Savvy How to: Black Friday Shopping Tips

Savvy How To:

Black Friday Survival Guide

In a perfect world all our Christmas shopping would by done by the 4th of July.  But, back in reality, many of us are still scrambling to finalize (or start?) buying holiday gifts for friends and families.  So where can you find spectacular deals on holiday gifting ideas?  Look no further than Black Friday!

The unofficial start of Christmas shopping begins in just a few days with retailers offering doorbuster deals, early bird specials and an array of loss leaders intending to turn customers into energized swarms of shoppers.  Why offer such amazing sale prices to the masses?  Black Friday is the day that retailers hope to go from being in the red to being in the black (making money).

Given the current state of the economy, this years’ shopping frenzy should be staggering to watch.  With retailers opening at 5am or even earlier (some larger retailers have already announced their intent to stay open 24 hours), rabid bargain hunters will begin lining up for deals as early as stores will allow in the hopes of grasping phenomenal savings.

For these significant product savings you may be enticed to brave the crowds this Friday.  Before you fight through the lines, cold and lack of sleep, here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

Keep Warm:  Every year I imagine I could make an obscene amount of money selling hot chocolate to the desperately frozen faces and red glowing gloveless hands waiting in predawn lines. It will be cold.  It’s always cold!  Stock up on hand warmers, hats, scarves, gloves, an extra pair of socks and a warm coat before you venture out.  Remember, it’s easy to cool down if you’re hot by simply removing a layer or two, but getting warmer is a trickier task!

Be Prepared: Your Thanksgiving day newspaper has all of the best deals and sale information available in a massive bundle of ads.  But, your “want” list should already be typed out!  Don’t be tempted to spend extra money on items you don’t need, simply because they’re on sale.  I mean, how did this economy get where it is anyway?!  Before you fall into a turkey coma, scan the ads for any items that spark your interest and develop your shopping strategy. Many secret sales are even available online in the week before Thanksgiving and select ads can be viewed online at company websites by Wednesday.  While there are multiple Black Friday deal finding websites currently leaking sale data, remember, it is often unofficial and will change before the ad is ever officially released.  The most reliable source for deals is through official retail sale flyers.

Divide and Conquer:  Shopping in groups allows you to cover more ground.  Divide your shopping list among friends or family and split the store into shopping sections to maximize your product purchases.  If there are items at multiple stores, pick which items are most important and shop simultaneously – just be sure to have your cell phone fully charged the night before so you can remain in constant communication!

Limited Stock: Remember, these drastically lower price items will likely be difficult to find.  Retailers often have limited quantities available for each offering and the shopping throngs ahead of you in line may want the same deal too!  Stalk the store the night before Black Friday and layout your shopping run so you'll have the advantage! 

Buy the Wrong Size/Color:  If a store is out of your size or desired color, buy whatever style they have in stock and exchange it later! I have bought XXL jeans that no one wanted only to return them a week or two later for the appropriate size!  Love it! (Just make sure the item is regularly carried at that store and not a special make/model specifically for Black Friday only!)

Cyber Monday:  Black Friday isn’t the only day to shop!  The Monday after Thanksgiving is also known as Cyber Monday.  Online retailers typically offer similar savings to Black Friday sales, but you can shop from the comfort and warmth of your own home!

Stay Home: Camping out in the cold is not always necessary for great savings!  Retailers will be slashing prices until Christmas Day to get your business.  Every weekend from now until then will be filled with sales galore.  There’ll be more deals than money in the bank – guaranteed! After-purchase mail-in rebates, long lines and rising tempers may not be worth the hassle.

But, if you are a shopper addicted to the adrenaline rush of finding that almost elusive deal, make sure to bring your patience and some comfortable shoes to the parking lot.  Keep track of your receipts for refunds, get gift receipts or duplicate receipts as necessary for rebates, stick to your budget and enjoy the ride! 

Cooking With Coupons: Slow Cooker Savings

Cooking With Coupons:

Slow Cooker Savings

Set it and forget it! There's nothing better than coming home to the satisfying aroma of a homemade meal wafting through the house, with no additional prep time needed! Using a slow cooker is an easy way to enjoy the great taste of homemade meals! Whether it's ingredients, electricity or your sanity, you can save money, time and headaches using a slow cooker for a variety of meal preparations.

