Tip of the Day: Coupons

We're always trying to save money.  We have the Sunday paper so we can get the coupons. We started out with a Groupon Deal, but we were also able to negotiate a similar introductory rate when we had to renew our subscription.  We pay $.50 per paper, but saved $14.15 this week at the commissary with our coupons.  After making up menus for the week and carefully planning our grocery lists we've brought our monthly food bill down substantially.  We used to go grocery shopping multiple times per week and now we only go once.  I've been surprised how much this planning has helped.  

We sign up to get emails and are Facebook friends with the stores we like.  When we were stuck at the mall we used our free lettuce wrap coupon for PF Chang's and split an entree for lunch.  There was plenty of food and it was tasty.

My husband loves Bed, Bath, and Beyond and saves all the 20% off of $5 off coupons we get in the mail because they take expired ones.  He wanted to get an outdoor furniture set for our balcony and found one that was really cheap, but they were all sold out in most of the BBBs around us.  We asked the store we were in if they could look up on the computer what other stores had them in stock.  There was one we were going to go to, but the guy helping us really wanted the sale so he let us buy it from that store and he waved the shipping fee (just this one time because we're such good customers).  So we got the 20% off and free shipping and we didn't have to carry it up 4 flights of stairs to our condo.  On top of that we found a gift card from BBB from when we got married and that took another $20 off.

We got a Groupon for 50% off at Old Navy and then used them to buy grab bags which contained $100 worth of clothes for $20.  I had some Groupon Bucks so I only paid $5 for $100 worth of shirts for me and Albert paid $10 for $100 worth of shirts for Quentin.  Last summer we bought 50% off Groupons for GAP that we used to buy clearance clothes for Quentin.

There are of course lots of blogs you can follow to find out about coupons and samples.  My favorite sample site is That Freebie Site.  You can sign up for lots of little freebies everyday.  Makes getting the mail a little more fun because by the time they come you've forgotten all about it.  I also like the coupon blog Hip2Save.  I haven't got into couponing that much - matching sale items with coupons -- since we just go to the commissary.