My Bargain Buddy Shares Some Thrifty Tips by Katelyn Thomas
Karen from My Bargain Buddy took some time out of her busy day to let me interview her about ways to save money in today’s economy.
1. How can people find money saving deals on groceries and other necessities?
Get the mailer that grocery stores mail out on Tuesday and pair it up with Sunday paper coupons. You should also have rules for product pricing. My rule is that cereal can be no more than $2 a box. Buy meat on sale and freeze it. Then plan your dinner menu around things you bought on sale. Fruit and veggies - buy what is in season.
2. Is it possible for people to have a decent Christmas in today’s economy?
Absolutely! Stores are feeling same crunch people are and they’re marking products down. Clothing prices are going down quickly. Fall merchandise is already on sale and we just started fall. They’re really trying to get people in to shop and having all kinds of deals.
Shop early to get deals. Shop through the year, grab items with certain people in mind and put them away until Christmas. Always check end caps and clearance rows to see if there is anything that can be used as a gift.
3. Are there any ways for people who are tight on money to earn a bit of extra cash?
I’m a big fan of garage sales. One persons trash…If I haven’t used something in a year, it is just taking up space. Organize a clean out the closet day, move it into the driveway and sell. Use consignment for big ticket items, like furniture.
Another thing to think about is the State Comptroller’s web site for unclaimed property. I know people that found quite a bit of money they didn’t know they had sitting in an account somewhere.
4. About Mybargainbuddy.com:
I started the site in 1999 as a hobby. I was introduced to online shopping when they had $20 off $20 to encourage people to shop. Friends wanted to know about great deals, so I made a single page site listing everything I found and it just grew from there.