Save Electricity:
Forget about leaving your stove on for hours, heating up the house and running up your bill to cook your family dinner! “A Crock-Pot® slow cooker, only uses approximately 75 watts of electricity on LOW and approximately 150 watts on HIGH. It cooks all day for only a few cents” according to www.crock-pots.com.

Save Money:
Buying cheaper-priced cuts of chuck roasts or steaks still gives great flavor without high prices. Often these cuts may be tougher, but long, slow cooking methods easily overcome this dilemma and result in tender, moist and flavor-rich food. Slow-cooker cooking also allows excess broths and fat content to render naturally. You can often replace broth with water in your recipes and do without the addition cost of canned products. If you want to lower the fat content of your meal, remove the skin before cooking. Pre-searing meats also adds roasting flavor to your pot and makes a more attractive presentation.

Waste not, want not is the perfect description for your slow cooker. When vegetables are nearing the end of freshness combine them with leftover roast or chicken broths and meats to create soups and stews. Eliminate food waste by making your meals the endless pot of leftovers revamped!

Shop your pantry. Your cupboards and storage rooms should be your own personal store - stocked with essential ingredients purchased at rock-bottom sale prices! Many slow-cooker meals can easily be created by opening the cupboard and throwing in a few basic ingredients. Start collecting free slow-cooker recipes online or from friends that work with your family's taste and budget. Here's one of my favorite pantry recipes:

Amy's Chicken Chowder - (Fills a 5-quart slow cooker)
4 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
3 1/2 soup cans milk
2 cans corn (drained)
3 cans diced or sliced potatoes (drained)
2 10 oz cans chunk chicken
2 Tbsp Lawry's Perfect Blend Chicken Seasoning (Found at Sam's Club)
1/3 C crumbled bacon
Mix together in slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours until heated through. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese. Serve in Rhodes bread bowls if desired.

Save Time/Sanity:
* Most slow cooker recipes require minimal prep time. “What's for dinner” can be one of the worst phrases in the English language when you've had a busy day. If you're on the go, a slower cooker is your best resource for dinner. Combine all your ingredients at breakfast and have them ready by dinner. It's a no-brainer! Just throw in some frozen chicken breasts and barbeque sauce for a last-minute meal idea that anyone will love, especially you because it cooks itself! Add a green salad or other fresh veggies to your dinner table and voila! - satisfaction!

And remember, slow cookers aren't just for dinner. Use it for breakfast, lunch, and wonderful desserts!

Decadent Chocolate Cake - Adapted from CrockPot Slow Cooker Recipes
1 pkg. Devils Food chocolate cake mix
8 oz sour cream

1  up semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C. water
4 eggs
3/4 C. vegetable oil
1 pkg. (4 serving size) instant chocolate fudge pudding & pie filling mix.

Coat slow cooker with no-stick spray. Combine all ingredients and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until middle of cake is set (doesn't jiggle). Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 3)

Savvy How To: 

Rebate Savings (Part 3)

By now you may have bought into the idea of saving money through rebate and rewards programs. Indeed, the potential for savings with these programs is tremendous. But, to maximize your savings you'll have to get in the game and play smart! Manufacturers and the rebate redemption companies hired to handle the paperwork often look for loopholes to NOT redeem your rebate - it's in their best interest to keep as much money in their pockets as possible. So how do you get the money from their pocket to your wallet? Here are some tips and guidelines if you're going to play the rebate game:

Make Photocopies: Making a copy of your original receipt and rebate form is one of the best ways to ensure payment. You can also ask your cashier for a duplicate receipt at time of purchase and save some toner! Either way, when your rebate is returned unredeemed or simply vanishes in the wind, you'll have the receipt and phone number to verify the transaction.

Read Directions Carefully: Remember those loopholes? Down to the last digit of your phone number and even required address wording on the outside of the envelope - get it right! Be exact in giving these companies what they require or they might give you exactly nothing. Leaving requested information blank is cause for rejection. Product purchase requirements should also be followed to the T. Make sure the barcodes match on your receipt and on the offer form.

Watch Expiration Dates and Prices: Be sure your receipt matches up! There's nothing worse than being a day late and a dollar short on this one. Even $0.01 short of the required purchase price can get your check denied. And, don't forget to find out if coupons are deducted from price requirements. Remember, rebates are frequently offered and promoted before the purchase dates even begin, buying too soon or too late can lead to your downfall.

