Guide to Living Cheap coupons are free money

Any guide to living cheap would be incomplete without a special section on coupons. Coupons are literally free money.


Every Wednesday and Sunday you have money thrown on your driveway or placed in your mailbox. You should pick up the money.

Yet so many go to the Sports section, or Entertainment, or Local Issues and ignore the ad section.

We can't be bothered by this blatant attempt to sell us something.

Wrong, it is free money.

Follow the guide to living cheap coupons are that free money...

Well it is 2010, the economy is in the tank, and no one knows how long it will take to recover.  All is not lost however...if we learn new skills to save money now and make them lifelong habits, whether times be good or bad.

The ball game

Here is a prime example of how the guide to living cheap coupons work. Last night we and another couple saw the Diamonbacks play. Thats major league baseball, for the non-sports fan. The tickets were free, with coupons. We both took advantage of buying staples that offered free tickets for a purchase we make anyway. The tickets were good seats.


We could have not eaten before the game and bought a hot dog at the park $5.00. We passed on the indigestion and stopped at our favorite sandwich shop, and used coupons...it's where Jared eats.

The coupons for 2 for 1 foot longs cost each couple what 1 hot dog would have cost at the game.. You can bring bottled water into the ballpark if it is sealed.

We had plenty to drink... total cost both couples $1.45.We brought a sack of peanuts from home to nibble on. We bought the peanuts, with a coupon, for $2.00, we had a bunch left over.

By using coupons going to see a major league game cost each couple less than $10.00, including food, drink, parking and gas. The guide to living cheap doesn't include staying home all the time. We had fun.

We observed others paying through the nose for hot dogs, beers (some cost $10), cotton candy, etc. I know we enjoyed the game more than they did...we didn't waste money. PS the D'back's won.

The Guide to living cheap...coupons are a way of life

When you make a night's entertainment a game, coupons become a way of life. You can have fun and save at the same time.

The guide to living cheap's list of coupon never evers

• go to the grocery store without them
• go to the store on a whim
• let yourself run out of staples, buy in bulk when they are on sale
• shop when you can on double or triple coupon days
• fail to go through the paper, especially Wednesday and Sunday, to get coupons
• fail to combine the savings with the store's frequent shopper card

The guide to living cheap always says... ask for discounts

It never hurts to ask for discounts, seniors especially.

Case in point, we recently bought some gym shoes at the Reebok outlet store. We got 2 pairs for the price of one to start with. We asked for an additional discount at checkout.

The young lady says, "Do you have AAA or AARP?"...Yes on both counts. We received another 20% off.

Make this a habit, the worse that can happen is to get a no. If we hadn't asked we would have left over $10.00 on the counter...come to think of it that paid for the ball game last night!

Conclusion

The guide to living cheap coupons is not about sacrificing and skimping. It about picking up the money that is available to you everyday. It is in the form of coupons, and simply asking for discounts.

Make this a way of life now because the economy forces you to do so...make it a lifestyle forever because it is the smart thing to do.

---