Cyber Monday Tips, With video link!

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6489921

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Consumer savings expert Regina Novickis visited KCAL9 Friday to share tips for shopping on Cyber Monday.

Do’s + Don’ts

Do research prices and create a budget.

The most important weapon in your holiday shopping arsenal is knowing the real prices of products you want to buy. This way you can recognize how good a deal is when you see it and know how much money you will be saving.

Do leave your credit cards at home or in another room.

So many people get caught up in the impulse and end up overspending – it’s not a bargain if you end up paying credit card interest on the item. If you want the purchase protection that comes with a credit card logo, consider prepaid cards. That way you can load the card up only to your budget, and you won’t go over when the desire to impulse purchase comes on.

Do use online coupons and free shipping offers.

Go to sites like PromotionalCodes.com to find the most current coupons. The site aggregates tens of thousands of promotional codes for merchants like Target, Home Depot, Sears. The site currently features a special section on Black Friday deals, and will be showcasing Cyber Monday offers, so it’s a great place to start finding savings. Not only can you take advantage of Black Friday savings, in some cases you can find additional discounts.

Do shop with a buddy.

 

Certain codes or offers may only apply when you spend more. For example, a merchant may offer 30% off of a purchase of $100. If you spend $70, you can essentially get $30 for free. If you’re only making a small purchase, consider shopping with a friend or family member to split the costs and take advantage of the savings.

Do take advantage of Cyber Monday.

Many online merchants will be offering sitewide discounts. (Will give some examples).

Don’t be worried if you missed out on doorbuster deals.

There are often great deals to be had, but Black Friday deals extend throughout the day and beyond. Many door buster deals are not the high end, name brand electronics either, so while it may seem like an enticing offer, if you’re looking for a big bargain on high-end electronics like centerpiece TVs or loaded laptops, wait until Cyber Monday. The only exception is check out the Apple Store, which only discounts on Black Friday.

Don’t be brand loyal.

Sticking to a specific brand is a fast way to lose money. Many merchants are competing for consumer dollars, so if you’re willing to go off-brand, you can score some big deals.

Don’t pay for shipping.

Close to 93% of merchants are offering free shipping this year. This saves you on gas, time and money spent at the mall; as well as creates a great opportunity to ship gifts directly to the recipient. And you won’t end up paying for baggage fees when carting gifts on the airlines.

Don’t be afraid to wait.

The best time to get the greatest deals on toys is actually expected to be the 14 days leading up to Christmas.

My best black friday tips possible!

My best advice for Black Friday shopping!!!!!!

                                         Make a list, set a budget, and strategy! That’s extremely important if you want to snag any deals! Best buy will have 42' TVs for $200, target 46' $298, but chances of getting it are pretty slim, the odds are against you of getting the deals. Stores only have 10-15 in stock, and competition is fierce. Time saving strategy, snag your deals early online. Many retailers including amazon are giving Black Friday deals a run for their money. Even for electronics. Online sites have bigger inventories. Try these sites: www. Black Friday.info.com , black-friday.net & blackfriday.com. Create your list, then monitor the site around 11pm wed night. Snag deals n free shipping as much as 24hours before doors open at retailers.

Shop around for best prices on electronics. Best places to shop. Independent stores, Costco, the apple store, then staples, Costco has a great return policy. Radio shack and best buy rated mediocre. Ask for meet or beat prices as well if shopping at a retailer. Download a price comparison app on your smart phone. Price grabber and snap tell are highly recommended. Decide.com predicts future prices, and redlaser is another customer favorite. With price check apps you can compare on all products without running from store to store. Friday Dec 16th is National free shipping day! More than 2000 merchants will offer free shipping within the continental US. Toys: another elmo year, leappad learning tablet, animal planet air swimmers are huge, and kids are loving the angry birds knock on wood game! The closer we get to Hanukkah and Christmas, the prices will drop. Make sure to find out about restocking fees as well. Go to komo news.com/shopping for more detailed tips and info.

Target 4 day deals fro pre-black friday

http://www.target.com/Home?isHomePage=true&categoryId=7502&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0001&AFID=Performics_Reinvent%20International%2C%20Inc.&LNM=4%20Day%20Sale%20-%20Save%20with%20Pre-Black%20Friday%20Sales%20Only%20at%20Target.com!%20-%2011%2F20-11%2F23%20ONLY!

How to save Money or your groceries without coupons video

http://money.msn.com/money-video/default.aspx?vid=73fb2d81-30bd-75fd-9788-6532aba9486b&src=CPPlayer:share:permalink:uuids

How to teach your kids to save money

1. Match Savings:

   For every dollar your child saves, offer to put in a matching contribution. When they are little, you might be able to match 100%. Once they are older 25% or 50% might be reasonable to encourage them to save.

2. Open a Savings Account:

   Encourage him to deposit a portion of money he earns into a savings account and track the interest earned on his account.

3. Encourage Them to Set Goals:

   If they want to purchase an expensive toy, hang up a drawing of an empty thermometer. As they save their money, color in the thermometer. They'll be able to track their progress visually.

4. Give Non-monetary Savings Rewards:

   Young children may not understand that $10 tomorrow is better than $5 today. Consider rewarding children with things special to them for saving their money: stickers, toys, and special outings can be helpful.

