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In the past, Credo’s articles have been focused on general business and/or tax topics. Of course, those will keep coming to you. But, I hate to keep all of these great Credo people behind closed doors. It’s about time some of them step forward to introduce themselves! A lot of them actually have very interesting backgrounds and a wide variety of interests.
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Are You A Bargain Hunter?
By Teonna McCullough, RTRP, QuickBooks Pro Advisor
Accounting & Business Services
Couponing can seem daunting, but here are a few tips to cut down time and make it easier. Clipping coupons can be very time consuming. I usually buy 1-2 Sunday papers, and if I see a coupon that I really like I use a clipping service or order them on ebay in bulk (10-20 at a time). Coupon clipping can be a family activity, letting the kids help cut coupons can be both fun and allows you to teach them about saving.
Finding time to get your deals can be challenging. Get creative. Wake up early, stay up late, or you can do like I do and shop on your lunch break. On my lunch break I shop for the nonperishable items. Planning is the key when shopping with coupons. Match your shopping list with as many coupons as you can and have them ready when you enter the store.
Stockpiling is also another way to save time. Not having to rush to the store because you’re out of laundry detergent can be a life saver. When products go on sale buy extra and store them for future use. My rule of thumb for what items to stockpile is simple. I stockpile any item I use most frequently, like soap, deodorant, toothpaste, tooth brushes, laundry detergent, etc. Most of these items you can get free or almost free.
eCoupons are another time saver. These are uploaded to your store loyalty card and applied automatically at the register. They can only be used one time per card, and do not double. But, there’s no clipping and sorting. There are also sites like www.SavingStar.com that give you cash back for your coupons instead of taking them off at the register. And, after you accumulate $5, it’s deposited into your bank or PayPal account.
The key to couponing is not to procrastinate. Don’t let the coupons pile up before you clip and organize them. It’s harder to feel motivated to clip coupons when you have 2-3 weeks worth, not to mention the expired coupons.
Here are some real life examples…
Example 1:
I have 3 children, and we go through a lot of juice.
Juicy Juice retails at about $2.75 per 64 ounce bottle. Recently, the grocery store had a buy one get one free sale on Juicy Juice. I had several coupons to get $0.50 off the purchase of two. The free bottle counts as one of the two. The $0.50 off coupon doubles to $1.00 off. So, each bottle of Juicy Juice ended up costing about $0.88.
I was able to purchase 10 bottles. If I purchased 10 bottles at $2.75 (retail price) the cost would have been $27.50, versus $8.80 that I paid using coupons.
I saved $18.70 on just those 10 bottles of Juicy Juice.
Example 2:
Purex laundry detergent usually retails for $6.99 at Walgreens. Walgreens had Purex on sale for $1.99. The savings really adds up:
Regular retail price of 10 bottles: $69.90
My final price of 10 bottles: $19.90
I saved $50 on 10 bottles of Purex laundry detergent.
Example 3:
Suave deodorant usually retails for $0.99 at Kroger. I had a $0.50 coupon that doubles up to $1.00, which makes the final price FREE! You can’t beat FREE!!
He has accrued broad financial experience working with companies ranging in revenues from $50,000 to $60 billion.Dan has worked with technology services, software, real estate, retail, manufacturing companies, professional services firms, marketing/advertising agencies, dental practices, medical practices, and various other industries, providing each with the specific financial guidance needed to establish sustained business growth and financial health.