Extreme Savings

by The Editors of SmartBuddy Books

Copyright ©2011

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or redistributed in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission from SmartBuddy Books except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Extreme Savings may be ordered through booksellers or by visiting www.ExtremeSavingsBook.com

The views expressed in this work are sole those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

Introduction:

Thank you for choosing to invest in Extreme Savings.

This book will indeed pay for itself several times over and over again!

The opening topic is Extreme Couponing 101. You will learn the same tips and strategies used by die-hard couponers to score incredible deals on groceries. You will learn why those little coupons in the Sunday newspaper can be considered as money. In fact, coupons are actually treated as a method of payment just like cash or charge at the store register.

According to NCH marketing over 332 billion coupons are redeemed annually putting $3.7 billion dollar back in the pockets of consumers. The average couponing family saves $1,000 a year. That's money in the bank!

Have you ever wondered how in the world some people walk out of the store with a bunch of stuff for FREE without stealing it?

You will soon be able to answer that question and actually DO IT yourself after you read Extreme Couponing 101. Yes, you will be LEGALLY stealing quite a few items soon. After Extreme Couponing 101, we'll move on to How To Save Money Everyday where you'll learn some tips on how to save money on practically anything even without coupons.

There are so many narrow-minded books on the market that solely focus on coupons as the only way to save money. Unfortunately, many people are left with the impression that they absolutely will not get a great deal without coupons. But, that is the furthest thing from the truth. You can save money with or without coupons. Extreme Savings will show you how to do it both ways.

We'll wrap up everything with the Financial Fitness Blueprint, which will explain how if you consistently use the savings strategies in this book, you can become a millionaire. The key to achieving wealth is saving your money. Financial Fitness Blueprint provides tips on how to improve your credit score, deal with debt collectors, and maintain a good credit report.

These are all fundamental things that a person must effectively manage for long-term financial stability.

Extreme Savings is going to take you beyond coupons toward a path of not just saving money but true financial prosperity so you can LIVE FREE!

There is a lot of information to absorb here. So take your time navigating through each section of the book.

Hope you enjoy the ride!

Extreme Couponing 101

The moment Extreme Couponing premiered on TLC it created a whole new level of interest in couponing. The show may have even prompted you to buy this book to learn more about couponing. This cable show, which hit the airwaves in early 2011 with over 2 million viewers, features a money-saving coupon pro on each episode. A camera crew follows around people at grocery store as they load up their cart with boatloads of items. The bargains shopper uses several stacks of coupons to get everything in the cart for a couple of bucks.

One memorable episode featured a lady who wanted to have a romantic vacation with her husband that was going to require her to come up with an extra $500 to pay for it. So she decided to put her coupons to work. The lady headed right over to the grocery store with her coupons intact and walked out with over $500 worth of food for less than $2.00. She applied the $500 savings to the total cost of the vacation. So the lady essentially paid for the vacation with coupons.

Another coupon savvy guy on the show shared his massive in-home stockpile of items that he received for free or pennies on the dollar. About 10 families could have survived for several months on his stockpile.

The show gives a glimpse of the couponing techniques used by extreme couponers to score unbelievable deals. They film people dumpster diving for extra coupons, going door-to-door asking for coupons, using multiple computers to print extra coupons. Some people will grab newspapers from front yards in their own neighborhood. All of these antics pay off when they reach the checkout lane with several big carts full of groceries and achieve that “WOW LOOK WHAT I SAVED” moment.

It makes for great television and people keep tuning in week after week with their notepads in hand.

However, so many viewers maybe like you were still left wondering: How did they REALLY do it? Perhaps more importantly How can I do it?

Just relax and keep on reading. You are about to learn everything you need to know. Soon you'll be well on your way to Extreme Savings every time you shop.

Extreme Couponing 101

It all starts with ORGANIZATION

The key to effectively saving money is to first establish a system to keep your coupons and ad inserts organized. You don't want to waste time looking all over the place when you need your coupons. A coupon organizer is a must have tool that will provide you with immediate access to your money saving coupons.