5. Make a Wish List:

   Encourage children to identify fun things to spend their money on. For older children, prioritizing the list can be a helpful challenge.

6. Display a Picture:

   Hang a picture of a wanted item off their wish list on the wall. If your child is saving for a special purchase, hang up a picture to remind them of what they are working towards.

7. Save Money in Front of Your Children:

   Keep your own piggy bank or deposit money in the bank when you are with your children. Explain what you are saving for and your children will mimic your behavior.

8. Help Them Spend Money:

   Occasionally, children will get so focused on saving their money, that they won't spend any money along the way. Help them enjoy their money by spending some on small purchases or surprising them by buying something they'd like.

Thank you about.com

How to Prepare for Black Friday

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By Molly McHugh, DigitalTrends.com

Black Friday experts from around the Web share their tips and advice on everything you need to know before you get in line.
Before you line up outside Best Buy in the dead of night, before you clip out coupon after coupon, even before you review our best of Black Friday deals, there’s prep work to be done for every retailer’s favorite day of the year. We got in touch with Black Friday experts and collected their thoughts on how best to ready yourself for consumer battle.

It’s easy to get lured in by names like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy. These retailers pull out all the stops when it comes to Black Friday, with full page ads and national press. Their reputations precede them, and accordingly result in very, very long lines. Lines that tend to be filled with the most determined shoppers. If you’re thinking about snagging one of those 40-inch Westinghouse TVs at Target, Jon Vincent of Black Friday.info says you will “need to get in line Wednesday night.”
But it’s not futile for those who want to take advantage of the one-day deals without missing the Thursday holiday; you just need to strategize. If you aren’t stuck on any of the big stores’ door busters, Vincent as well as Bfads‘ Michael Brim advises hitting up smaller office supply retailers like Office Depot and Office Max. Both will have worthwhile electronics discounted, like the Magellan Roadmate 3045 navigation system for $99.99 at Office Depot. Riddle mentioned a netbook for $179 at Radio Shack. The lines are short (sometimes non-existent), the staff less stressed, and there’s a decent array of tech gifts to choose from. Sam’s Club is even offering free breakfast to customers diligently waiting in the cold. You won’t find that at Target this year.

More from DigitalTrends.com:  Gift Ideas for Tech Lovers Best iPad Accessories Best Cameras under $300 Best iPad Apps

Mike Riddle of Black-Friday.net laughs when asked if he’s standing in lines come November 26. One year, he stood in line all day at Best Buy for the store’s door buster TV discount, and once he got in, they were all out. Then he went home and bought it on Amazon.
Vincent echoes Riddle’s sentiment, “Ask yourself, ‘is it worth it?’” He doesn’t think so. Brim agrees that Amazon offers not only the same discounts, but the time and anguish you spend on Black Friday are eliminated. The site promises to match all discounts, and Riddle reports that the site will knock two cents off in-store prices. Add to this that Amazon will be running price cuts starting Monday the 22, its free shipping policy for purchases over $25, and no sales tax, and you’ve got yourself a pretty convincing argument to sit at home on Black Friday.
Dev Shapiro of GottaDeal.com disagrees. He will be among the discount devotees outside Best Buy as early as 6 a.m. Tuesday morning. Shapiro says until consumers are guaranteed that online shopping sites’ servers won’t crash or the items they want won’t sell out in minutes, it's best to “do it the old-fashioned way” – get in line.
On that note, here’s an insider’s tip: Anyone out there interested in Best Buy’s $99 Nook, it’s suspected Amazon will offer the Kindle for the same price starting Monday.


If you’re going to do Black Friday, you better do it right. The first step is doing your research. Shapiro’s advice is to search a coupon site, retailer’s site, and individual product’s sites. He points out that ads will show you how much you’re saving on an item, but not how much it’s actually worth. “A store might be overstocked on a product, maybe they just need to clear out the warehouse, avoid getting taxed on something that’s been sitting there. So they throw it out for Black Friday.”
It’s also important to take details into account. Shapiro pointed out that this year’s Target Westinghouse TV is certainly a steal at $298, but buyers should note that it only has one HDMI port. So you have to decide whether you connect your Blu-ray or DVD player, cable box, or video game console. Or, you need to factor in the cost of another hookup, which runs between $100 and $200.
And do this research in advance. Don’t even think about leisurely pawing through the coupon pages on Thanksgiving – get your product’s specs and serial number down, know how many a store will have available, and have an image as well. Black-Friday.net will organize this list for you, if the idea of putting it all together yourself is a little overwhelming.

If your heart is set on one of the big name retailers, timing is crucial. This year’s Black Friday build up is primarily focused on Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, with Kmart and Staples also getting some attention. While all our experts agree it varies depending on the size of your town and what items you want, the general consensus on when to line up for doorbuster items is sometime between Wednesday evening and early Thursday afternoon.
Also, realize that you are limiting yourself to one store. Sure, there are the super humans, existing on adrenaline, caffeine, and a great ability to push through crowds, that can hit up multiple large retailers. But they are far and few between. Most of us have to choose one and commit.

New Cards, gone wrong :(

So i got my cards , but some info was accidently inncorrect..:( SAD FACE!!!!  So I will have my buisness cards soon hopefuly with correct info

New Flyer.

Adopt A Soldier for the holidays!

