froogle.com then ebates.com

During the after-Christmas and the January clearance sales, I stop by stores I would not normally think of shopping in (just to browse anyway). Auto parts supply stores like AutoZone often have some items packaged specifically for the holidays and these are heavily discounted after Christmas. I got a great mini-vaccuum for my car a couple of years ago. I will also stop in at home improvement and tool stores, which I rarely visit at any other time, just to check out what they have. I am able to finish up much of my Christmas shopping for the year by the end of January by breaking out of the places I normally shop and trying something new.

My best tip would be to stick to a list. I know it's not original, but by looking at a list and realizing that the item you're all of a sudden coveting isn't on there, makes you see that it's not all that important. And if it were important, you could add it to your list for next time. This works not just for the grocery either; for clothes shopping, Target, etc.

Watch for sales on food stuffs and stock up when the item is on sale.

I'm subscribed to the slickdeals.net and hot-deals.org RSS feeds to I can find good deals when they occur.

I love Amazon subscriptions! For toiletries and bath/body products, I save a huge amount over what i'd pay in the store.
Not only do you save gas/travel money by having your stuff shipped to you, but the shipping is free, you can control how often your order gets sent, and there is a 10% discount (on top of the already-discounted amazon prices- but this doesn't hold true for everything).

Before I buy any big-ticket item, I "Google" it to look up prices and I also look it up on Amazon to see how well the product is reviewed. If I decide to buy, I search for discount codes or coupons, using the search strings "coupon code" "promotional code". I just caught on to Ebates.com and it seems like a good way to go. Also, if going to a physical location, like Michael's or Bed, Bath & Beyond, I make it a point to go to their web sites to download a coupon. Michael's usually has around 40% off.

I combine coupons with sales in order to get the best deal on groceries. By shopping at multiple stores and creating a pantry out of which I plan meals, I've managed to get our food/toiletry/diaper bill under $200 a month for a family of five!

I would say the price comparison book for groceries, toiletries, and any other item we buy on a regular basis has been my most effective money-saving strategy when it comes to routine shopping. It's invaluable because there's no other resource that tells me what the local prices are for the things that I buy. It shows me very clearly when I'm looking at a fantastic price, or just another promotion that is really no savings at all. It gives me the confidence to stock up on 20 pounds of butter or a 25-pound bag of rice when the price is right.

Please count me in for the drawing. Thanks.

I know that it is a huge indulgence, but I love to send my wife flowers. The only day that I used to flat refused to send them was on Valentines day.

I heard a tip one day and tried it out the next Valentines day. I placed an order with 1-800-FLOWERS toward the end of January to be delivered on Valentines day. I not only got the cheaper price by buying earlier, but I looked online and found a e-coupon for 15% off delivery.

Like I said, sending roses anytime is fairly expensive, but doing it this way, I made me (with the money part) and my wife (the flowers part) VERY happy!

Jeff

Network! I tell my friends what I'm in the market for. I tell the thrift shop cashiers. I tell my relatives. Some of the time one or another of my friends or relatives will either have one themselves that they are glad to get rid of, or know someone who has one, and you end up with it for free. If that doesn't work then my friendly thrift shop cashiers will often watch for an item (I go in often so they are very familiar with my face) and I can get it for much less than retail. And if neither of these work then I go to many of the techniques listed in the other comments. You'll be amazed at how often someone else is looking to get rid of what you are looking for!

I buy all my toiletres at the dollar store or bargain shop. I find the things I buy are much cheaper than at the grocery store. And I get the brand names I like. I also take in my used books to a used book store and get credit to buy more books. This is a great way to buy books for the grandkids to read when they come to visit.

I try to use basic items for multiple things. Baking Soda for cooking and cleaning and deodorizing. Vaseline for beauty stuff. Shoe boxes as drawer organizers.

I use the net for lots of purchases and found naughtycodes.com really helpful. They list all the codes that retailers send out to subscribers that way you don't have to subscribe to everything to get a deal.

I don't know about tips but I am a great bargain shopper. I read labels, checking cost per weight. Larger packages are not cheaper than the equal amount of small ones. I watch for items on sale. I try to buy a couple of extra ones if the item is on a really good sale. Sometimes that is hard to do though. I do buy a lot of off brands too.

I look at the price per unit on the store tags and buy the cheaper one regardless of size much of the time.

If you see something you like. Hold off and do research, make sure that you are really getting the best deal out there. The internet is your friend. But don't be afraid of the smoking deals. So opportunities are too good to pass up!

keep it simple buy bulk

I've found so many bargains - some new in the box - at my local Goodwill and Salvation Army, as well as some very special treasures on shopgoodwill.com.

