead to a serious hole in the wallet. The better thing to do is to learn how to replace the desire to spend with another enjoyable task that doesn’t involve money. Just as the dieter learns to take a walk instead of reaching for a piece of pie, the overspender needs to learn replacement habits as well!
Here are several ways to enjoy life and feel better without spending money:
Just like the dieter, take a walk or engage in other exercise such as yoga. You’ll burn calories and have the time to think about what’s bothering you.
Volunteer your time. Volunteering is a great way to turn the attention away from yourself and onto another important cause. It can also help put unimportant purchases into perspective.
Sign up for Internet freebies. You can find all sorts of things for free online, including lots of product samples and other goodies. Just go to Google and type in “free stuff” and you’ll be occupied for hours at a time!
Listen to your favorite music. Turn on your radio or MP3 player and blast your favorite music. If you want to indulge just a little without going overboard, allow yourself to purchase one or two new songs to download.
Organize your coupons. If you clip coupons (great for saving money!), spend some time organizing them or planning future deals. Focusing on a task that will save you money in the future is an easy way to get your mind off other things in your life and focus on the positive.
By implementing these tips, you’ll be able to cut down on your expenses and find other activities you enjoy.
“If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.”
-Benjamin Franklin
Tags: Money Saving Tips
Get 10% cash back on eBay
(Note: This deal was originally 35% cash back, but now it has been changed to 10%.)
I just found out about this great deal and wanted to share it as soon as possible.
You can earn 35% 10% cash back on a buy-it-now eBay purchase, up to $250.
What you need to do is go to http://www.live.com. Do a search on an item you want to purchase — for example, “food processor.” You then need to find an eBay link in the “Sponsored sites” section (on the top and to the right). You’ll see an icon that says Live Search Cashback. Click on the link and you’ll be sent to your search results on eBay. Make sure are able to see an icon at the top of the screen that says “Buy it Now with Paypal and you may get cashback.”
There are conditions, of course, which are all laid out for you here: http://pages.ebay.com/cashbackoffer/terms.html
You’ll need to read them over, but some of the most important ones are that you’ll need to make your purchase within 60 minutes of clicking on the sponsored link, some items are excluded (such as vehicles and real estate), the cash back only applies to the first item you purchase in a given transaction, you’ll need to set up a cash back account (free) at http://search.live.com/cashback, and so on.
The process might sound a little annoying at first, but given that you can potentially save $250, it’s a great deal! The amount should be credited to your Paypal account within 60 days.
Just make sure you shop for the best Buy-it-now price since Buy-it-now prices (in my experience) can sometimes be a bit higher than auction prices.
Free Meat - Land o’ Frost’s Taste Escape
Here’s a great freebie that just came out:
couponpage (click the link for a PDF)
The coupon is good for a free package of Land o’ Frost Taste Escapes up to $3.99. The coupon expires July 31, 2008. You can view the flavors here: http://www.landofrost.com/prod_taste.html
I am not sure where else they are available, but they’re definitely available at Wal-Mart.
Tags: Free Stuff
Save Hundreds of Dollars on Gift Cards
Start thinking of the stores you shop at often. What comes to mind? Is it Circuit City, Starbucks, Banana Republic, Sephora, Barnes & Noble? Undoubtedly most of us could easily come up with a list of ten to twenty, if not more.
I’m the kind of person who loves to save money. I’ve been doing something so simple for the past few years that has saved me hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars – I’d like to think of it as “free money”! It’s so easy, yet surprisingly few people take advantage of it.
You’re probably wondering what I do. It’s simple:
I purchase gift cards online for the stores I shop at most often at a discounted rate.
I mainly use eBay, but there are others like CertificateSwap.com and SwapAGift.com. A lot of people receive gift cards as presents but aren’t interested in the store or would prefer cash, so they list the cards online. Expect to usually pay 80 to 90 percent of face value, although some prices can be higher or lower depending on the popularity of the merchant. The way I see it is, if I’m going to spend the money at the store anyway, why not purchase a gift card and save a few dollars?
One method I have found to be quite useful in finding good deals is to go to the Gift Certificates category on eBay and search for “Buy it Now items” in the search options. I then sort the results by the most recently listed auctions. Some sellers underestimate the value of their gift cards, so they may put up a Buy it Now price that is lower than what the card would generally go for. You have to be at the right place at the right time to snatch up those deals, but it can be worth it! (Just to prove that it does happen – as I was writing this article, I was able to purchase a $100 gift certificate redeemable at hundreds of spas nationwide for only $50!)
One word of caution: as with any online purchase, be sure that you are purchasing from a reputable seller. Unfortunately scammers are out there, so do your homework on the seller before making a purchase.
I hope you are able to use this technique to save money like I have. It is one I plan on using for years to come!
Fuel Rewards Programs: Are They Really Worth It?
If you live in an area where grocery stores offer discounts on fill-ups at their gas station based off your purchases at the store, you probably feel like you’re inundated with advertising about it.
They tout it as the best way to save money off your fuel purchases and try to entice you to spend as much as you can at their store because, after all, you’ll be saving money at the pump.
But the question is — is it really worth it?
Well, yes and no. It definitely can be if you’re already making purchases at that store and are comfortable with the amount you’re spending. The problem is when you see that you need to spend $15 more to get an extra ten cents off your fuel purchase, so you spend $15 on whatever you see just to get the fuel discount. That’s pretty pointless if you could have paid less for your purchase at another store. Remember, an extra ten cents off per gallon is only a $1.50 to $2.00 discount — certainly not worth wasting money you didn’t need to spend!
Another big promotion these stores usually run is related to gift cards. Sometimes if you purchase a gift card at their store (typically available for a variety of merchants), they’ll give you double the fuel discount.
$5 off at Kohl’s and 10% off Kohls.com
Here’s an easy way to get $5 off your purchase at Kohl’s with no minimum AND 10% off a purchase at Kohls.com (also no minimum).
Sign up for Kohl’s e-mail sales alerts at http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/registration/sale_alert_signup.jsp. You’ll also receive “e-mail updates about our biggest sales, exclusive free shipping offers, promo codes valid for online orders and clearance updates.”
If you have multiple email addresses, you can sign up for multiple coupons. Enjoy!