Go to http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/ for more information

The holidays can be extremely tough on all the soldiers serving our country. By adopting a soldier, you can send them a care package for the holidays with treats, toiletries, letters of thanks, and much more to brighten their day and help make the  holidays a little more enjoyable. Please take the time to click the link http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/ and find out how you can help. By adopting a soldier, you cut out the middle man and know for sure that what ever it is you are sneding them goes straight to them. Thanks for taking the time to read this and please share this post to as many people as you can in hopes that we are able to get as many soldiers as possible "adopted" this year!

How to save time & money on your Holiday meals!

4: Get the Most for Your Money

And speaking of buying food on the cheap, don't hesitate to stock up on store brand items. After all, by the time guests start arriving, chances are good all the boxes and cans that the products came in will have long since hit the trash, so even if you have a few snooty guests with the spare cash to indulge exclusively in name brand cuisine, they won't be able to tell the difference.
Bulk food is another good money saver -- especially since you don't want to run out of anything essential after the stores shut down for the holiday. For ingredients that don't feature strongly in your regular menu, you might want to back off from buying in bulk. If the item is a holiday staple or is something that pops up in your recipes on a regular basis, it can't hurt to stock up.
Don't forget to compare different types of the same products, too. How do the canned tomatoes stack up to the fresh ones? How about the sweet potatoes or the ingredients you need for a casserole? By comparing serving sizes across aisles, you can scoop up additional deals.

If your fridge looks like this, that's going to be a problem.

© iStockphoto.com/alicat

3: Prepare the Battlefield

Once you have bought and hauled home all your ingredients, you might suddenly find yourself frozen in front of your open fridge, wondering how on Earth you're going to cram everything in. Lots of people let their refrigerators become a place where condiments run wild and leftovers go to die -- not a good strategy when the holidays are approaching and food production ramps up.
Take a few minutes to evaluate what's essential and what has been languishing for so long you can't remember what prompted you to buy it in the first place. Anything that fails to ping your memory can be fast-tracked to the trash. Clear off a refrigerator shelf and some room in the freezer for housing holiday dishes, and free up as much counter space as you can to make room for the bustling excitement that's about to go down.
All the ingredients and tools you'll be using during the cooking process should be as accessible as possible to speed things up, so drag the mixer out of its dusty corner and round up all the tongs, mixing spoons, measuring cups and other equipment you think you'll need. Having it on hand and ready to go will make the entire process much smoother.

Celery is one of those vegetables you can chop up ahead of time.

© iStockphoto.com/Funwithfood

2: Make a Game Plan

Whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas or another holiday, lots of traditional dishes appear at the table. Turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, potatoes and pies are among the usual suspects. When it comes to meat, you must cook it the day of, but many other dishes can be prepared -- or least the preparations can begin -- in advance.
To save time during the holidays, make and refrigerate a whole range of items like pies, steamed vegetables, deviled eggs and cranberry sauce ahead of time. You can also bake rolls, dice up vegetables and prep casseroles the night before. Your task load is slashed the next day, and many dishes just need a quick warming up right before the meal. You can even squeeze in last-minute reheating while the meat rests before carving.
Additionally, when it comes to saving time during the holiday season, your freezer is your best friend. Take cookies, for example. Dedicate an afternoon to baking up multiple batches of cookies, pop them in the freezer and pull some out when you need them.

Let other people handle side dishes and desserts, while you turn your attention to preparing a perfect turkey.

© iStockphoto.com/marganl

1: Enlist Some Help

It's finally time to mention the elephant in the room: The easiest way to save time and money around the holidays is clearly to eat at other people's houses, coasting through the season without dropping a dime on extra holiday feasting festivities. Just show up, eat your fill of delicious turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, pie and whatever else they're serving, and then skedaddle. You might even score a few leftovers if the host's fridge is too full.
Of course, in the real world that's not always possible -- or particularly polite on a regular basis without good reason. So if you end up the designated host for an occasion but are really strapped for time and cash, consider encouraging your guests to bring a side dish. Then you're free to focus on the main course, while the time and money needed to make the entire assemblage of food is scattered among several people.
Depending on different people's situations it's not always an option to foist some of the responsibility onto others. If this is the case, at least designate some helpers to assist you in the kitchen. Having someone around to mash the potatoes, pop the rolls in the oven or decrease the growing stack of dishes in the sink can save a lot of time in the long run