Hands down, our best way to save money and be frugal is to shop at cheap grocery stores. In particular, we hit Aldi for all our staples first, and then we go up the grocery store quality chain for the rest of our list. :-)

Most grocery store meat departments have a certain day and time that they put out meats that are marked down because they are approaching their "sell by' date and a new weekly special flier is coming out that day. For instance, one local grocery does this between 9 and 10 A.M. on every Wednesday.

I like to show up at that time and, on days when they have lots of things we will use, buy as much of the marked down meat as I think will fit in my freezer.

A couple of years ago on a Wednesday right after the 4th of July weekend, I bought $75 worth of beef, spare ribs and chicken. When I tallied up the original sticker price, it was around $250. And most of the items had already been on sale because of the big grilling weekend. I was most proud of the pre-made Angus burgers for 25 cents each.

So make a note of what day your local grocers send out their weekly sales fliers. Nose around the meat departments those days and see if they are marking things down.

Don't buy more than you actually need.. even if you have coupons for things and things are on sale.

Being thrifty is really my lifestyle. I love getting FPC's (free product coupons) Save.ca or I email companies directly giving them either a compliment or a negative experience I've had and I usually get a fpc from them.

I love going to thrift stores, when my kids were smaller I outfitted them almost entirely this way.

There are some Canadian Freebie sites that I frequent such as greatwestnorth, pricenetwork, redflagdeals and I find quite a lot of freebies that way.

I also get up and shop super early when things are just marked down. The grocery stores in my town were all marking down meat on Christmas Eve and we got chicken brsts, gr beef, stk, pk chops all for over 50% off!

There are also points programs, Air Miles, pointsandprizes, etc. I turned in some of my Air Miles and got my kids over $200 worth of Gift Cards this Christmas!! WOO!

We only buy bread that has been marked down and has an "end date" the day after we buy it, so we freeze everything and just use what we need. I pay a flat .89 for anything from 1.50 loaf of bread up to 6.00 box of cinnamon buns!

I love living life this way!

a coupon is not a savings if the item is not used or rots-----

I pick up things for gifts when I know I'll have a use for it, when the items are in a blow-out sale bin...example: picked up a photo frame for 50¢, that's a gift that can be given to anyone! I'll store stuff like that until i need it, and I also use freebies and/or coupons to pick up great gift buys

Never pay full price for anything! We bought big-ticket items the day after Thanksgiving-we saved a ton. Thanks!

I use coupons on everything. Even if you save 40cents. It adds up.

Do your research

I always shop for the sales. I have come to know that some stores have fantastic sales and clearance twice a year in Jan-feb and in july to august. Many end of season sales and after holiday sales.I use coupons and I scan newspaper adds.I try to stop in grocery stores on Mondays for the markdowns.

I believe in making a shopping list for every shopping trip, not just the grocery store. Stick to your list like it's the law unless you come across an item you regularly use that's at a huge mark down.

With the way the economy is, it is imperative to use whatever means possible to save money. I used coupons the other day at the store and saved $45.00! I would love to learn other strategies for stretching a buck!

Hi! I love eating different ethnic foods:Mexican, Indian, Greek,Chinese. I go to a restaurant & eat there once , then look up the recipes for what I liked on the internet. We ate at an Indian restaurant for my birthday & it was $53 for 3 people.We have never ever spent that much money eating out before.Well, I looked up everything so I can eat it more than once a year for lots less. Also I love going to yard sales & thrift stores. I bought 2 prom dresses a couple years ago for $2 apiece . They were the red velvet & purple velvet ones. I'm using them to make nice pillows from.

My best bargans are on clothes I buy winter clothes in January and February and Summer in July and August.

Some of these have already been mentioned, but they're worth mentioning again.

Books - I use the library 95% of the time to read books I'm interested in. The other 5% of the time, I shop ebay, amazon, bn.com, half.com, or just google to find used copies of books at cheaper prices.

Movies - I signed up for free text messages at redbox.com and every Monday, I receive a coupon code for a free movie rental from any redbox location. I also use Netflix and for the movies I can't wait for, I go to the local discount theater ($2.50 is their most expensive admission price).

I'm also very careful about only buying grocery items that are on a list I make before I go. I only deviate from the list if, as another commenter pointed out, there's a mark-down on an item I normally use.

I use a credit card that offers cash-back rewards and I make sure to always pay off the card each month so interest doesn't accrue.