The most popular type is a three ring binder consisting of 9 pocket sheets. These are the same sheets used to hold baseball cards. You’ll need to designate spots in the binder for coupon inserts, food categories, and weekly sales circulars. You can get a decent coupon organizer already assembled for 20 dollars or less online. Click on “Coupon Organizers” at CouponCodeWorld.com. Alternatively, if you have the time you can make your own coupon organizer. Look for the necessary materials at your nearest office supply store. Once you have your coupon organizer intact you’ll be ready to do some damage!

Build your coupon inventory

The coupon pros you see on tv may have different strategies or so called secrets for saving big money at the grocery store. But, they all share one thing in common…they always have lots and lots of coupons. If you want to save $500.00 during a shopping trip you will need to get your hands on $500.00 worth of coupons. The first place to go looking for coupons is on the internet. It’s arguably the best source for coupons mainly because web coupons are FREE and you can print them instantly at home.

You’ll want to pursue the FREE sources for coupons before you start investing in paid sources like newspapers, coupon clipping services, auctions, etc.

Manufacturers are rapidly shifting their coupons from traditional print to the internet anyway. So there is no better time for you to join the online coupon revolution.

CouponCodeWorld.com is a FREE website you can use to locate and print coupons for your favorite products. Simply visit www.CouponCodeWorld.com and click on "View all grocery coupons in your area" to access FREE money saving grocery coupons. All you have to do is click and print the coupons you want. You will have instant savings in the palm of your hands.

Many stores including Walmart will accept online coupons, as they would with any coupon found in a Sunday newspaper. The only difference is that you didn’t pay to get those coupons.

Here are a few good sites for printable coupons:

coupons.com, smartsource.com, and valessis.com

Recycling Bins

Many unused coupon inserts eventually find their way into recycling bins. It’s a good idea for people to recycle newspapers, but coupon inserts don’t belong in these places. Would you toss a wallet filled with money into one of those recycling bins? NO. Remember, coupons are considered money in this book. So feel free to go stake your claim to that the money at the local recycling center. To find the nearest recycling center, visit: www.PaperRetriever.com

Get coupons directly from your favorite companies.

Most consumer product companies love to hear from shoppers who buy their products. They will reward you with money-saving coupons if you drop them an email or letter saying: "I really enjoy using your product. I would appreciate if you could send me some coupons. Thank You". That’s all it takes to get FREE coupons for products that you actually enjoy using. Have you ever contacted the maker of the detergent you use to wash clothes? If the answer is NO, you probably missed out on a nice freebie. They might send you anywhere from a couple of coupons to several high value coupons you can use to get FREE products.

A common complaint about coupons is that there are so many for junk or things a person will never buy. But, these are coupons for products you use everyday. So get in touch with companies right away. You can contact your favorite brands via email to request coupons. Enter the "Brand Name" and keyword "Contact Us" in the search box at CouponCodeWorld.com to request coupons. For example if you want Welch's juice coupons, search "Welch's" and keyword "Contact Us".

Free mobile coupon services.

Target recently rolled out a new mobile coupon service where they will load coupons directly to a Smartphone.

When you are ready to redeem the coupons, you just show your phone screen to the cashier and the coupon discounts will be applied. This is where the future of couponing is heading so get on board early for the ride.

Here are a few sites where you can sign up to get coupons on your Smartphone:

Cellfire

www.cellfire.com

Yowza

www.getyowza.com

CardStar

www.cardstar.com

In-store Coupons

Most stores have coupons available right on site. Look for coupon dispensers on shelves, freezer doors, and display end caps. Put a few extra coupons in your coupon organizer. Did you know that stores reward people who use a coupon with more coupons? Yes, these coupons are commonly referred to as “Catalinas”. You might use a coupon on Kellogg's cereal and notice another coupon print out for 50 cents off Kellogg's cereal. That's a “Catalina” and you can stash it in your coupon organizer for use later. They print out at the register when you purchase select items in stores. You might get a Catalina redeemable for a free product or discount on your next purchase. The Catalinas will add up fast for Extreme Savings!