Organize: If you're planning on playing the rebate game, consider creating a “rebate station.” Dedicate a drawer, hanging letter organizer or binder with everything you'll need to utilize rebates including stamps, envelopes, highlighters to circle purchased products, scissors to cut UPCs and a place to neatly save forms and receipts.

If your track record on requesting rebates isn't great, consider the price of products without including rebate or rewards programs when making purchase decisions. But, for optimal savings, taking advantage of these rebates can definitely prove beneficial to your pocketbook.

• Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 1)

• Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 2)

Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 2)

 
Savvy How To: 

The Rewards of Rebates (Part 2)

Grocer, retailer and manufacturer rebates are programs used to entice customers to buy merchandise at deep discounts. However, according to Consumeraffairs.com 40 percent to 60 percent of all rebates go unredeemed. Often, consumer purchases hinge on the idea of buying a product and in return getting some or all of their out-of-pocket expense back in hand. Yet millions of dollars in rebates are never even redeemed. So how do you make rebates work for you and get the most money from your purchase?

In order to truly save money playing the rebate game you'll need to understand the various types of rebates available.

Mail-In Rebates: These rebates account for the majority of rebates available in today's market. Redemption requires saving original receipts, cutting out product UPCs and filling out the fine print of rebate forms. Often times these rebate forms are available in-store, printed in coupon insert booklets or even available for download from your computer. Most forms of rebates, including mail-in offers, are a limit of one per household/address.

TMF, Cash Back Offers: Try Me FREE rebates are usually found as hangtag or peelie coupon offers attached to products in the store. While using coupons up front may lower the initial purchase price of these products, rebates typically deduct these savings from your rebate check. A form of mail-in rebates, TMF offers consumers the actual product purchase price, not including tax. This type of offer usually has the longest expiration date for mail-in completion.

Beer Rebates: A popular form of tearpad rebates found in-store are aptly named Beer Rebates. These rebates are literally found in the beer aisle of your local grocer or retailer. Offered by beer companies, these rebates can provide significant savings on a variety of foods and products available at most stores, and often regardless of brand. Several states, including Utah, limit beer companies by not requiring the purchase of alcohol for rebate redemption. Simply fill out the form, attach your receipt and lick the stamp! These rebates are a limit of one per household and do not typically require UPC barcodes be attached. If you're having trouble finding these forms, ask your butcher or even customer service for beer rebates that are currently available.

Online Rebates: Many retailers and manufacturers offer online rebate programs. Redemption policies vary, but often require logging in to manufacturer Web sites to enter a variety of receipt data to verify purchase. These are the simplest form of rebate as no UPC or forms are required - enter the requested information and get your money back relatively quickly. Another benefit of this type of program is that coupons can often be used in combination with these savings to reduce out-of-pocket expense with consumers benefiting from the extra windfall in savings. Predetermined rebate dollar amounts do not take coupons into account thus giving customers the full rebate offer regardless of additional savings.

If you're enticed by these money-saving rebates, be prepared to jump through a few hoops. The savings are significant but the redemption requirements can be as well. So, before you buy into these programs, you'll need to make sure it's worth the time and even the relatively small amount of money out of pocket for tax and postage.

• Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 1)

• Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 3)

Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 1)

 Savvy How To: 

The Rewards of Rebates (Part 1)

Ahh, rebates and rewards - we love them and hate them all at the same time! It's oh so tempting to buy an advertised product when there is a rebate or reward incentive included in the price. And, while the theory of rebates is relatively simple: buy a product and in return get some of your out-of-pocket expense back, it's often trickier than it may appear. So how do you make rebates and rewards work for you and get the most money from your purchase?

In order to truly save money playing the rebate game, you'll need to understand the various types of rebates and rewards available. One form of rebate-style rewards can be found at the checkout counter. These reward programs like Catalinas and Register Rewards can often be lucrative in savings and even get you FREE products.

What is a Catalina? Yes, it is a kind of salad dressing, but it's also a form of an unadvertised checkout “reward rebate” coupon available at select grocers and retailers. These are typically manufacturer coupons that print out from a Catalina machine by the checkout register near the end of or after your purchase. When you buy a predetermined product or combination of products, the Catalina is triggered and prints out coupons. This predetermination is made by either manufacturers wanting you to buy their product or by the stores, tracking past purchases.

For example, if you always buy a specific brand of baby formula, a formula company competitor may offer a high value coupon in the hopes you would switch to their brand. Likewise, the store where you buy your formula might offer you a store brand coupon for the same reason. Catalina coupons are also associated with a wide variety of everyday products as an additional incentive for shoppers to purchase and save!