When I do use cash, I use bills; any change I get back, I save and when enough has accumulated, I go to a Coinstar machine to get a gift card (that way, you're able to take the full value of your money instead of giving Coinstar a percentage).

I bought a Starbucks gift card and registered it at their site so that whenever I use the card at Starbucks, I get discounts on the drinks I'm buying.

I confirm with myself two or three times before buying something that's a 'want' item instead of a 'need' item to make sure I really will use the item.

And, as somebody else mentioned, a book giveaway is a great way to save money! :)

Watch for sales and use coupons with the sales. Thank you
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net

I am a big fan of coupons.

Yes, cheese can be frozen!! We found the very best place to purchase cheese in our area to be our local GFS store. GFS is a restaurant supply (Gordon Food Services) that services a good portion of the great lakes region, east coast into Florida and some in other states that appear to be mainly east of the Mississippi. You may find a restaurant supply that sells to the public in your area by another name. The GFS store sells chubs of cheese. This week we were able to purchase provolone, muenster and swiss. I had it sliced for free and then froze small packages to take out as needed. Provolone cheese log....2.75 per pound. Muenster log....2.69 per pound. Swiss log....3.19 per pound. Another thing they had that was great prices was shredded cheese. I only really needed the co-jack shreds although there were other varieties. We bought a 5 pound bag for 12.99. When you divide that up it comes to about 2.60 a pound. So what is my basic hint? Don't assume you 'can't shop there.' Always check it out and see. We thought it was stictly for restaurants and found out their store is open to the public. GREAT prices on some things, (of course not all---no store has good prices on everything) and there are no membership fees.

I shop through fatwallet.com. I use coupon codes for $$ off and free shipping. I also receive cash back for shopping through thier affiliate links.

Sometimes a deal will offer a coupon code, free shipping AND a rebate. Make the product practically FREE.

Can't beat that for a deal.

The more ways you implement thrift the more addicting it becomes. Creative reuse is one of my favorites. How many ways can you use a gallon milk jug? (toilet brush holder, berry picker, sun tea maker, garden watering system...) Scrap wood? (tramp art boxes, tree houses, bird houses...) Rubber gloves? (rubber gaskets, noise makers, jar openers...) And so on.

We recently added gleaning to our repertoire, just having come across a wild raspberry patch last spring.

Loved reading the previous comments. I'm taking notes....

coupons combined with sales and getting rebates, freebies, etc...

My best tip, besides the obvious ones, is to learn how to bargain with sellers. This is something I was afraid to try for a long time, but even if you don't have an assertive personality, it's important to cultivate this skill. I started at yard sales--low stakes, low stress--and was surprised by how well it worked. I've only ever had one person refuse to come down on a price. When a big ticket negotiation came along, I had the confidence to keep bargaining when I otherwise would have given in. This skill ended up saving us thousands of dollars. Hope this helps someone!

Be Patient! If you go looking for a deal, odds are that you won't immediately find it. Rather have an internal shopping list that you can fulfill when you see a deal. And on some level keep looking. For day-to-day items have a roster of outlets where deals can be gotten regularly. Don't be impulsive - it's hard to get a bargain that way - UNLESS you impulsively grab the rare deal you see right before your eyes.

I combine sales with coupons at the grocery store and stock up on items we use only when they're on sale. I have started doing the same thing with household items and clothing and it has saved us a fortune! We now enjoy much nicer clothes than I ever would have purchased before but at a reduced price!

I only buy on sale. I study the flyers and plan my attack.

Find a partner to trade coupons with. Many times I get more of the ones I need and my partner can get ones she needs.

My tip is the "Dollar Store". I usually try to buy most of my housecleaning supplies at this store because they are cheaper than a major retailer. They also have great deals on toy items that you can find anywhere else but you do have to be careful what items you do buy based on today's information regarding harmful ingredients in items from foreign countries.

I love hitting the thirft stores with a list of stuff I want but dont need, like accessories for the house, small furniture items, clothes, kitchen stuff. Its a great way to indulge in a little shopping therapy and not come out of the store broke.

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without." This still works today.

Thanks for the contest. Best wishes for a happy & prosperous 2009!

I pay attention to the deal sites and I look for deals on the internet, some big box stores have sites and you can even look at flyers online, I've saved a lot that way.

My best tip is to stay out of the stores! I must be short of self-control because even with lists, budget and the best of intentions, I often leave with some things that I didn't plan to buy.