Coupon Forums

You can get FREE coupons by joining online couponing groups, which are places where people actively swap coupons. You can post the coupons you are seeking to trade on a message board and wait for responses. Someone will likely message you accepting your offer. These forums tell you where to get the latest free coupons as well.

Facebook / Twitter

A growing number of leading brands are now using social media to offer coupons and free samples. They will give you a freebie in return for the opportunity to establish a relationship with you. Search for your favorite brands on Facebook.com or Twitter.com and follow them for exclusive deals that are not available anywhere else.

Use store loyalty programs.

Several retailers will reward you with extra savings when you sign-up for a FREE store loyalty card. You can swipe the card at checkout. The coupon discounts are automatically deducted from your card.

You probably have been asked several times, do you have a “you know what card”? You swipe your loyalty card in anticipation of an extra discount. It’s nice to see the total amount due steadily drop on that cash register screen. But, believe it or not many people for whatever reason don’t bring their loyalty card to the store. Have you ever had someone next to you at the grocery store say “Can I use your card?” and then say “Thanks, I guess you got a few more points ha ha”. Well, that’s a gain for you and loss for them! The loyalty cards are absolutely free, very simple to use, and result in considerable savings so there is no excuse for a person not to bring that card along when shopping. You can pop it right on your key chain for easy usage.

The cash register will often print out extra coupons for people who do use their loyalty card.

Here are some leading loyalty card programs:

Shop Your Way Rewards

The Shop Your Way Rewards program allows you to earn 10 points for every dollar you spend on purchases at Kmart stores. You accumulate points when you swipe a Shop Your Way Rewards card at checkout. The points are converted into cash savings on your card. It’s FREE money. Lets say you have 75,000 points on your card. The check out bill is $83.00. You can ask the cashier to deduct the 75,000 points on your card (worth $75.00) from the total amount due. In this scenario, the cashier would discount $75.00 bringing your total amount due down to only $8.00. The person behind you will perhaps ask you something like “How did you do that?”. Just tell the person to get a Shop Your Way Rewards card.

The prior example assumed 75,000 points, which may sound like a huge number. But, Kmart makes it easy to accumulate points fast. For example, if you opt-in to receive emails they will double or triple you points on certain purchases. So you might get 30 points for every dollar spent on groceries versus 10 points. They may give you 25,000 points for transferring a prescription.

Also, you might get Kmart coupons after swiping a Shop Your Way Rewards card at the register. These coupons are sometimes redeemable for FREE items. To learn more about the Shop Your Way Rewards program, visit: www.shopyourwayrewards.com

Target REDcard

Target REDcard is apart of Target's overall loyalty program. It works like a universal coupon that instantly will give you 5% discount off anything you buy in-store at Target or online at Target.com. That’s on top of any existing sale or clearance price!

The REDcard is ideal if you really are not into clipping coupons, but want extra savings when you shop at Target. Sometimes the REDcard discount will exceed the value of newspaper coupons. You’ll save money on the things you need to buy.

If you do use coupons on groceries at Target, you’ll save extra with the REDcard. You have to apply for a REDCard credit card. Target offers a free debit card version of the REDCard whereas you don’t have to go through an in-depth credit approval process. It’s linked to your checking account and works like a regular debit card. You’ll still get the same 5% off deal with REDCard debit card as you would with the REDCard credit card. To sign up for Target REDCard, visit your local Target store and ask for an application.

CVS/Pharmacy ExtraCare

CVS/Pharmacy's ExtraCare loyalty card will allow you to get FREE items and exclusive discounts at CVS/Pharmacy. With the ExtraCare card you can earn ExtraBuck certificates when you buy certain everyday items such as toothpaste, beauty products, milk, cereal, otc medications, etc. These ExtraBucks are coupons you can use toward a future purchase. They can range in value anywhere from 50 cents to over $25.00.