Many shoppers tend to throw all forms of Catalina coupons in the trash as soon as they print or just simply leave them at the register. Don't do it! These seemingly worthless scraps of paper are actually worth significantly more than you might assume.

Catalina Coupons Can Be:

1. A manufacturer's coupon similar to a coupon you would find in the Sunday newspaper. Using these coupons can greatly increase your purchase savings. Remember, these coupons can only typically be used at the store where the coupon actually printed. And, don't confuse these coupons with store coupons, as they cannot be used in combination with a Sunday insert coupon. Stores limit shoppers to one manufacturer coupon per product.

2. A cash coupon - for example a $5 coupon, good on your next shopping order - used just like cash. These coupons can be used on your next purchase of almost anything you want to buy (some exclusions may apply). Most Catalina cash coupons expire within two to four weeks of being issued.

3. A preview of a reward coupon that is up coming. This coupon gives dates, dollar amounts and product purchase specifics for an upcoming Catalina coupon promotion.

What are Register Rewards?: Register Rewards, a Walgreens rewards program, are very similar in relationship to Catalina Coupons. These coupon offers are not issued because of in-store savings card purchase tracking, but are similarly printed out when you buy a required number of pre-selected products. 

So how do you really make your rewards rewarding? Catalina and rewards type savings are good for use on future purchases. To fully extend your savings, those reward dollars should be stacked with additional "on sale" savings promotions. You're not really saving money if you use these cash coupons to buy items at regular retail prices. Significant savings are common with this type of in-store promotion if you spend your rewards wisely. Learning individual store redemption policies is also a must before jumping on these savings. Rewards can truly be rewarding in greatly extending your grocery budget when you make these programs work to their full potential.

• Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 2)

• Savvy How To: Rebate Savings (Part 3)

Savvy How To: Warehouse Savings (Part 2)

 Savvy How To: 

Warehouse Shopping (Part 2)

There are many great buys to be found at wholesale/warehouse clubs. However, if you are expecting a significant discount on all offerings found there, be warned that those buckets, boxes and barrels of food may be deceiving. Last week I talked about some good buys, but here is a list of a few goodbye items I leave off my shopping list.

Goodbyes

Cereal: Cereal is first on this list for a reason. Those 2- to 3-pound boxes of cereal may seem like a great way to stock up on your children's breakfast of choice, but you'll pay for it in the end. Simply watching sale ads at local grocers and retailers will regularly buy the most important meal of the day for a lot less money. Not only will store sales make this buy a goodbye at club stores, but add coupons into the mix and we're talking 70-80 percent savings overall! Coupon heavy items (items for which you can often find high-dollar value coupons in your Sunday newspaper) should be left out of your shopping cart at these stores.

Meat: While quality is top notch at these locations, prices usually aren't. Watch for seasonal meat sales at local grocers and stock your freezer while meat is at the lowest prices. You'll still get great quality but at a fraction of the price! Make sure if you intend to purchase bulk meats that you know how to properly store it all. Freezer bagging, sealing or having your butcher freezer wrap your meat for free (not available at warehouse locations) is a must!

Canned Goods: Can the canned goods, as you can get these items at local grocers and retailers at significantly lower prices if you watch sale fliers. Case Lot sales are an especially great way to save money on canned good purchases. Case Lot sales allow you to buy bulk goods at discounted rates. When you buy more than one of any given sale item, you begin to fill your pantry with a variety of goods for future use at that same discounted rate.

Paper Products: Toilet paper and paper towels aren't regularly found at “on-sale” prices in warehouse locations. If you're stocking up on 500 forks or Ziploc baggies using an in-store “Passport of Savings” type coupon then you may have found a deal. But, in general, paper goods are one of the trickiest purchases in warehouse stores. You'll need a calculator to determine price per roll or cup on this one. Know your price points first (the price you're willing to pay for products) before you stock up in this department.

Snack Foods: If you need a sugar fix, these stores should be at the top of your list. The 3 lb bags of Swedish Fish will satisfy any sweet tooth. But, have you ever noticed that those oversized bags of candy, snacks and chips disappear just as fast as the regular-sized bags? We'd all like to think we can stop at one handful, but even manufacturers know you can't eat just one of anything. Once that bag or box has been opened rationing has gone out the window. As another coupon heavy item, buy these treats in smaller boxes at lower prices and you'll find the portion control and savings a lot easier to swallow.