I always check out the clearance racks of my favorite stores. I can't pay full price for something, I know it will be on sale sometime

There are a few items that my family uses in fairly large quantities that there are regular coupons available. We're able to get 10-20 legitimate manufacturer's coupons on eBay for a drastic savings. You're not paying for the coupon, but the seller's "time to cut and collect them".

Also, make a grocery list ans stick to it! Avoid impulse buying.

Buy three pairs of shoes (on sale or marked down, of course!)

Alternate wearing them, ie, wear pair #1 the first day, pair #2 the second day, pair #3 the third day. The shoes will last far longer than if you wear the first pair until they wear out, then wear the second pair until they wear out, etc.

Cut down on meat, it's one of the most expensive items at the food store. Instead of buying a ham, you can ask the at the deli counter for ham ends, which usually pretty cheap. I like to chop them up for omelettes. Quit being leftover phobic! Eat those leftovers for lunch the next day.

Don't waste bread. Use it for stuffing, french toast, regular toast or bread pudding. Google for a "bread salad" recipe. You won't be sorry!

Use your library! Not only can you get books, but often you can get books on CD, movies, video games, and even toys to check out! Ask your librarian!

Plan ahead. Use the store flyer and coupons to make a list before setting foot in the store. Thanks for a great giveaway!

Actually look at the ads you normally toss. You might be pleasantly surprised...

Shop for meat early in the morning to get "quick sale" or "manager's special" markdowns. Freeze if you won't be using immediately.

I noticed some markets will put up big signs for products that are not actually discounted. So don't assume sign=cheap. Read the shelf label for the retail price!

I pay attention to bargainist.com and bankrate.com

This tip applies primarily to services and utilities rather than goods. When I'm not receiving the full value of a service, I contact customer support to document the problem.

For example, during the first month of receiving internet service in my apartment, coverage was spotty, hardware sometimes didn't work, and our download rate was intolerably slow. I called customer support every time something went wrong, which had two benefits. First, technicians were eventually able to restore service. Second, I was able to request that the first month of charges be removed from my bill because I hadn't received sufficient service to warrant the price. Because I had documented all of my interactions with technicians, I was able to support my claim and it was processed by the billing department with no trouble.

Thirty dollars in my pocket made it worth navigating automated phone systems and grating on-hold music!

I go to garage sales and thrift stores for deals.

I found that if I hit the stores first thing on Saturday mornings - around 9am - that I can get a better selection of everything. The shelves are newly stocked and ready for their busy Saturday shoppers. Most people like to sleep in on Saturdays - so early morning shopping trips almost always allows me to find everything on my list and not having to get a raincheck for things the stores have run out of later in the day.

discount stores! places such as marshalls offer great namebrand products for a fraction of the price

This sounds like an excellent book. Thanks for the giveaway.

My best bargain hunting tip is getting free stuff from www.freecycle.org. Join the one in your area. People put free things on this site to reduce clutter in landfills. I've got some great things from this site, a hardly used Filter Queen vacuum cleaner, a sewing machine for my mom, all kinds of books, as well as other things. It's a great site!

I scour discount stores for grocery finds and make my own cleaners at home using baking soda, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Saves a ton of money on cleaning products. I also use freecycle when getting rid of my old things and/or looking for new treasures.

I always start at bargain stores - Aldi's for groceries, Big Lots for other things, etc, etc...and then only if I can't find what I'm looking for there do I go to the mass merchandisers..

I do a lot of prescription "hopping" to get free gift cards to drugstores. Then I only use them to buy stuff I really need, rather than wants.

i always use coupons, and i got to stores that double/triple them.
But i dont use a coupon if i can get a off brand for cheaper.

Stick to your list, buy generic, and research large item purchases.

Use copouns

Research the item on line to determine the store with the cheapest price.

I always scan clearance areas in stores to stock up on things even if I don't need them right now.

oh and i forgot to mention - if you have books, cds, dvds or computer games that you no longer want or use you can trade others for items that you do want on swaptree.com. all you have to pay for is postage.

Love to yard sale and thrify store shopping. Please enter me, thank you

Never go shopping without reading ads on line, checking for coupons and researching credit card deals. I am currently saving a minimum of 30% on groceries and have saved a small fortune on household items on Ebay and Amazon. Have enough Christmas wrap, and cards to sell at flea market next Christmas. Love to learn how to save. The days of conspicuous spending are over. Viva la discount!!!

I no longer purchase books - I trade or take out books from the library

I find that clothes have the highest price when originally put out on the rack, and in time (a week to a month) cost less and less for the very same item!

buy christmas presents during the year as they go on sale

Shop the endcaps of Target. When I go to Target, I always circle the store around the far edges, looking for clearance sales on the end caps. I have on occasion found spectacular deals there.

clip coupons then look in the flyers to see when those items go on sale. Sometimes I have gotten the item for free

I always save my coupons and then use them when the item goes on sale for extra savings.

