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My name is Lindsay and I’m a single mother of 2 kids. Just as any mother does, I rely a great deal on coffee to keep me up and going, but have you noticed how coffee is the one that keeps going up? Often it almost seems you need disposable money just to afford a decent cup of coffee. I’m a single parent, and disposable money is not something I have the luxury of, and giving up my coffee is not something that’s an option – you try chasing 2 kids without your coffee. So the question is, how do I afford my daily dose(s) of delicious brew without breaking the bank? Buying in bulk at large discount stores is all well and good, but I’m the only coffee consumer in my house so it doesn’t make much sense in my situation as I don’t want to waste money buying a giant canister of coffee and risk it going stale before I can finish it. I also don’t want to have to pay a membership fee just to save a bit of money, like with Sams Club or Costco. In this article, I’m going to tell you the easiest ways to save on your favorite brands so that coffee doesn’t have to be a luxury and you can stay within your budget.
Let’s start off with coupons. A lot of people used to disregard couponing, until a popular show was aired on TLC where certain individuals buy cartfuls of groceries for pennies – couponing gained popularity overnight. The fact is, coupons are money! I’m so glad people are starting to come around to the idea, because it seems to me that manufacturers are releasing some pretty awesome coupons now. But how do these people save so much on one item using coupons? The answer is a term called “stacking.” Stacking means that you can use more than one coupon for each item. For instance, you can use a manufacturer’s coupon and pair it with a store’s coupon. You can also pair those coupons with a sale that the store is having for additional savings. Be sure to check your local grocery store’s coupon policy, but stacking coupons is not usually an issue. Most double or even triple the coupon’s amount.
Here’s a scenario for you: If you clip a manufacturers coupon from the newspaper or print one off of the manufacturers site, or a coupon site such as coupons.com , for a $1 off a canister of Folgers for instance, it doesn’t usually amount to very much savings. But, if you hold on to that coupon for a while and check the store circulars that are also featured in the newspaper or on their website, they’ll show you sales that are going on for the next week in their store and they may also offer store coupons.
Here’s another scenario for you: We see that you can print a $1 off coupon ($1/1) for our favorite coffee from www.coupons.com – never stop there because each coupon can be printed twice! Now we have 2 coupons for 2 different bags of coffee. Next, we’ll start searching for extra savings within stores. We check Target’s website and see that they have a store coupon for $3 off when you buy 2. They are originally priced at $7 a bag. So instead of paying $14 for 2, we stack the $1/1 and the $3/2 coupons and we’d pay $9 for 2 bags.
A lot of people think that a savings of $3 a bag isn’t worth the headache and time spent researching the deals. And to tell you the truth, I think the same thing some days. Luckily, there are couponing websites out there that do the work for you, such as www.supercouponlady.com who posts the current deals and how to take full advantage of them. They even tell you what coupons are out right now or about to come out, so you can determine if you want to buy that newspaper on Sunday or use up your printer ink. I recommend finding these sites on Facebook, and follow, follow, follow! They will post free samples, coupons, and sales that are up to the exact minute. While you’re online, check periodically with www.Amazon.com. They have coffee deals every so often if you don’t mind purchasing multiple bags.
If you prefer a specific brand, such as Gevalia or Starbucks, there are ways to save here too. Gevalia is a company who’s trying to make a name for themselves as of late. They have been sending out free samples and free coffee machines when you sign up for their coffee service! Who doesn’t love free coffee that’s delivered right to your door? They are also circulating a lot of coupons, so keep an eye out! If it’s Starbucks coffee you like, be sure to save your gift cards, register them, and keep them loaded for purchases. They offer many rewards to card holders, including free flavor syrups. Don’t forget that they’re reloadable, so you can continue accumulating rewards. You can even earn free coffee drinks! If you are a Starbucks home brewer, always be sure to save your bags. If you bring in your empty bag to a store, you can get a free tall cup of any brew they offer. And like I said before, everyone loves free coffee.
If all this doesn’t make it worth your while, I’m not sure what will. You can always pay full price for your coffee, but I will personally be sipping on my coffee with a few extra dollars in my pocket and some free sample bags in my cabinet. Its bargain hunting season and they’re ripe for the picking!