Sources

• Berner, Karen. "Saving Money on Your Local Holiday Meal." TheDailyGreen.com. (10/15/2009) http://www.wbaltv.com/food/21234453/detail.html
• "Cooking tips for busy people." The Better Health Channel. August 2008. (10/14/2009) http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cooking_tips_for_busy_people
• "Cooking Tricks." SimpleAndDelicious.com. (10/14/2009) http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/tips-tricks/quick-tips/cooking-tricks.jsp
• "Dining on a Dime." Kansas State UniversityAgricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Nov. 12, 2005. (10/14/2009) http://www.ces.purdue.edu/CES/LaPorte/files/CFS/Healthy.pdf
• "Extension Specialist Offers Cost-Saving Holiday Meal Tips." Nov. 20, 1997. (10/14/2009) http://www.ncat.edu/~soa/news/nov97/holidaymeal.html
• Harpold, Leslie. "How to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner." The Morning News. Nov. 26, 2003. (10/15/2009) http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/how_to/how_to_cook_thanksgiving_dinner.php
• Henneman, Alice. "Use Grocery List to Save Time, Eat Healthier." University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County. (10/14/2009) http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciqb.htm
• "Let kids share holiday cooking fun." Louisiana State UniversityAgricultural Center. Dec. 4, 2008. (10/14/2009) http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/en/communications/news/holidays/Let+kids+share+holiday+cooking+fun.htm
• Paxton, Rachel. "Eight Time-Saving Cooking Tips." Pioneer Thinking. 2002. (10/14/2009) http://www.pioneerthinking.com/chcookingtips.html
• Paxton, Rachel. "Freezing Cookies and Cookie Dough." The Sideroad. (10/14/2009) http://www.sideroad.com/Cooking/freezing-cookies-dough.html
• Sagon, Candy. "For the Juiciest meats, wait before you carve." Boca Raton News. March 5, 2003. (10/14/2009) http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=20030306&id=ec8PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5Y0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6638,2933104
• "Saving Time in the Kitchen: Cooking Tips." Diabetic Lifestyle. March 2002. (10/14/2009) http://www.diabetic-lifestyle.com/articles/mar02_cooki_1.htm
• "Time-Saving Tips." SimpleAndDelicious.com. (10/14/2009) http://www.simpleanddelicious.com/tips-tricks/quick-tips/time-saving-tips.jsp

How i did with $20

Tonight I went into Albertsons with no plan what so ever. All i had was a few Free 2 liter Dr.Pepper 10 Coupons. Hadn't seen The new weekly circular, and didnt bring my binder, and this is what I was able to do! I walked in and made sure to go to customer service and grab their ad. Found some cool stuff so I started to wander..... Found out that I could get 10 of "these" for 1$ (vitawaters,powerades,or powerade zeros) and get 5 of "these" FREE! So I got 10 of the Powerade Zeros because they are QUENCHABLE_LICIOUS!, And got the 5 Glaceau Waters free (because the rule at our house is to pick up some sort of emergency water evertime we go to the store). I Was able to get 5 2liters of the new Dr.Pepper 10 free with the coupons I've been holding on to, got 4 packages of the Don Pancho Authentic Tortillas for $1 a piece, And 6 packages of the Knorr sides for .88$ a piece. SO all in all, i got 30 items for $20.39, saved $34.03, that's a 64% savings! Total retail $54.32. As long as I save more than I spend I leave the store happy. Plan or no Plan, i will not pay for more than I have to. Saving money everyday is easier than you think. All you need to do is know what to look for! 

HOW TO GET DISCOUNTS AT ANY FAST FOOD JOINT!

1

First, get an idea of what fast food restaurants you like to eat at. Then find out what their websites are. Usually it's their name like subway.com or burgerking.com (actually it's bk.com). If it's some obscure one, just type their name into google and it should be the first result.

2

Once you're on the restaurant's website, highlight the address from the address bar on the top of your browser and copy it with ctrl-c or right click then copy.

3

Then go to google.com and click on "advanced search" on the right side of the normal search box. Then find the box for "Search within a site or domain" and paste in the restaurant website's address. If you want to quickly test one that will basically always work, type in hardees.com there. They always have monthly specials or at least they did when this article was written.

4

Now type the word coupon in the "all these words" box that contains what you're really searching for. This combination will search the entire Hardees website for the word coupon. It's pretty likely that the first result will be the Hardees promotions page. With any other restaurant it should be something similar. Almost all of them have some sort of printable coupons on their website, usually for whatever their latest invention is. If they don't have one of those, usually it's some sort of buy one get one free deal.

5

Click on whatever result looks like it would contain a printable coupon and when you find it, print it off. Your printer has to be decent enough quality to print the barcode well enough if there is one. If it can't handle that, the serial number under the bar code at least has to be readable because they should be able to key it manually in if necessary. Most fast food places don't scan their coupons until later if at all though so don't worry too much about it but you should still probably get a better printer if it's blurry.

6

If you can't find a coupon this way, either choose a different restaurant or go to their site and dig around manually until you can find them because almost all of them have some hidden somewhere. Just be prepared to jump through some hoops and possibly give them your e-mail address. Read my other article about how to give them a valid but fake e-mail address if you're worried about them spamming you.

7

Now just go to the restaurant and give them the coupon and tada, you got a big discount. So what's the catch in all this? Well, fast food companies want your e-mail address so they can send you "newsletters" packed with ads and the offer of free coupons is a good way to do it. They also want you to try their new product at a severely discounted price because they think you'll come back for it later so over time it's a worthwhile investment. For example, I found a $1 off Hardees new thickburger coupon. It's not that expensive by itself so $1 off is awesome. But the coupon was only valid for 2 weeks and then they discontinued it. Their theory is people would go for the great deal, think it's awesome, and come back without a coupon after the discount campaign is over. Every time Subway comes out with a new sub type, they do the same thing. But of course if you just go from restaurant to restaurant, getting the newest awesome deal, it breaks the system. For some reason they think people won't do that but hey, google makes it a lot easier so why not?

