From the monthly archives:

February 2009

How to Organize Your Coupons

by admin on February 7, 2009

A file or accordion folder is one way to organize coupons. Photo courtesy ladybugbkt.
A file or accordion folder is one way to organize coupons. Photo courtesy ladybugbkt.

We all know that coupons are an excellent way to save money on grocery bills, but finding the time to clip and organize coupons can be difficult. There’s nothing worse than standing in the checkout line wrestling digging through your purse trying to find a particular coupons. Or worse, digging through your coupons and realizing that many of them have expired.

While it may take a little bit of effort, organizing your coupons can streamline your shopping process and ensure that you actually use many of those great savings. While you certainly won’t be able to redeem every coupon you find, creating an organized place to store and sort your coupons is one of the best ways to trim down your monthly grocery bill.

There are a lot of different systems you can use to organize your coupons. The one you choose will depend largely on your own needs. Consider some of these options, and then choose the one that works best for your lifestyle and shopping habits.

First, some important tips for getting organized:

  • Set aside a day to clip and organize your coupons. Weekends are ideal, especially since the Sunday paper contains many of the week’s best coupons.
  • Choose the coupons you know you will use, but also clip out coupons that you might use. Even if you end up not using it, you might find a friend to give it to or you can just toss it out after it expires.
  • Sort coupons into piles according to category: food, health products, beauty items,etc.

1. Organize Your Coupons with Envelopes

This is probably one of the easiest ways to organize your coupons. Start saving those postage paid envelopes that come with all of your junk mail. Use a marker to label the envelope according to category, and then place your coupons into the envelopes. Voila! Then, find an empty storage container and place the envelopes inside for a handy coupon file.

This method works well if you have a relatively small number of coupons to sort.

2. Store Coupons in a Binder

A small binder is a great place to store coupons along with other supplies, such as a paper pad for your grocery list or a calculator to tally up your saving and spending. A cheap three ring binder is a workable solution, but I personally recommend using a zip binder that offers protection against losing items.

Purchase some plastic sheets that are used for collecting photos or trading cards and some divider labels to mark the various sections of your binder. You can divide each section in a number of ways, such as by coupon category or expiration date.

3. Organize Coupons with a Small Accordion File

A small accordion file that can easily fit inside of your purse is another fast an easy way to store and organize your coupons. Larger sized accordion files would also work, but they can be bulky and difficult to manage in a shopping situation.

Start by placing labels on each section of your file, and then just sort your coupons into their various locations. This can be an excellent system if you have a small number of coupons, but it can become a bit unwieldy for storing a larger quantity of coupons.

Photo albums are another great way to organize coupons. Image courtesy ninjapoodles.
Photo albums are another great way to organize coupons. Image courtesy ninjapoodles.

4. Use a Pre-made Photo Book to Organize Your Coupons

My preferred method of storing coupons is to use a small photo book. These books are compact and can be purchased in a wide variety of designs, making them an attractive way to store your coupons while shopping. Simply place your coupons inside the handy photo plackets, and then place labeled divider tabs on the right-hand side of the pages to mark different sections of your book.

5. Try Small File Boxes to Store Coupons

Those small file boxes that are often used to hold 3 x 5 note cards or 4 x 6 recipes cards are also great tools for organizing coupons.

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Deal of the Day

by admin on February 6, 2009

FamilyVideo.com has a number of great buys on used video games for several different systems.

Use the coupon code FreeShip for free shipping.

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Buying a Home? You Might End Up With a $15,000 Tax Credit

by admin on February 5, 2009

In a move designed to revitalize the stagnant housing market, the Senate has voted to approve a measure that would provide a tax credit of up to 10% of the value of new or existing homes, with a cap of $15,000. The current law in place provides a $7,500 tax credit, but only to first time home buyers.

According to Alan Zibel, writing for the Associated Press, the credit would work as follows: People who buy a home would have 10 percent of the purchase price applied to their tax bill. What about people who owe less than that in taxes? The credit would allow home buyers to spread the tax credit out over a two year period.

Anyone who buys a home during the year would qualify. To prevent speculators from taking advantage, the law would require buyers to live in the home as their primary residence for a two-year period.

I’m currently in the market for my first home, so this sounds like great news to my ears.

Diana Olick, of CNBC, notes that the tax credit would be helpful, but certainly not a silver bullet to fix the ailing housing market.

