There is a long-standing online debate concerning the amount of time required to locate viable coupons being "worth" the savings. Some folks say that the time spent hunting coupons negates the savings, while hard-core couponers don't buy it. However, instead of engaging in this debate, I'd rather use my time finding places to get the best deals, in a hurry. Thankfully, since I didn't weigh in on the latest installment of this argument (thusly avoiding being sucked into a social media deliberation vortex), I was able to find six bang-up places where I can download, print and apply coupon codes in seconds; saving me time and adding zeros to my bank account. If you want to know my secrets, read on.
Dedicated Couponing Sites
Dedicated coupon sites equal simplicity. Coupons are organized by store, manufacturer and product type; this makes it easy for coupon hunters like me to snatch up hundreds of dollars in savings on any given day, in less than five minutes.
My favorites: Coupons.com and Coolsavings.com
Cash Back Portals
I swear by these websites. I use them for everything from back to school shopping, to Christmas shopping to buying my household goods. When I use these websites, I receive coupon codes for even more impressive internet savings while earning cash back on every single dollar I spend. I even earn money by referring my friends to the site so that they can get a free account and start enjoying savings too.
My favorites: E-bates and Fat Wallet
Flyers and Value Packs
I never overlook the savings in my weekly store circulars or big blue Value Packs. I have found some truly fantastic values merely flipping through some flyers while I'm sitting on the couch watching television. I'd say that's time well spent.
Entertainment Book
Every year, my daughter sells our local Entertainment Book as part of her school fundraiser. Naturally, I buy it in an effort to support her school. However, I found that for my paltry $25 investment, the book furnishes a plethora of vouchers for amusement and dining out locations, saving me well over $1,000 a year, while opening my family up to new entertainment venues and restaurants. I'd say that's a win/win.
The Book of Free
My one-time $50 investment nets me a book chalked full of hundreds of items and services in my local area that are completely (100 percent) free, no strings attached. I make a point to buy my Book of Free online each year, and it saves me several hundred dollars -an excellent return on my investment.
Restaurant.com
This website was (for a very long time) my best kept secret. I would buy $50 gift certificates for my family to eat out at our favorite places, but only pay $10 or $25 for those certificates. This cut our eating out and entertainment budget in half, even without using my other coupon savings. I also buy certificates at a discount to give as gifts, chopping a substantial amount from my annual gift-giving budget.
I sincerely believe that time is money. However, none of my coupon sites takes up an excessive amount of my time. In fact, most take just a few minutes, and all equate to huge savings. Moreover, if we are breaking down my return on my investment in the time versus savings debate, I win.
How are you saving?
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How I live rich by spending smart