Read more: How to get discounts at any fast food restaurant | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4455607_discounts-any-fast-food-restaurant.html#ixzz1dGh7uDl3

How To Save Money on Your Pets

How To Save Money on Your Pets
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The best toy for a kitten? Another kitten. Photo: hitchster/Flickr
In today's economy, everyone's looking for ways to save money and sadly, many pet owners have to consider giving up their beloved animals. Here are some of our best tips for saving big on pets, supplies, food, vet bills, and those other costs that can really add up.
Save on the pet itself.
Buying a thoroughbred dog or cat can be really pricey. Consider adopting an animal from a shelter. Not only will you save a ton of money, you'll save an animal's life.
Get free stuff (and have fun doing it).
Brides-to-be do it. Expecting moms do it. Why shouldn't a new pet owner get a bunch of free stuff too? Plan a new pet shower (or host one for a friend -- good karma!). Send Evites, make it a potluck, and ask each guest to bring toys, food, treats, a bed, scratching post, or whatever else a new pet owner would need. It will save you money -- and will be a lot of fun to boot.
Buy used.
Guess what -- Fluffy doesn't care if her pet carrier or crate are used or new. Look on eBay, Craigslist, or your local newspaper for used pet supplies. Just make sure whatever used items you get are thoroughly disinfected before use. Spraying down with a good cleaning supply should do the trick.
Save on food and supplies.
Get pet supplies, including basics like cat litter, dog food, and toys, at a discount from catalogs like PetEdge and Doctors Foster and Smith. Don't forget that most pet food manufacturers offer coupons on their websites. Better yet, buy in bulk from a price club like BJ's, Costco, or Sam's Club. (Just don't tell your pet where that enormous bag of food is kept...)

Get creative.
Those fancy dog toys that look like hamburgers and artisanal catnip pouches might be tempting, but here's news for you: your pet probably isn't too picky. Collect discarded tennis balls at the tennis court for Fido; tie a big sturdy rope into a knot and voilà -- instant tug toy. Grow your own catnip. And you know what toys many cats really love? Puff balls and string.
Don't skimp on healthcare.
Veterinarians will often offer financial help. Ask about a multiple pet discount and bring in more than one pet at a time. They might also offer a payment plan so you can pay over time. Researching pet insurance is also a good idea. For $20/month your pet can be fully covered for illness and injury. Finally, look into Care Credit, which will provide a line of credit especially for vet bills.
When you can, skip the vet.
Order flea, tick, and heartworms medications from discount sites like 1-800-PetMeds.
Use discount medical services.
As Bob Barker has often said, "Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered." The ASPCA provides an online tool to search for the closest low cost spay/neuter clinic. And Friends of Animals offers certificates to get discount services at local vets. Many PetCo stores offer discounted vaccinations days as well.
Channel your inner freegan.
Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center in Huntington, NY, runs a food pantry for local pet owners who need help. This is a great alternative for pet parents who might have to otherwise give up their pets. New York's Animal Care & Control is also offering help with food and medical services. Check your area for something similar.
Got any great recession-proofing tips? Share them in the comments section!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      




by Rebecca Quimby

6 Ways to Save Money Every Day

By New Day

Save Money Every Day

Before the current recession, you might not believe me that you can Save Money Every Day. Regardless of what the economy is doing, don't you want to have more money in your pocket every month?

Of course, the silver lining of the current economic crisis is that people are learning to live with less. But some pundits believe that it won't last when the economy turns around.
Why not? There are many ways you can save money on a daily basis. You don't have to be broke or near bankruptcy to use these simple tips! Benjamin Franklin famously said:

"A fool and his money are soon parted."

When I was laid off from my job last month, my husband and I took a hard look at our budget. We managed to cut about $700 a month simply by making a few daily changes. Saving on childcare too (we don't need it when I'm not working), and making some other larger changes (outlined in a subsequent hub), we are still able to pay our bills and have not fallen behind.
None of these suggestions require any big effort on your part. And this is not Suze Orman-style advice regarding your investments, buying a home or saving for college. In fact, I believe that little changes like the ones in this article add up for significant savings that you'll feel immediately in your budget.
What? You don't have a budget? Well, before we get started, you should get out copies of your bills from last month and write down each amount. Include your rent or mortgage, too. Then add in some figures for fuel, groceries, personal hygiene (haircuts, etc), clothing and entertainment (meals out, coffee, movies, rentals, sitters), and medical (if you have any co-pays). Add everything up and then take a look at your take-home paycheck figure.
You can't save money until you get realistic about your income and money you're spending.

Frugal Living Resources

	Shameless Shortcuts: 1,027 Tips and Techniques That Help You Save Time, Save Money, and Save Work Every Day! Amazon Price: $1.11 List Price: $16.95
	Easy Ways To Save Money Everyday: Tips, Techniques & Strategies for Saving Money on Just About Everything Amazon Price: $14.95
	Frugal Living for Dummies Amazon Price: $4.68 List Price: $16.99
	Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom Amazon Price: $5.19 List Price: $17.99
	Shop Smart, Save More: Learn The Grocery Game and Save Hundreds of Dollars a Month Amazon Price: $1.32 List Price: $12.99
	The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness Amazon Price: $5.00 List Price: $24.99