Unfamiliar Products/Brands: I always encourage bulk buys in an effort to save money, but buying brands or products you are unfamiliar with is risky business! That No. 10 can of soup mix that's new to your family could turn out to be a major flop. If no one will eat it, you've likely just wasted $10-$15. If you want to try a new product, think small. Buying these products in smaller package sizes reduces your financial loss when the kids turn up their noses.

If you're a club store fanatic and find the thrill of the hunt a habit too addicting to break, take stock of what you're buying. Make sure you use in-store coupons and watch for store price tag codes like “C” or prices that end with a penny at Sam's club or prices ending in $0.97 at Costco or with a * for discontinued items that may be offered at a deeper discount.

Savvy How To: Warehouse Savings (Part 1)

Savvy How To:

Warehouse Shopping (Part 1)

Saving money at warehouse/wholesale clubs like Costco or Sam's Club is another way shoppers can stretch grocery budgets. However, just because you can buy products in 25-pound increments doesn't mean you're always getting the best deal. And don't forget to add on that yearly membership fee. Memberships at one of these clubs can range from $50 to $100.

While many items are a good buy and definitely high quality, saving money at these clubs requires some skill in knowing what really is worth the money. I've heard many shoppers proclaim that they can't get out of these stores without spending at least $200 or more, so my first suggestion is to take a shopping list. Going to the store without a shopping list is akin to going to the store hungry: You always buy more than you needed or intended.

It's all too easy to be awed by the enormous wall of big-ticket items prominently displayed as you enter this concrete jungle. There is a reason why candy is next to the register and end caps. They're hoping you'll pick up one or two extra items you hadn't even realized you needed. The amount of snack food going out of these stores can be visually overwhelming at times. Also, if you're buying so much product that it expires before you can use it, then you're wasting money!

That's not to say there aren't great deals available at stores like Costco or Sam's Club. If you arm yourself with a steely resolve and a little price point know-how before you go, you can get some great deals.

Here are my “good buy” items, and next week I'll list my “goodbye” items:

Good buys

Dairy: Cheese, cheese sticks, milk, eggs and butter are just a few of the great dairy buys at wholesale clubs. Most dairy product prices are regularly lower than mainstream grocers and retailers.

Flowers: An odd one you might say. The prices and quality of flowers at wholesale clubs rival traditional florists. Most locations have the added advantage of selling flowers prepackaged and semi-arranged so you can simply drop them in the vase when you get home.

Gas: Watch your pumps everyone! One of the best and cheapest places to buy gas is at your local wholesale pump station. Because these in-house gas stations go through tremendous amounts of gasoline they are constantly re-ordering to keep up their supply. That usually means huge fuel discounts for stores and those savings trickle down to consumers.

Prescription/Nonprescription Drugs: Warehouse pricing on prescription and over-the-counter drugs often saves 40 percent to 50 percent over retail pharmacies. Just remember: That bottle of 1,000 Tylenol or the jumbo 2 pack of Neosporin do have expiration dates, so make sure your mega medicine purchase can be used before the product expires.

Electronics: While I'm far from an electronics guru, my own personal searches for prices on HDTVs, iPods, SD cards and even ink cartridges and other electronic fare have readily found prices at their lowest in warehouse clubs. That's doesn't mean you can't find lower prices available with the help of the Internet or holiday door busters, but spending hours of hunting likely won't save you too much overall. There is something to be said for the convenience of overall year-round low prices.

There are many great buys from wholesale vendors, but next week I'll let you know my “goodbye” products, items I leave off my club shopping list.

Savvy How To: Coupon Finds

Savvy How To:

Coupon Savings

Shoppers who use coupons and avidly watch sale promotions can save 50-80 percent over retail prices on a weekly basis at grocer and retailer locations nationwide. Shoppers find that using coupons enables them to get more bang for their buck at the store. In fact, savings can skyrocket when using these clipped coupons.

The majority of all coupons redeemed weekly come from Sunday newspaper inserts. There are three different inserts available to newspaper subscribers: Smart Source, Proctor & Gamble and Redplum. Each insert, or booklet as some call them, offer coupons from a variety of national or local manufacturers as a way to offer incentives for product trials or reward loyal consumers.