Let's take a look at an ExtraBucks example:

CVS/Pharmacy advertised special:

Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush

Sale Price: $6.00

ExtraBucks: $3.00

Crest Pro-Health Rinse

Sale Price: $4.50

ExtraBucks: $2.50

Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste

Sale Price: $2.79

ExtraBucks: $2.00

Dean's Milk

Sale Price: $2.99

ExtraBucks: $1.00

Excedrin Extra Strength

Sale Price: 99 Cents

ExtraBucks: 99 Cents

All Laundry Detergent

Sale Price: $3.99

ExtraBucks: $2.00

Total: $21.26 - $11.49 (ExtraBucks) = $9.97

So as you can see the ExtraBucks resulted in bringing the total from $21.26 to $9.97, which is savings of over 45% off. That's not bad. But where are the freebies?

Let's see how coupons can flip things when combined with ExtraBuck savings:

CVS/Pharmacy advertised special with coupons:

Oral-B Pulsar Toothbrush

Sale Price: $6.00

ExtraBucks: $3.00

Manufacturer Coupon: $3.00

Crest Pro-Health Rinse

Sale Price: $4.50

ExtraBucks: $2.50

Manufacturer Coupon: $2.00

Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste

Sale Price: $2.79

ExtraBucks: $2.00

Manufacturer Coupon: 75 Cents

Dean's Milk

Sale Price: $2.99

ExtraBucks: $1.00

Manufacturer Coupon: 50 Cents

Excedrin Extra Strength

Sale Price: 99 Cents

ExtraBucks: 99 Cents

Manufacturer Coupon: $1.00

All Laundry Detergent

Sale Price: $3.99

ExtraBucks: $2.00

Manufacturer Coupon: $2.00

Total: $21.26 - $11.49 (ExtraBucks) = $9.97 – $9.25 (Coupons) = 72 Cents

When you match coupons with the ExtraBucks in the above example, you get several items for FREE. You get toothpaste, milk, and detergent all for only 72 cents. This is how the coupon pros work their magic at CVS/Pharmacy. The above example only mentioned a few items. You will typically be able to get several items essentially for FREE each week with your CVS/Pharmacy ExtraCare card. You need to look over the CVS/Pharmacy circular in your Sunday newspaper. The weekly CVS/Pharmacy circular specifies what things are FREE with ExtraCare card.

There is a machine at the front of every CVS/Pharmacy that will dispense unadvertised coupons when you insert your ExtraCare card. Many people ignore that machine and walk right pass it. But, you might be very surprised at what comes out of that machine so try it out next time you visit CVS/Pharmacy.

It's almost as if CVS/Pharmacy is paying you to shop in their stores. But of course the true goal is to reel you into CVS/Pharmacy with expectations that you will buy items not on sale and in effect spend more money than you anticipated spending.

Micro Shopping

You can beat the impulse to over spend by Micro Shopping, which is the practice of buying a small list of items that will cost the exact value of the ExtraBucks you expect to receive at checkout.

Let's say you buy the following items at CVS:

Zyrtec

Sale Price: $5.99

ExtraBucks: $5.99

Bayer Asprin

Sale Price: $3.00

ExtraBucks: $3.00

You know this transaction is going to produce $8.99 in ExtraBucks. CVS would prefer that you use the $8.99 in ExtraBucks toward a purchase that will far exceed $8.99 and maybe spend an additional $50.00 on impulse items, which have better profit margins. But, you'll come out ahead if you stick to a Micro Shopping list similar to the following:

Dozen Eggs

Sale Price: $1.49

Orbit Gum

Sale Price: 99 cents

Wonder Bread

Sale Price: $1.49

Purex Detergent

Sales Price: $3.99

Manufacturer Coupon: $1.00

Duracell Batteries

Sale Price: $2.49

Sub Total: $10.45 - $1.00 (Coupon) = $9.45 (Amount Due - $8.99 ExtraBucks) = 46 Cents, YES!