Below are Save Money Every Day tips that worked for our family. In some areas of the country, you may save less. In others, even more. What I am telling you is that it CAN be done.
Are you ready to try?
1. Consolidate trips in your vehicle. Consider that a gallon of gas is currently about $2. If you can save a single gallon each day by cutting back your driving by about 30 miles (trust me, it adds up fast), then you can pocket about $15 a week, which translates to at least $60 a month! Pretty amazing when you think of it!
Over a year, how would you like to have an extra $700-800?
2. Clip coupons. Now, I'm with you with respect to what a pain in the rear it is to go through the newspaper to look for specials. Most of the time, they aren't even what you are shopping for. So, go to www.coupons.com instead. You can print out coupons for anything on your shopping list. We save between $10-50 on each grocery store trip.
Over the course of a month, that's an extra $100-300! Annual savings: $1200-3600, or more!
3. Create a spending journal. Its not enough that you write down purchases in your check ledger. Instead, get a small notebook in which you will track all your expenditures for at least a month. Just like a person that is looking to lose weight, once you are honest about your spending, you can start to get a handle on it. Are you losing money on coffee? Lunches out? Haircuts? You won't know until you examine your own spending habits.
By this simple exercise, I "found" an extra $25-50 a week (up to $200/month) in unnecessary lattes and sandwiches. That frees up an extra $2400 a year to put into the piggy bank.

Cutting costs to save money

How to Save Money on eBay

	The Art of Couponing Grocery Coupons How to Save The Most Money Extreme Ebook Current Bid: $4.95
	2 DVD's- How To Make BIO DIESEL Fuel: Save gas money:wvo,svo,free gas,great info Current Bid: $19.99
	Save Money at McDonalds - Information on how to get FREE food - Good Nationwide Current Bid: $.99
	FREE STUFF FOR LIFE HOW TO GET FREEBIES SAVE MONEY :) Current Bid: $.99
	How to Save Money at the Gas Pump on CD Current Bid: $1.59
	How to Live Well Without Owning a Car: Save Money, Brea Current Bid: $7.29

4. Pay cash for everything. This isn't just about not using your credit cards. My suggestion is to take out $200 and set a limit on how long it must last (I suggest at least 2 days). Peeling out $20 bills at the grocery store is a lot more difficult than swiping a debit card or even writing a check.
Average savings: $100 a week.
5. Stop or limit trips to the dry cleaner. My husband is a professional and generally wears dry clean only clothes. But we've cut our costs in half by working to wear items more than once before taking them in. Since I'm not out of the home right now, I only wear machine washable clothing.
We figure we're saving $50-75 a month. At a bare minimum, that's $600 a year.
6. Pay bills online. This serves two purposes. First, you can schedule payments so you won't be late. With credit cards, that can save you $35-60 a month. Second, you save time and money by not having to manually write and mail checks. The current price for a book of stamps is getting close to $10.
Put an extra $10-100 per month in your pocket.
These 6 ways to Save Money Every Day are only the beginning. They are easy changes that you can start right now. No phone calls to make. No cancelations. The dollars here and there really add up.
In my next Hub, I'll go over some of the bigger budget changes we made to save even more. They require a bit more of a lifestyle change, but all in all, we don't feel like we're missing a few of the things we've cut out.
Even when the economy turns around, you should be in the habit of smart spending. And perhaps you can even take some of the extra cash saved through these tips to go on a vacation or buy something nice!
You've earned it.

WHAT to DO and WHERE to SEND EXPIRED GROCERY COUPONS!!!

WHAT to DO and WHERE to SEND EXPIRED GROCERY COUPONS!!!

Thank you to everyone who is helping us keep the GST Military Family Coupon Project going. If you are promoting the project on your web site or blog, please provide a link to our up-to-date addresses located on this page. We welcome all the help we can get! Thank you and God Bless You!!! 

"These coupons save us thousands of dollars each year when used frequently and truly make life living overseas more affordable. We truly can’t thank you enough for your support." - One of our many helpful coupon coordinators stationed overseas, we couldn't do this without them, or YOU!

Stop Tossing Those Expired Grocery Coupons in the Trash!  Our U.S. military families stationed overseas are able to use them on base for up to SIX MONTHS after the manufacturer's expiration date!  Help us keep our list of participating bases up to date.  If you know of a base that needs to be added or removed from our list please contact us with their current mailing information--we update our mailing list every month!  

See Current ADDRESS LIST Below... Please CONTINUE READING for all the info you need to participate in our Military Family Coupon Project!

* Print Letter to Include with Coupons

* Guidelines for Using Flat Rate Mailing Envelopes

Frequently Asked Questions:

* Our List is CURRENT - Link to Us - Do NOT Copy!

* What Type of Coupons Can They Use

* Addressing & Shipping Your Coupon Package

* More Info on HOW to Ship Coupons

* How Long Does the Mail Take

* Base Updates

* Letters from the Base

* Volunteer Groups, Clubs and Organizations Who Would Like to "Adopt" a Base

Note for Japan Bases: At this time we have not removed any of our listings for Japan bases.  We would not want to make their difficulties any worse by not sending help, unless we hear from them directly that they need us to stop or postpone sending coupons.

