Personal Finance Reading – May 9
Have you ever wondered how some people get out of the store paying only a few dollars for grocery items that regularly cost many times that price. It takes a lot of organization, but it also helps if you know how the system works. Here is an example of how someone who simply clips coupons will get a gallon of ice-cream that normally costs $6 for $5 with the use of a $1 coupon whereas someone that works the system by knowing what is going on will get that same gallon for $0.50 or possibly less. A real eye opener and well worth the read:
How can you find these savings in the future? Take the time to ask yourself why certain items are on sale. Pay attention to trends. Look for a reason that something has been discounted or promoted. Watch for the changes, and you can capture significant savings.
Even with doing this job for several years and knowing most of the tricks of the trade, I sat there going “ahhh, okay, now I get it” as I read through realizing how it works.
Clutter 2 Cash is hosting this week’s Festival of Frugality doing a nice job of categorizing the entries into easy to understand sections. If you’re looking to save a bit more money, check it out.
It’s true! As a couponer, I’ve realized that you start to recognize certain “signs” that items are going to be free or almost free in the near future. High value coupons means that there will also be sales (case in point: I bet that Jalapeno flavored PopSecret will go on sale for a buck within the next month of two. Combine that with the dollar coupon in this Sunday’s paper, and you’ve got a freebie.) And last summer when Coke Zero didn’t go over so well, I got about a hundred free bottles by combining coupons with the increasingly lower sale prices. The new Quaker Crunchy Granola bars were available for .25 ea right after they came out. I LOVE it when new products are introduced! And then there were the free pints of Breyer, like the article mentioned . . .
And it’s true! You start to know the seasons during which things will go on sale too. November, for instance, is chili season. I stocked up on Stagg and Bush. *Sigh* That was a great month.