So in this example the amount due $9.45 is close to the $8.99 in ExtraBucks. You don't see $50.00 worth of items, which is what CVS wanted to happen.

The $8.99 in ExtraBucks allows the shopper to get a dozen eggs chewing gum, bread, detergent, and batteries all for just 46 cents!

This is what you want to accomplish with ExtraBucks.

CVS/Pharmacy Couponing Tips:

CVS/Pharmacy will email you FREE in-store coupons just for having an ExtraCare Card.

You need an ExtraCare Card to receive advertised sale prices in the weekly circular.

CVS/Pharmacy ExtraBucks are only valid on future purchases. You can’t apply the ExtraBucks to same transaction that produced the Reward.

Not all ExtraBucks deals will be gems. If you see something like Claritin priced for $16.99 with a $1.00 ExtraBuck, but you don't use Claritin then don't buy it. It's not free after the ExtraBucks and you don't use it so don't buy it. This might sound obvious to the average person. But, so many people buy things just because it's advertised as ExtraBucks items.

A product could actually be priced lower elsewhere even with the ExtraBucks. That same box of Claritin might be on sale at Walmart for $10.99. You have to pay close attention to the true price of ExtraBucks items. Make sure you are really getting the best deal.

Sometimes there is a limit on the number of items you can purchase to earn ExtraBucks. If the promo states a limit of two (2) ExtraBucks, you should buy two items so you can get two (2) free ExtraBucks. But if it clearly says limit of one (1) ExtraBuck, you will only get one (1) ExtraBuck. Remember to read the fine print for the item when you are looking through the CVS/Pharmacy ad. It will specify any ExtraBuck purchase limits.

Supermarket Loyalty Cards

All of the leading grocery stores offer some sort of loyalty program whereas they will give you a free loyalty card, which allows you to save additional money at checkout on top of coupon savings. The loyalty card is not a big secret and you probably use one when you shop. But, what so many people overlook is the fact that the entire loyalty program may go far and beyond what they expect. If you don’t take 100% full advantage of a store loyalty program you will be missing out on real savings.

Here's an example of fully utilizing Kroger’s loyalty program one of the most popular nationwide.

Take a look the following shopping list and final total.

Kroger Checkout Items:

Deans Milk (1 Gallon)

Reg Price: $2.79

Kroger Plus Card Savings: $1.29

Manufacturer Coupon: $0.50

Fresh Bakery Dinner Rolls

Reg Price: $4.00

Kroger Plus Card Savings: $0.35

New York Strip Steak

Reg Price: $8.50

Kroger Plus Card Savings: $2.35

Market Deli Sliced Cheese

Reg Price: $7.50

Kroger Plus Card Savings: $1.50

Kashi Cereal (8 boxes)

Reg Price: $41.65

(-) Manufacturer Coupon: $5.00

(-) Kroger Plus Card Savings: $2.00

(-) Kroger 123 Reward Savings: $25.00

(-) Kroger R/X Reward Savings: $25.00

Total Amount Due: $1.49

WOW, WAIT A MINUTE!

Are you thinking how was it possible for this shopper to get premium steak, fresh bakery bread, deli cheese, and eight boxes of cereal all for ONLY $1.49?

Well, on this particular day the shopper used a $25.00 bonus she got for transferring a prescription (their was a coupon in the paper). Also, she got another $25.00 off with her Kroger 123 MasterCard, which is apart of Kroger’s overall loyalty program. All of these little perks brought the total down to a mere $1.49.

There are so many money-saving benefits available from Kroger's loyalty program. The same likely rings true for the loyalty program of the supermarket you normally shop at as well. You need to take full advantage of the loyalty program. Find out if you can get a bonus when you sign up for a store branded Visa or MasterCard. Ask the pharmacy if they have any deals going whereas you get a store credit for transferring a prescription. Also, Proctor & Gamble has a program where they load bonus manufacturer coupons to a store loyalty card. So find out if your store participates in the Proctor & Gamble program.

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