“Overall, 1.6 billion coupons were redeemed in the first half of 2009.” said Todd Hale, senior vice president of consumer and shopping insights for Nielsen. “More consumers are looking for value and lower prices as retailers and manufacturers are distributing more coupons and making it easier for consumers.”  It's clear from redemption statistics that shoppers are looking to coupons as a way to stretch their budget dollars further than ever before in the current economy.

Newspapers are adding to the savings as well. Multiple Sunday newspaper subscriptions are now being offered at great discounts, which enables bulk shopping with the added convenience of one-trip shopping. With coupon redemption values averaging $200 per newspaper each week, multiple copy subscription savings far outweigh delivery costs. Coupons are delivered to your front door with hundreds of dollars in savings waiting to be clipped and redeemed on your next shopping trip.

Other resources for coupon finds are also available in today's market. Online printable coupons are a great addition to your newspaper subscription and are readily accessible. Websites like www.coupons.com offer tremendous value and convenience in at-home coupon printing. First-time users will need to download a coupon printer in order to gain access to these coupons. It's free, safe and easy to use. It does not install any form of spyware or adware or collect any personal information about you. As a general rule, printable coupon websites allow you to print only two like-coupons per offering, but do refresh coupon offers on a monthly basis.

Online printable coupons are also available from many manufacturer Web sites, as well as social media outlets like Facebook. Becoming a “fan” often has its advantages. Facebook manufacturer sites regularly offer registered fans targeted coupons and other promotions for customer loyalty. Not sure if a brand/product you love has a Facebook page? After registering for your own Facebook account, visit www.facebook.com and search for a link by keyword or brand name, then reap the savings.

Another avenue for coupon savings can be found in store shopper card downloadable coupons. Websites like www.shortcuts.com, www.cellfire.com, www.pgesaver.com and Kroger affiliated grocery store websites like Smiths, Kroger and Fred Meyer offer users coupons that can be downloaded onto participating grocer in-store savings cards. Once you've registered your savings card number, simply load coupons from a pre-selected list, targeted by ZIP code, for desired products. With the swipe of your card, the coupons are deducted from your purchase total.

Adding coupons to your savings repertoire greatly enhances your ability to save time and money at grocers and retailers on a weekly basis.

Savvy How To: Beauty School Savings

Savvy How To:

Saving With Style

Before you run to the salon for a new cut, style or color, check out your local beauty college for great savings with style!

It's one of those wear-a-hat days and all the hairspray, gels and creams you've tried just seem to make things worse! Your haircut is overgrown, streaking colors like a chameleon and split at the ends like the tines of a fork. So what can you do that will leave you feeling beautiful but not broke? Before you run to the salon for a new cut, style or color, why not check out your local beauty college?

Venturing off to your local beauty school can save a significant amount of money over traditional salons. Beauty schools are staffed by students, supervised by licensed instructors, who can perform almost any beauty service offered elsewhere, such as hair cuts and colors, weaves, facials, manicures, pedicures and more, and at great discounts.

Savings can be upwards of 60 percent over traditional salons, says Jan Barker, owner of American Beauty Academy in Payson. “Many salons offer a haircut for $22 and ours is only $8.” In addition to having a student work on your hair, you get the instructor as well. All work performed is checked and graded, which obviously encourages students to do their very best work. But, if you still aren't satisfied with your service, any touch-up work can be done by the supervisor.

Some schools, like American Beauty Academy, provide even more ways to save on beauty treatments by offering half-off coupons by mail or online for select services. Many also offer discounts to seniors and students, while some offer select savings on specific days of the week, such as $5 hair cut Fridays. Make sure you call your local school and ask what additional discounts are offered before you go so you can get the most beauty for your buck.

There's also the option of a do-it-yourself job for many salon services. Home hair coloring products are more affordable than ever and come with easy-to-follow instructions. However, picking the right shade to suit your skin tone and current color can sometimes get tricky. There are myriad colors, glazes and shines to enhance your locks, but there is nothing like color gone bad.

“Getting the wrong color from the store costs a lot more in the long run when you have to pay for a color correction” says American Beauty Academy's Barker. If you're new to the color game, start with temporary or semi-permanent hair color, as they are generally free of harmful peroxide and ammonia and be sure to check the expiration date on the box. Ask your stylist to recommend a shade that would look best or even a preferred brand for the home user. They're more than happy to help you do what's best for your hair in any situation. Most manufacturers provide a toll-free help line if you run into a snag at home.

You can also extend the life of your color by using quality shampoo and conditioning products readily available at mass retailers. Most stores now offer salon quality products at a fraction of the prices of a salon. Watching for “buy one get one free” sales and pairing coupons with store discounts can add up to great beauty savings.