Note for Base Coupon Volunteers: If you are on a base overseas please volunteer to help! PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO SORT THESE COUPONS BY YOURSELF, YOU REALLY DO NEED A TEAM! You could receive thousands of grocery coupons each month by being in our program. We encourage our members to send to different bases each month as we do and TO NOT "ADOPT" A BASE. It's just hard getting the word out when people are duplicating address lists and information on the internet. The best thing to do if you are receiving unwanted coupons is to return to sender AND contact us to remove you from our list. We now have a printable letter our members should include with the coupons that will help you be able to contact us easily. If your base closes or has an updated address, please let us know.

Thank You for Helping With Our

GST (GrocerySavingTips.com)

Military Family Coupon Project!

If you have a web site, blog, twitter or facebook page, please share our link: http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/expiredgrocerycoupons.htm

ROTATE, ROTATE, ROTATE

PLEASE DO NOT "ADOPT" A BASE

THEY WILL GET OVERWHELMED WITH COUPONS

AND HAVE TO DROP OUT OF OUR PROGRAM

Print Letter to Include with Coupons (printer friendly)

Note Updates below from CC = Coupon Coordinator

 U.S. Air Force: 

Base List Updated Monthly @ GrocerySavingTips.com (2007-2011)

* GERMANY *

Ramstein

Ramstein Air Base
Attn: Family ServicesBldg. 1200
APO AE 09094

* GUAM *

Guam

Airman and Family Readiness Center
36 MSS/DPF
Unit 14001, Box 17
APO AP 96543

July 2011: From the base..."Thanks so much for sending coupons. Life can be very expensive here in Guam. Without your support, we would be hard pressed to get coupons here." CC

Sept 2011: From the base..."Just wanted to take a moment and let you know how grateful we all are over here in Guam. Thanks so very much for all you do, it is most appreciated." CC

* JAPAN *

Okinawa

Airman and Family Readiness Center
Unit 5134 Box 80
18 FSS/FSFR
APO AP 96368-5134

August 2011: From the base... "Thank you so much for your generous coupon donations. I was lucky enough to get them. I helped go through the coupons and put them together to give out to our families! Every little bit helps around here. Thank you so much!!" - CC

(Kadena)

Kadena Commissary
DECA/WP/KAD
Unit 5156  Bldg. 407
APO  AP 96367-5000

(Westpac)

Westpac Region
Camp Courtney Commissary
Unit 5156
APO AP 96368-5000

--------------------

Yokota

Yokota Military Couponers
PSC 78 Box 7022
APO AP 96326

or

Yokota Military Couponers
PSC 78 Box 6781
APO AP 96326

Oct. 2011... From the base... "We started this group when an avid extreme couponer moved to base. She is teaching us her tips. It really comes in handy since the yen is WAY stronger than the dollar right now & shopping for groceries off base is less & less of an option. Thank you sincerely for your help."  CC

"We really appreciate the coupons. They just dropped our COLA here (amount paid to compensate for having to buy things off base) so our location now receives less compensation than all other bases in Japan. Even Officer's wives have joined to try & save what ever money they can. So thank you in advance for helping us all out. :-)" CC

* TURKEY *

Incirlik

Coupon Program A&FRC
39FSS/FSFR
Unit 7505, Box 175
APO AE 09824

* UK *

Alconbury

RAF Airmen & Readiness Center
ATTN: Family Services
423 ABS/DPF
APO AE 09470

Oct. 2011: From the base... Hello from England. The Airman and Family Readiness Center (A&FRC) would like to thank you on behalf of the 501st Combat Support Wing for the wonderful support you have provided to our community through your coupon packages.  It is evident that you and your volunteers have put many long hours into clipping, sorting, and shipping coupons for our service members and their families to save while shopping at the commissary.  This service you have provided has been greatly appreciated. The coupons we receive from you are not only distributed to RAF Alconbury, but to other 501st CSW installations throughout the United Kingdom.   When the A&FRC receives your coupons, our small staff separates them into small sealable sandwich bags and distributes them throughout our installation.  Due to the fact that we have such a small installation and staff, we are not able to keep up with the quantity of coupons that we receive. So, it is with this letter that we would like to request that you and/or your organization only send coupons once a quarter. Please insure you pass on our gratitude and appreciation to all the volunteers who have and who will continue to contribute to coupons to our community." CC (Editor's Note: This email was sent to over 100 groups and individuals who are currently mailing coupons to this base. Thank you ALL for your efforts!!! :o)

--------------------

Mildenhall

Family Services/Airman & Family Readiness Center
100 FSS/FSFR
Unit 4925 Box 280
APO AE 09459

Sept. 2011: From the base... We have been receiving your coupons and our military families have definitely been using them along with many others. We currently have approximately 250 companies and individuals sending us coupons and they are well distributed.  Thank you for your wonderful efforts in assisting our military families assigned to our base.  I had a spouse stop by a couple of days ago saying how she saved $100 on her grocery bill.  Although, not everyone saves that much, they definitely do save when they are used." CC

 U.S. Army: 

Base List Updated Monthly @ GrocerySavingTips.com (2007-2011)

* GERMANY *

Bamberg

USAG Bamberg
IMEU-BAM-MWR-ACS
Army Emergency Relief Manager
CMR 459
APO AE 09139

--------------------   

Grafenwoehr

Coupon Coordinator
CMR Box 415 Box 6989
APO AE 09114

--------------------

Hohenfels

Oct 2011: Mail being returned. We'll update address when we hear back from our coupon coordinator at this base.

