Most artists in the Northwest are broke. I hope every creative person in the Northwest becomes super rich and successful beyond their wildest dreams. But until this happens, it is important that we all grasp a few important survival tactics.
For the first of this three part series on surviving with the lack of a budget, we talked to couponer Catie Reihl-Murphy about how to get the most with your money on your next trip to the market.
Catie Reihl-Murphy
This was all purchased for $2.97
I know a lot of people are not going to want to use coupons at the store. The problem is that most people who aren’t going to want to use coupons are those who probably need to the most.
If you don’t want people to think that you are struggling to get by because you are using coupons at the store, you are probably struggling to get by and should be using coupons at the store.
“I can’t think of anything that we didn’t get at a deal during this last year.” said Catie Reihl-Murphy. “It’s so fun.”
Unlike most artists in the Northwest, Catie works a job where she actually gets paid. Even so, she still finds the importance in spending her money wisely and saving every where she can.
3 Great Resources.
1. The Sunday Paper.
Every Sunday she gets 3 or 4 copies of the newspaper.
“Sometime’s I’ll just get them from other people, or I’ll just pick one up at Rite Aide or whatever.”
Catie said that the Sunday ads are great because they provide a lot of manufacture coupons
2. Online Ads.
Websites like www.coupons.com provide coupon databases that allow you to search coupons specific for your area. They also let you browse by category and have featured deals of the day.
3. Coupon Blogs.
Catie says a key resource in her savings are the blogs that she follows. These blogs save her a ton of time and money because they are constantly directing her to the best deals available in her area.
The blogs are also great because they provide detailed information on getting started for beginners.
One blog she recommends is www.thekrazycouponlady.com. The blog features tips on how to mix and match the best manufacture coupons with the best store deals.
For example, at Albertson’s this week you can get Chips Ahoy Cookies for $1.99 with a store coupon. Which is a great deal, BUT LUCKILY in April they told you about a $1 off coupon available at facebook.com that will now come in handy for an extra $1 savings. Bring the total price of your cookies to only .99.
MO MONEY! MO MONEY! MO MONEY!
Catie says that she’s also learned to watch for seasons before making certain purchases.
“Before the Superbowl they’ll put chips, pop and meat on sell because they know everyone is going to be throwing parties.”
BALLIN!
Part 2. Getting a Ride. Coming Soon.