I match my coupons with the weekly sales, that way I save even more. :)

sweeps4us@gmail.com

I take advantage of double coupon stores and have saved up to $35 a week on my grocery bill!

Lately I have been shopping at thrift stores. I go to my local store every Wendesday night. Of course, you can't go shopping with a specific shopping purpose, but you never know what you will find, and a lot of items are brand new. I have left with tons of shoes and clothes for my toddler that still have the tags on, and have never been worn, and I only paid around $1-$2 for each item. We live in a culture of mass consumerism. People have so much, things that they never use. So they donate these things. It's a form of recycling. I'm saving money, and saving our environment.

I like to shop at my local grocery store early in the morning because they usually have meat marked down.

I always clip coupons and look for bargains but I have after years of waisting realized just because it is a good deal I only buy what i need. Usually like others here I go online for the coupon or code via google and naughtycodes

With smaller companies I ask for a discount if I'll pay cash.

Use non-traditional stores for certain food items. I check the Dollar Store (and others like it) for non-perishable items. Also, the online-coupon sites are wonderful as they can be customized to your area.

spend the money to join a warehouse club, its worth it

Thank you for offering this contest. This is a good book to learn how to save and cut back, during these tough times. I would love to win it.

What I like to do is to purchase things off season. For instance we bought our swimming pool AFTER summer for sixty percent off.

I always eat before food shopping, I check the ads and collect my coupons that coincide with items on sale. For special occasions and holidays, if I see something on sale at a great price that I know someone will love, I buy it and keep it in a special container marked "Gifts." Also, after Christmas, it's like a full time job for me to buy gifts for the following year, including decorations!

I visit the websites of items/companies I purchase often. They often have free samples or coupons that are better than those from the newspaper inserts. For more expensive purchases, I check the site to see if there is an active rebate form I can use. I recently contacted a company who has a cheese salsa that my family LOVES to let them know how great we think their product is. The responded with coupons for 3 free jars!!

I use swap sites online to get used books/cds/movies or games. You just pay for shipping.

My best tip is to always try to price match if your store allows it and always try to buy items that are both on sale and have a coupon at the same time!

look up printable coupons on a seach engine

I know from working retail that sometimes a "reduced" sale item hasn't been marked down to clearance price because the retailers can't always keep up with the demands of the clearance sales. So always use those scanners in the store to see if your item you like has been reduced/clearanced more before putting it back on the shelf and losing a "great find". Especially do this at "Extra percentage off clearance" sales.

When items are on sale I will try to buy about 3 months worth. That will usually last until they are on sale again. Hence, never paying full price for your regular items.

when i walk into a store my eyes are trained to seek out the clearance signs..lol i buy summer clothes in the fall and winter clothes in the spring for next to nothing :)

I do a lot of mail-in rebates for "try me free" items.

I usually just watch for the sales and stock up...I also have a membership to Costco and will go there and stock up on things I use ALOT...

Clip and/or print coupons!

I look up garage sales in my area & go the day before if they allow it.
You can also rack up by going late late in the day ~when they are ready to pack up & get ltos of stuff for almost nothing.

I use glimpse.com and shop the clearance racks. Thanks for the contest!

I purchase most all of my gift wrapping needs and cards at the dollar tree and save tons of money all year round. Cards are 50Cents and cute gift bags are $1 each. I also buy the roll of gift wrap too.

our christmas tree was decorated with ornaments that my daughter and i made. this was fun, but perhaps more importantly has taught her that we can make things instead of buying them.

My family really needs this with the way our economy is!

Please enter me & thanks for the great contest!

Just because something costs less doesn't mean it's not as good--the converse of, just because something costs MORE doesn't mean it's better...My best-fitting, prettiest clothes all seem to come from the thrift store. My local grocery store sells odd sizes of perfectly good produce at big discounts (and then there's the secret that if you keep your ears open, you may find that people are giving AWAY great stuff all around you)

I clip coupons from various ads and newspapers and print coupons from the internet. I also sign up for stores' and restaurants' newsletters b/c they often give coupons in them.

I love the website BabyCheapskate.com. They have lots of baby deals from the web.

My best bargain hunting tip is to check the ads online each week and look for onlien coupone codes!

Thanks for entering me ! Great contest!

Janna Johnson

I shop sales and use coupons.