“The tax credit, while available to all buyers, is really only going to help a first-time home buyer who has good credit and money to put down on a 30-year fixed. It won’t overcome the hurdles facing the bulk of potential buyers out there who either have to sell their current home or don’t have the good credit and downpayment necessary to take advantage of today’s low mortgage rates.

In other words, the tax credit is a good start, but let’s hope it’s not the finish.”

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Can You Really Go to College for Free?

by admin on February 5, 2009

If you’ve been thinking about going back to school to boost your skills, change careers or promote yourself in your current field, then you’ve probably spent some time researching tuition costs at different colleges and universities. Higher education can be expensive. Ridiculously so in some cases.

So when this article, “Higher Ed Gems: Free Medical School,” came across my desk, it definitely grabbed my interest. Far from the typical ‘free college degree’ scams that flood my inbox on a regular basis, this article instead explores some of the legitimate ways that reals students can get an college degree for free (or at a dramatically reduced price).

I’m no stranger to the expense of higher education. I worked two jobs and earned multiple scholarships to help pay for my undergraduate degree. Later, I continued to work two jobs plus a full-time graduate assistant position to pay for my master’s degree. While you are bound to incur some type of expenses in pursuit of your degree, there are a few ways to mitigate these costs.

Farnoosh Torabi, writing for MainStreet.com, suggests the following:

  • Check out brand new schools. New programs may be more generous with scholarships and other perks.
  • Apply for scholarships. Seriously, go to the scholarship office at your school and get applications for any and every scholarship that you might possibly qualify for. Apply for each and every one of them.
  • Consider government programs. A number of programs exist that help pay for educational costs in exchange for agreeing to work in an under-served or needy region.
  • Don’t overlook foreign schools. Colleges and universities based outside of the United States are often cheaper, and many also offer scholarships or grants to foreign students.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can really get a degree without any real work. Qualifying for scholarships generally takes a real committment to academics or community service. Graduate assitantships are serious work, often for very little pay. While there may be no such thing as a free ride, there are plenty of ways to fund your education without acquiring massive amounts of debt. Explore some of your options and talk to financial advisors at school you are considering to learn more about your options.

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Save Money on Eating Out Expenses

by admin on February 5, 2009

Ways to Save Money When Eating Out

Ways to Save Money When Eating Out

When money is tight, dining out is one of the first things many people cut back on. For those that enjoy eating out at their favorite restaurants, such cutbacks can seem especially difficult. Fortunately, there are plenty of great ways to save money on dining out expenses. A recent story in the New York Times suggests that many top eating establishments are offering deals, perks and specials in response to the economic downturn.

“Battered hard already by the recession and petrified of what’s to come, restaurants are talking sweet and reaching out in ways they didn’t six or even three months ago. They’re cutting special deals, adding little perks, relaxing demands and making an extra effort to be accessible.”

While you may not live in a food Mecca like NYC, your local eateries are just as likely to features great deals. It might take a little extra planning and you’ll probably have to learn where to look for the best deals, but a little extra effort just might save you a substantial amount of money on your dining out bill each month.

Check Out Overlooked Gems

Skip the high priced restaurants in favor of smaller spots. Just browsing my own local eateries revealed a number of fantastic options, such as a small, family-owned Chinese restaurant offering lunch specials for just $3.95 a person. That’s half the price of a value meal at a fast food place.

Start Being an Early Bird

Dining out late in the evening means that you’ll have to pay full dinner menu price. Instead, try making it to a late lunch, between the hours of 4PM and 6PM. Restaurants will generally allow you to order off the lunch menu during these times, offering virtually the same options as the dinner menu at dramatically lower prices.

Drink Ice Water

Ordering drinks such as soda, lemonade, flavored drinks or alcohol is a sure-fire way to ramp up your eating out bill. Instead, just order ice water. Not only is it usually free, it’s also a lot healthier for your body.

Ask About Loyal Customer Rewards

Do you often eat out at the same restaurant? Then be sure to ask if the establishment offers a customer loyalty program. Such programs build points every time you eat there. Eventually, you can build enough points to pay for a free or discounted meal.

Use Coupons

You may be surprised to learn that many popular restaurants offer great coupons. Check out coupon mailers such as ValPack, or browse your local newspaper for great finds. Such coupons might shave dollars off your bill, offer free appetizers or even provide buy one/get one free deals.

When you are trying to save money, eating out might be one of the first things to go. If you budget wisely and keep an eye out for great deals, however, there is no reason why you can’t occasionally enjoy great meals out at your favorite restaurants.

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