And what's the “best bargain of the century?” says Jan. When you're having a bad hair day and are short on time and money go get a shampoo and style for about $6 at your local beauty school. “If it makes you feel a hundred bucks better it's worth the $6”!

Beauty school treatments definitely won’t break the bank.  If you’re considering getting your next cut or style from one of these schools, talk to other patrons that have been there. If someone you know got a great cut, get the name of the student that performed it or ask when scheduling your appointment for a senior student with lots of experience on specialty services. If you’re looking to get to the root of great savings visit your local college and get salon pampered at beauty school prices.

Savvy How To: Food Storage Solutions

 

 Savvy How To: 

Creative Solutions for Food Storage Clutter

Food storage is definitely an important part of investing in your future. But for many, storage options may have them bursting at the seams. Storing and organizing your food in small spaces may seem overwhelming and maybe even impossible. However, finding room to keep yourself organized in limited spaces can be simple, though it does require a little planning and some elbow grease. Beyond traditional shelves and cupboards, there are many creative and efficient options for food storage. I asked my readers for their suggestions on how to creatively store food and here are a few of their ideas:

Make Food Furniture: Yes, you read that right. Why not turn your boxes, cans and crates into furniture that serves double duty? Jan Barker of Payson suggests: “How about putting a round piece of wood on top of a stack of boxes or buckets and a round tablecloth on top of that to create an end table or nightstand?– Try filling hinged ottomans with a case of corn or beans. Or what about covering a small shelving unit with fabric and topping it with glass for an instant vanity table, says Riana Jasperson of Santaquin. It's easy to disguise self-rotating can units with a little fabric and wood. One click in the World Wide Web provides a plethora of detailed plans to custom build your own “cloaked” shelving unit. Or take an even easier route and use extra #10 cans as support for plywood shelves. Furniture solutions are a do-it-yourselfer's dream and certainly an inexpensive alternative.

Closets Aren't Just For Coats: You may have an unused coat closet or even “dead space” overhead just waiting for shelving, says Sadie Cunningham from Mona. Years ago, in my small-town home in Southern California, I didn't even have a coat closet. I had to get creative! I utilized the space under the stairs in one of those weirdly misshaped angled closets by simply installing a hanging rod for coats and a series of shelves just above the rod. I filled the shelves with “vacuum saver” type bags full of blankets and pillows and even created ample space for a family game shelf. Small shoe organizers and bookshelves readily purchased at hardware and retail stores lined the angular walls to provide extra storage. Stacey Johnson of Cumming, Ga., didn't waste space here, either! She installed shelving and even “cut a hole in the drywall at the back under the stair's landing and framed the hole.” Hanging a no-sew curtain with a shower rod can easily hide storage items, not to mention it also adds a “cute dimension,” Johnson says. You can also utilize closet doors for additional storage. “I use shoe storage organizers (the ones that hang behind doors), Ale Wortmann of Springville says.

Bedroom Follies: Under the bed is a treasure trove of space waiting to be filled by things other than dirty socks and broken toys. You can raise your bed to new levels by adding bed risers that can increase storage space by 12 inches or more. Use an extra long bed skirt to cover your secret stash! Once you've created space, use “under the bed storage containers, fill them up and just slide them under all the beds in the house” says Julie Taggart of Pleasant Grove. Taggart even organizes her bathrooms this way. Using shoe-size clear containers she stacks and organizes personal hygiene items under the bathroom vanity. “Buy one for toothpaste, another for deodorant, another for razors, etc.– You can stack them a few high, using what is normally wasted space.

Don't let the lack of square footage deter you. Being prepared and getting organized will pay off when you're eating food today at last year's prices!

My Two Cents: Food Insurance

My Two Cents:  

Food Storage, an investment for the future!

I've always thought of my food storage as insurance. We all pay for car insurance, home insurance, health insurance, etc. So why not starvation insurance?

OK, sounds a little drastic I know, but investing in the physical well being of our families is just as important, yes, even more important than protecting any other belonging! In Jean De La Fontaine's 17th century version of the fabled grasshopper and the ant, an idle grasshopper squanders valuable time instead of preparing for the winter and undoubted storms of life. The provident ant, however, foresees the need to prepare and stores away a little food here and there as protection for harsher times. Of course, when winter is finally upon them, the grasshopper is woefully unprepared and left begging for sustenance from the ant's abundant storage of food. So, the ant pulls a few No. 10 cans of dehydrated corn off her self-rotating shelving system and cheerfully shares with her vulnerable insect friend. Oh wait, maybe that last bit wasn't quite part of the story. The grasshopper might have had to sing for her supper, but what if the ant hadn't stored any food either? Malnourished and faint they're both tongue-slapped by a fortuitous amphibian?

