“Life is about events, supported by dollars and cents.” - Amy Irvine
Last week Brent and I spent the week traveling through Massachusetts visiting with clients as well as enjoying a little vacation time. Normally when we travel, I work and he drives; but this “workcation” was different! We were traveling through areas that had no cell service, thus no internet and no work. I was required to sit back and enjoy the view (or smell the roses) and it was delightful!
The weather was hot and sunny, which as many of you know is exactly what I enjoy. We wandered back on Friday enjoying a different path than we had ventured on the way out there. Although I always enjoy visiting Cape Cod, if you have never been to the hills of Massachusetts, I would highly recommend it!
Whenever we do have that rare opportunity to travel, I am reminded how much we enjoy it, as do many of our clients. So the question is, how do we get more of it? In this week’s blog, Becky Partridge gives us a great suggestion on how to create some “free” money to help us achieve that travel goal.
“Free” Money
by Becky Partridge
Have you ever been told that you should be saving more money? Whether you’re being told to save more money to invest for the future, to pay down your debt, or make a major purchase, many people have a financial goal they want to accomplish and save towards. The question that often arises is where is that money going to come from? According to The Guardian, almost 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. For those who are living paycheck to paycheck, or anybody for that matter, being able to save money can be a very difficult task. One simple way that nearly everyone can save money is by couponing.
You can find coupons in many different locations. Some of the most common spots to find coupons are in the newspaper, on websites such as Coupon.com or Retailmenot, in the store itself, and many public libraries have coupons that are cut out of the paper available for free to the public. Many times when you are in the store and buying items such as shampoo and laundry detergent you will find a little sticker attached to the product with a coupon for a great deal like buy one get one free. These are very easy to overlook or forget about when you get to the register, but well worth the “hassle.”
Something to look for when couponing is finding a store that doubles a coupon. Some stores will double coupons up to a specified dollar amount, such as $1. So, if you have a coupon for $0.75 off an item and take it to a store that doubles coupons you’re now saving $1.50 off that item. That may sound like a drop in the bucket but if you use multiple coupons each trip to the store that adds up quickly.
Be cautious of what you are purchasing when couponing though. Make sure you aren’t just buying things because you have a coupon for it. Make sure it’s something that you will actually use and need.
In a week, it is relatively easy to save around $10 by using coupons. If you do this every week for a year, you will have $520 of “extra” money that you have spent on everyday necessities. You can put that extra money towards your financial goals and feel great about the fact that you didn’t even have to make any spending sacrifices.