Money Saving Tips

1. Organization
   
   Keeping your place organizing obviously saves you from buying duplicates. However, I also organize my coupons and receipts. I have a a couple $1 divider files from Target. I use letter envelope size files for store receipts and coupons. The receipt really helps me because I am such a impulse buyer, especially when I'm stressed. Every one or two months or so, I go through it and put the old ones in a shoe box. After a while I throw the ones in the shoebox away.
   
2. Expiration dates aren't always solid
   
   About every two weeks, I get a coupon from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for 20% of one item for something like $5 off $15. They have some nice, unique things, but are kinda pricey, so I really don't shop there like that. I always used to throw them out, but my friend told me that they accept them even if after they've expired. And they accept an unlimited amount of coupons at once. I went the other day and used about 7 of them at once!
   So if you have expired coupons to a store, just store them in your file until you are able to go to the store and ask if they will accept them. If they say no, then you can just throw them out then and there.
   
   
   
   
3. Ask if they price match
   
   This is something I admittedly forget to do, probably because I don't shop for things like this often. However, at stores such as luggage stores and electronic stores, ask if they price match. Often they do. All you have to do is bring in a store ad or internet printout.

Quick Tip: Saving money at Whole Foods

Whole Foods is wonderful because they have such an array of rare products (especially oils to use in hair), and the vast majority of the products they carry are organic. I especially like to buy produce there.

However, it can be crazy expensive. Today I bought some almond butter and the checkout clerk was nice enough to let me know that there was a coupon for it in their coupon book. She then also let me know that they accept competitor's coupons. I assumed she meant for individual items. However, she told me that they even accept coupons such as $5 of $25, $10 of $50. I always get this in the mail from Plumm Market, Busch's, etc.

I forgot to ask her if they accepts ones from Meijer, Safeway, etc., or if by competitors they just mean high-end grocery stores and boutiques. Always nice to know how to save money, especially in this recession.