 Greetings!
I hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits as Fall is in full swing. Like many of you, we are fully immersed in weekend football (Go Buckeyes!), County Fairs, Halloween costume selections, cooking stews and baking pumpkin muffins and yes even fires in the fireplace! I love walking my kids to the bus stop in the early morning and taking in the distinct smell of this season.
 The holiday season is approaching and it is typically a period of heavy spending, so I wonder how the current economy will affect families. After all, even a tough economy can't change a kid's belief in Santa Claus. So, now more than ever is a great time to look ahead and map out a spending plan for the months ahead. Remember, you will have more peace around your finances in turbulent economic times when you face challenges head on with a plan and stick to it. So when it comes to planning holiday giving, parties and decorations, set reasonable limits and stick to them and when it comes to spending, shop strategically instead of impulsively, cash in on coupons and try negotiating better prices. You'll be amazed what savings can be accomplished when you follow this approach.
NEW!! click here for new savings
Get ready for the Holidays with toy tips from Fischer Price!
IN The MEDIA:
By Liz Pulliam Weston
With food prices rising, it may be tempting to stock up on sale items for later use. But also consider the initial purchase price of a freezer and the continuing cost of running it.
Welcome to our new Couponizer Consultants!
These ladies have joined out team of Consutlants who are trained and ready to offer coaching and savings expertise in local areas. If you live in near a city listed, please e-mail them to set up a workshop or party in your area!
Laura Young - Flowery Branch, GA laura519@hotmail.com
Click here to view the complete list of Couponizer Consultants, there might be one in your community
Be our next Couponizer of the Month!!
Please send me your savings success stories and if we publish it, you'll receive a $20 gift card and be our "Couponizer of the Month" in future Dotted Line issues.
Welocme ot all the new subscribers!! My goal is that each issue of The Dotted Line provides new ideas, encouragement and savings sources. I welcome your feedback which will make this newsletter better! So, if you have tip, tool, testimony or tasty recipe to share with me, please send it my way abergin@thecouponizer.com.
Wishing you smart savings,
Amy Bergin
Wife, Mother and President, The Couponizer Company |
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 TIP - Answers to common questions about saving money with coupons - The first in a 3 part series of Q &A
Q : "Why are coupon experts able to get up to 75% savings at the grocery store? This never happens to me."
Amy's Answer:
If you think of coupon experts as being like elite athletes playing a game, then 75% savings are possible, but not realistic for the average consumer. Also, you never really know how much planning went on prior to the shopping trip to prepare for it, nor do you know what exactly was purchased.
Take for example, an elite tennis player. He/she leverages natural ability, the best coaching and the best tennis technology in equipment, nutrition and conditioning to compete in world class tennis. None of us know the true cost or sacrifice it took for him or her to achieve this. All we see on television or perhaps at a live event are the flawless strokes, amazing shots and powerful display of athleticism. Similarly, coupon experts leverage experience, coupon and store deal information as well as proven tools and strategies to compete for the absolute lowest prices and the average consumer does not see the true effort it took to achieve this.
Not many consumers are able to compete like coupon pros mostly due to a lack of time, skill, dedication and desire to achieve similar measurable results. Afterall, the majority of their life energy and time are devoted to achieving deals in every purchase, not just the grocery store. It may be they were born to seek out deals or learned but you know them when you meet them. But it is important to note, we can all still learn from them and admire their results. Just like I admire tennis pros and their results and I continue to learn from them as I play in recreational tennis leagues. However, I am not headed for for Wimbledon anytime soon!
Many people regard me as a coupon pro and to some degree I am but I am also an average consumer who deals with demands on my time and money like everyone else. Truthfully, my trusty Couponizer and I do not typically achieve staggering levels (75%+) of savings week in and week out, but I do consistently average savings over 25%. Some weeks I have lots of time,energy and coupons to devote to planning and executing my shopping trips and I do achieve super savings I am very proud of, but some weeks I don't do as well. Shocking as it may seem, I am content with that. My overarching goal is to spend money wisely, so even when I am having a tough week, I am able to achieve savings I am proud of while buying what is needed to keep the household running.
So take heart, these days with all the coupons, websites, tools and resources available, I think it is reasonable for the average consumer to achieve between 10 - 40% savings at the grocery store on a regular basis when combining coupons, store deals and buying store brands. Over the long haul, this will yield real savings you can be proud of! |
 TOOL - Budget Calculator
Creating a budget is simple and then again it isn't. What I mean by this is that just creating amounts to spend or save in different categories is easy but then you run into wondering if your amounts are reasonable to carry out in real life. So rather than try to figure this out, these days there are clever tools that help you play with numbers and also look at spending trends for your income bracket. Every family is different, but most folks going through the budgeting process want some benchmark to start with and then mold the budget into something to own and implement.
Click here to explore a cool tool to help you get started with a budget. |
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of the Month
Marissa Mullen
San Diego, CA
 I don't need to start a discussion on how hard it is to stretch your dollars these days - everyone already knows that. I do, however need to discuss with you the power of using coupons and more importantly, The Couponizer.
I've been experimenting with coupons for a little while now, and I have to say they definitely save you money at the grocery store. There are a few "tricks", such as combining them with sale items, and shopping at stores that double coupons. But we'll save all that for another post. Today I want to talk about organization.
I am not an organized person. I'm constantly losing things and I have trouble putting things away. Therefore, I was always misplacing my coupons. This could be frustrating, especially when we would go to the store, see a great deal on an item which I also happened to have a coupon for...except I couldn't find the coupon. "I thought it was in my wallet" I would whine. Even worse, is all those times I had a coupon for a FREE item, and I lost those. I knew I needed a way to organize my coupons, but I had no idea where to start. Lucky for me, I found The Couponizer.
The Couponizer is a genius system - it's a booklet that comes with compartments to help you organize your coupons. You fill each pocket with your coupons, according to the category such as baby, canned goods, frozen foods, snacks etc. There's a place to put coupons that you want to use on your next shopping trip, as well as a place to put your receipts (I'm always losing those too.) A pre-sorting mat helps to organize your coupons, before you actually organize them (ie putting them in the category pockets.) The system is so easy to use, that I don't think I could lose anything even if I tried. I love how it comes with a shopping list, and then a tracking sheet where you can record your expenses. And the best part of all? It comes with a pair of handy scissors! You store everything in the clear, zippered bag that's also included, and you're good to go.
Now that I have a place to put all my coupons, I no longer lose them. That means I'm saving more money at the grocery store... and that's a good feeling indeed.
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This was a product review posted on Marissa's blog - http://mamasparkles.blogspot.com
Thanks Marissa for your kind words and encourgaing message to your viewers! You have done great work on your blog in sharing your experiences with others. Keep blogging! |
 The Couponizer Cook
Okay, not my great grandmother, but someone's! This recipe will yield enough for delicious leftover meatloaf sandwiches!
Ingredients:
Meatloaf:
· 2 pounds ground chuck
· ¾ cup quick-cooking oatmeal, uncooked
· 1 medium onion, finely chopped
· ¼ cup ketchup
· ¼ cup milk, whole or 2%
· 2 eggs, lightly beaten
· ½ - 1 teaspoon salt
· ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Topping:
· ½ cup ketchup
· 3-4 tablespoons light brown sugar
· 1 ½ -2 teaspoons yellow mustard
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all meatloaf ingredients; mix well and shape into 2 loaves. Place side by side on rack in large roasting pan or Pyrex dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Combine all topping ingredients and spread over meat loaves; bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until meatloaves are done.
Coupons to look for: oatmeal, ketchup, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, brown sugar, yellow mustard |
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