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Are Coupons and Deals Worth It?

Coupon savings: pennies or Benjamins? Photo from Unsplash.
 

When you think of coupons, do you still imagine cutting out 25-cent coupons for canned goods or junk food from a newspaper? These days, you can get coupons online or in the mail and save a lot more than spare change. I'm not an affiliate for any of the stores mentioned here. 

CVS

With an Extra Care card (it's free of charge), you can go to cvs.com and virtually clip coupons or get them printed out on your receipt. They also mailed me a coupon for 30% off my entire regular-price order--and I made a CVS haul with it. I stocked up cleaning supplies, toilet paper, toothpaste, drinks, coffee, and even avocado oil.

The coupon was worth $55. Totally worth the three seconds it took to cut out.

Credit Card Rewards

The trick to using credit card rewards is to buy only what you'd buy anyway and then pay the balance. Banking online, autopay and reminders on your calendar make this easy. My credit card gives me 2% cash back on all purchases. 

I've had the card only eight months; that's $38.30 per month in free money.


Veteran? First Responder, Nurse or Teacher?

If so, there are deals at id.me on everything from ATVs to yoga pants. After getting a veteran ID through the site, I signed up for 10% discounts at Home Depot and Lowes. I've saved $160 at Home Depot this year (where I bought my range). I buy online and then pick up since you have to show a code on your phone when you buy in-store, and the data connection there is unreliable. 

If you want cash back through id.me, you'll need a PayPal account.

Veterans can also register for a free city bus pass in Indianapolis. (No savings for me since I don't ride the bus.) 

Shopping the Sales

Primal Kitchen, which sells condiments, dressings, sauces and gravies made of good quality ingredients, has sales all the time. (I buy their delicious Collagen Fuel.) I saved $62 on shrubs at Proven Winners this week when they were 20% off and $235 on pants on Black Friday when they were half off. 

Conclusion

I've saved $869 this year, not including gas, grocery and other savings I haven't kept track of. The only real effort I had to put in was getting a veteran ID card and unfreezing my credit temporarily to get a new credit card. It was worth it!

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Comments

Lowcarb team member said…
These days it pays to shop wisely.
There are some good deals, loyalty cards etc. around.

All the best Jan
December 17, 2023
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