Your Burning Questions Answered!

Q: Why do you do all this frugal stuff?
A: Well, for one thing I find it to be really fun. I am a competitive sort of gal, and so I'm competing against myself to get the best deal on everything. I also have a jillion dollars in student loan debt that will go into repayment in October. I am not willing to have that hanging over my head for 20+ years.

Q: How did you get started doing all of this stuff?
A: I lived at home throughout grad school and really wanted to help out in some way financially since I felt like a freeloader. Unfortunately, I mostly had no income. I started printing coupons online for groceries, but was only saving a few dollars per shopping trip. One day I was standing in line and the man in front of me saved something like $18 on his one bag of groceries. I figured there had to be a better way to save, and so I started googling and found blogs and websites that explained how to shop better.

Q: Yeah, it sounds great, but who has the time to do it?
A: If you have debt and/or are just tired of paying too much money for things, then you don't have the money to not do it. I work forty hours a week and am finishing a doctoral dissertation, so I know what you're talking about. At first it will take some time to figure things out, but as you get more practiced it doesn't take any time at all. And there are websites out there that will tell you the best deals each week.

Q: How do I get started with grocery/toiletry savings?
A:
1) Buy a newspaper every Sunday and save all of the coupons. Some people prefer using a coupon clipping service so that they can get multiple coupons for particular items. I don't do this because, frankly, I do not NEED forty-seven automatic air fresheners for free. One or two is enough for me. I am in favor of getting extra stuff and donating it, but I am NOT in favor of clearing out the shelves for pure greediness. Don't do that. If you have a large family, you may need to pick up multiple papers. Walgreens sells the Sunday paper for .99, which is the cheapest price I've run across. Another good source for coupons is All You magazine, available by subscription or at Wal-Mart.
2) Check out the Walgreens ad on Sunday and try to match your coupons to the sales. Better yet, go to Pinching Your Pennies or Money Saving Mom and let them do the work for you. Both sites will tell you what is a good deal and what coupons to use!
3) When your weekly grocery store ad comes out (usually Sunday or Wednesday), apply the same principle. If it is a national chain, chances are that some place on the internet will tell you what the good deals are. Or you can use Coupon Mom.
4) Don't forget stores like Aldi and Save a Lot for basic inexpensive food needs. I *love* Aldi and do much of my grocery shopping there. I cook mostly from scratch and don't use a lot of prepackaged foods, so I don't wind up using a ton of coupons on grocery items. Save a Lot does take coupons, though.
5) CVS has a lot of great deals in the form of their Extra Care Bucks (ECB) program. I can't explain this program to you because I don't use it, but Money Saving Mom lists the good deals each week.

Q: How do I save money on clothing?
A:
1) First of all, brainwash yourself into NEVER paying full price for clothing. I *rarely* ever pay full price for anything and if I do it is usually some kind of comfortable, orthopedic-ish shoe. There are good deals to be found everywhere, you just have to look for them.
2) Don't be a snob. Once you learn how to spot a well-made garment, then you can shop anywhere. I'm not gonna lie, though, I still buy cheap little items that will just last a season. But when they cost me $7 or less, I feel okay doing that.
3) Some people find great deals on clothing at yard sales and thrifts, but I unfortunately do not. That's okay. Once again, there are deals to be had everywhere.
4) If you shop online, make sure you use a shopping portal/rebates program such as Ebates. Shopping rebates programs such as Ebates, Fat Wallet, Lucky Mag Rewards, etc., give you a percentage of your purchase price back. I use both Ebates and Lucky Mag Rewards. (If you would like a referral to Ebates, sign up using this link and we will both get a $10 bonus. I don't care if you don't use my link, just make sure you sign up with some sort of shopping portal so that you save money!!!).
5) ALWAYS search for a printable coupon if you're shopping in-store or a coupon code if you're shopping online. Also sign up for email from stores that you frequent. I get a lot of coupons and coupon codes this way.