Guest Author - Lili Pintea-Reed

Recently I've had many people ask me what I think of manufacturer's discount coupons. I use discount coupons -- but only if they work completely to my advantage. In my book, they are very handy if:

1) You can match a Store Sale to a Manufacturer's coupon thus getting the item for nearly --or sometimes -- free.

2) If you need to purchase a particular name brand for a gift.

3) If that name brand product is something your family just thinks is the best product for the job. We have a particular brand of toothpaste my hubby would never do without. Ergo
-- we buy it with coupons.

4) Shop at a store that offers Double Coupons up to a Dollar Value, thus bringing the value of the coupon up too, or near a dollar off.

Example #1:
My family's favorite toothpaste is normally $3.49 at the grocery store. When there is a store sale, it goes for $2.49. With an additional Manufacturer's Coupon for a dollar off, the price goes down to $1.49 a tube. That's when I buy it!

Yes, I know I could take a hard line as the "money manager" in the family, and say we have to use some generic brand for a dollar a tube, or better yet, just use baking soda... But sometimes when you live on strict budget -- life's small pleasures can mean a lot. Ask my husband the spender of the family (laugh).

A frequent question people asked me if the stories of some woman who got $200 dollars of groceries for $20 bucks with coupons are true. Yes, this is possible --- IF you buy only products Already On Sale matched to an additional dollar off coupon. Then you pay just a few cents an item.

Example #2:
We did this ery thing -- this week. We got the weekly sales flyer from a large local grocery, and matched it to our coupon collection. My teenaged son likes to do this. We found many items we were going to need later for holiday gift giving or treat making listed in the flyer on Store Sale. We went to the store on a day they doubled coupons so all our coupons would be valued around or equal to a dollar. The original total was over $90 Dollars, but with the coupons our total came to $40 Dollars, which is less than half what it would have been... The sales girl kept looking and looking at the full cart and the low bill. It WAS a fine Frugal Moment.

You can get Coupons from:
1) a Sunday Newspaper

2) or online at sites Like:
Cool Savings.com
www.Coolsavings.com

Ecoupons.com
www.ecoupons.com

3) Cooking Coupons Directly From Manufacturers Like:

Online Baking Coupons from Pillsbury.com
http://www.pillsbury.com

Online Baking Coupons from Nestle
http://www.verybestbaking.com

Online Baby Coupons
http://www.verybestbaby.com

For more ideas Check out these Frugal Living Books!
Complete Tightwad Gazzette
The Complete Tightwad Gazzette

Declare Your Finanacial Independence
Declare Your Financial Independence

Complete Cheapskate
Mary Hunt's Complete Cheapskate