Food storage is an important part of investing in your future, not just physically, but also monetarily. Eating food today at last year's prices can often provide a significantly larger return on the money you invested to buy it than even IRAs, 401ks and money market accounts. With the cost of food increasing daily, shoppers must think today about what to buy for tomorrow. But, before you run to the store and clear the shelves, first you must assess your family's needs, determine storage options and create a spending plan.

What to buy, what to buy? There's obviously the basics like sugar, flour, salt, rice and wheat, to name a few. But how would your family do if they had to do without the meals they currently enjoy? In addition to storing the basics of sustainable life you should also purchase and store what you already eat. Make a list of family-favorite meals or snacks and separate them into ingredient and quantity lists. If you eat each meal once a week for example, simply add the quantities required to prepare each meal and multiply by 13, 26 or 52 and you'll know how much you'd need to store to eat it once a week for 3 months to a year!

But, before you buy 52 cans of family-sized soup, you should ask yourself, “Where do I store all this stuff, and once I buy it how do I rotate it?” It's great that you're thinking ahead and filling your pantry, but buying more than you need or have room to store doesn't work. If you're home or apartment doesn't give way to larger storage areas, make good use of closets, cupboards and even under the bed.

Get creative! Re-purpose household objects, like using a hanging cloth shoe organizer for spice storage and hang it on your pantry door. But don't buy more than your family can use before a product expires. Everything goes bad at some point. Letting food expire in the pantry is not only wasteful it's also very costly! Finally, develop a system for rotation, (I use the “stock new on the left, pull to use from the right” method), to keep old food from hiding on the back of your shelves waiting for the right time to bulge and explode.

So, now you need to allocate the funds to start building up your supplies. Don't think you can afford to start? How can you not! The good news is it has never cost so little to buy so much! You can easily cut your grocery bills in half or more by simply watching sales and matching coupons to those sales when possible.

Stocking up when prices are low saves you money when prices rise. But what if you don't know what a good deal is when you see it? I'll tell you in a weekly newsletter where you can find the BEST GROCERY DEALS in Utah County! The cost? Zilch, Nada, Zero ? It's FREE! To sign up for these free emails and for more ideas on how to make saving money easy, visit www.savvyshopperdeals.com, Utah's BEST source for savings!

Savvy How To: Money Saving Shopping Techniques

 Savvy How To:

Money Saving Shopping Tips

There's nothing better than eating food today, but at last years' prices! Saving money on groceries requires a few simple skills that can easily be learned: organization, shopping techniques and bulk purchases.

Organization: If you always put things back in the same place every time, you'll never lose them. The same goes for coupons. Organizing your coupons helps save you time and money. Try using a three-ring binder filled with transparent nine-pocket baseball card holders. Coupons easily slide into each slot with expiration dates, products and savings clearly visible. Divide your pages into 10 or more shopping categories like Bread & Cereal, Desserts, Paper Goods, Personal Hygiene, etc.

Shopping Techniques: First, make a shopping list and stick to it. Shopping without a list is like going to the store hungry - you often buy more than you need. And remember, items displayed at eye level usually cost more, so look lower! Second, watch the front page of your grocery sale ad. The deals posted there are usually a good place to start saving money as these items are often considered loss-leaders (leading you into the store at their loss). Finally, find your price points. A price point is simply the price at which you are willing to spend money on any given item - your good deal price. Create a price book and determine what the lowest sale price the items you buy most will reach. Then wait for a sale that meets your range of prices to stock up on those products and add coupons to save even more.

Bulk Purchases: If a product is a great deal don't buy one, buy two or three or even more! Stocking up on items when they are at their lowest prices ensures that you'll have some on hand the next time you need them - and it's like they're always on sale in your cupboard. Create your own storehouse of food in a pantry, a closet, a basement or under your bed if needs be. When preparing your meals try to shop your personal “store” first. Use items from your own pantry to create weekly meal lists and supplement with produce or other weekly sale items to create cost-effective meals.

Saving money has never been so easy!