--------------------

Illesheim (illesheim)

Army Community Service
CMR 416
Bldg. 6510
APO AE 09140

July 2011: From the base... "I am helping with the coupon program here and I just would like to thank Mrs. Branham for sending us coupons. We really appreciate it a lot. I do not have her email address so I was hoping you could give her our thanks. Thanks again, God bless you!" CC 

-------------------- 

Schweinfurt

ACS, 280th BSB

Attn: AETV-WG-SJD

CMR 457

APO AE 09033

--------------------   

Stuttgart

Army Community Service
Unit 30401
APO AE 09107

--------------------

Vilseck

Army Community Service
Unit 28130
Bldg. 244
APO AE 09114

June 2010: From our members... "We recently received a thank you note from the coordinator who handles the coupon program at Vilseck, Germany.  They seem very happy to get our coupons." CC 

--------------------   

Vogelweh
Vogelweh Commissary
DeCA/EU-VOG
Unit 3063
APO AE 09021

 * ITALY * 

Vicenza

Army Community Service
US Army Garrison Vicenza
Unit 31401, Box 80
APO AE 09630

March 2011: From the base... "We have a wonderful Coupon Program here in Vicenza, Italy through the Army Community Services. There is a wonderful group of volunteers who sort, distribute, and even tape the coupons to the products at the commissary. We would love to be added to your list and would greatly appreciate any coupons we receive." - CC

* JAPAN *

Okinawa

Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator
ACS - 10th ASG
Unit 35115
APO AP 96376-5115

* UK (England) *

Lakenheath

Airman and Family Readiness Center
48 FSS/FSFR Bldg 950
Unit 5200, Box 105
APO AE 09461

July 2011: From the base... "We wanted to extend our gratitude to you sending valued coupons to our military families stationed at our base. Your coupons are appreciated and will be used frequently at the base commissary. These coupons save us thousands of dollars each year when used frequently and truly make life living overseas more affordable. We truly can’t thank you enough for your support. At this time, our base gives out coupons as fast as they come in. We do not need to have them sorted at all because we like to give each person a variety of coupons. When we receive the coupons in our office, we put an assortment into a gallon sized plastic bag and distribute them that way. Although we appreciate and respect the countless hours you could potentially spend sorting the coupons, we ask that you do not sort the coupons—unless you would like to. Most people return the coupons that they don’t personally need and we recycle them back out into the base community. Again, many thanks for all you do in making a difference at our base. Thanks a million!" - CC  (Whew! Thanks for letting us know that you can still use the coupons we send even when we are not able to presort them into food and non-food stacks. That's a huge relief, especially for the packages we just sent out this month! :o)

  U.S. Navy & Marines: 

Base List Updated Monthly @ GrocerySavingTips.com (2007-2011)

* CUBA *

MA3 Wilson

PSC 1005 Box 60

FPO AE 09593

* GUAM *

Fleet and Family Support Center
Naval Base Guam, Building 106
PSC 455 Box 157
FPO AP 96540

May 2011: From the base... "Thank you for promoting this on your website.  Military spouses, like myself, are very grateful to the people who take the time to send us coupons." - CC

* ITALY *

Naples

Naples NSA Commissary
DECA/EU/NAP
PSC 808 Box 44
FPO AE 09618

July 2011: This base is ready to receive coupons and is new to our program. Let's send them some love!

Sigonella

May 2011: From the base... "I received an envelope of coupons back from this base today. The return reason was checked as refused. They must not be accepting any more coupons." - CC  (Editor's Note: They are probably receiving too many coupons. Please remember to rotate the bases we send coupons to, and NOT send them all to one base each time; also known as "Adopting" a base.)

* JAPAN *

Sasebo

U.S. Fleet Activities
Fleet & Family Support Center
PSC 476 Box 62
FPO AP 96322-0062

Yokosuka

Airman and Family Readiness Center
Unit 5123

Fleet and Family Support Center
PSC 473 Box 116
FPO AP 96349-0116

or

Commissary Store
PSC 473 Box 33
FPO AP 96349-0033

* SPAIN *

Rota

 Fleet and Family Support Center
PSC 819 Box 57
FPO AE 09645-5500

Nov 2010: From our members... "Received a response to coupons packet from Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Rota Spain.  They ask that we only send coupons every other month (rather than monthly) as they are receiving hundreds of packets. Keep up your good work. Thanks" - CC

 

*       *       *

PLEASE HELP US KEEP THIS LIST UP TO DATE!  If you have an address that we need to add, change or remove please contact the editor at mailto:michelle@grocerysavingtips.com?subject=GST Military Family Coupon Project -- with the country and address as we have listed above.  Although we do not post all the letters we receive we do try to include recent messages that would be helpful.  
ATTN: WEBMASTERS AND BLOGGERS... You can also help by linking to this page but PLEASE do not try to copy the list of addresses for your readers as this information is updated on a MONTHLY  basis.  If you copy and post the list somewhere else it will be incorrect within a very short time and that will not help our families overseas.  Trust us, this is a lot harder to maintain than it may look.  Our staff has been working on this Military Family Coupon Project for many years and we do our best to make sure our list is up to date every month.  Helping families save money on groceries is what we do!!! :o)
Link to this page: http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/expiredgrocerycoupons.htm
Thank you for your support, and thank you for helping our military families!!!