Introducing Our New Deals Editor, Carrie Rocha from Pocket Your Dollars

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We are very fortunate to be able to welcome to our Wise Bread team, Carrie Rocha, as our new Deals Editor. Many of you may already be familiar with her name, from her popular site, Pocket Your Dollars, or her book, Pocket Your Dollars. Here are a few get-to-know-Carrie questions as well as reasons why you must follow our Daily Deals, if you haven't been already.

How long have you been a deal hunter?

Deal hunting is in my blood. Growing up, my parents owned a successful consignment shop. Many times I saw my dad haggle the price he paid for antiques and other merchandise he was buying to re-sell. He never shopped without a coupon. He taught me to hunt deals.

Unfortunately, I abandoned my dad’s frugal ways during my college and early adult years. It was only after my husband and I amassed $50,000+ in debt that I had a change of heart. Starting in June 2006 my husband and I worked hard to pay off our debt while simultaneously working to avoid future debt.

During the years it took us to repay our lenders, my deal hunter instincts resurrected. I hustled to find every possible way to reduce my family’s expenses. Hunting deals was part of that. Those skills helped us pay off that $50,000+ in debt in exactly 2.5 years.

Then, when we became debt-free, with the exception of our mortgage, friends and family started asking me to help them find deals. They wanted help with everything from groceries to shoes and concert tickets. To help meet their need I started a blog in March 2009, PocketYourDollars.com, to publicly share deals and money-saving advice. By January 2010 I was a full-time deal hunter for Pocket Your Dollars (yes, it is the best job in the world).

How do you decide what the best deals are every day?

To be considered a “best deal” a sale has to be one or more of the following:

  • So cheap it’s free. From free food to free-after-rebate items, I’ll help you get some cool stuff without spending a dime.
  • The lowest price we’ve seen. I’m an obsessive price tracker so you don’t have to be.
  • A seasonal low price. Some things always hit their best-ever sale price at certain times of the year – like Black Friday or back-to-school season. But, since we may still need some of these things at other times, I’ll watch for the best price of the season, then tell you about it. (Did I mention that I’m an obsessive price tracker?)
  • 70% off or better. Some things are always on sale somewhere – clothes, shoes, gift items. In that case, I don’t consider it a great deal until it’s at least 70% off its retail price. (And, I know that retailers sometimes increase the regular price of an item just to make the sale price look like an even better deal. Don’t worry, I won’t fall for that.)

On top of that, the sale has to be for items that have a 4-star, or better, rating.

Where do you find these deals?

I start in my inbox. I get almost a thousand emails every single week, from retailers large and small, letting me know about their current and upcoming promotions.

I have price alerts set up for some of the most popular products. If something goes on sale, then I know about it. (That’s a reason it’s important for me to get to know you. What are you shopping for right now? I’ll keep an eye out for you, if I know.)

I scour the web. I am relentless in my pursuit of the best value. Cheap isn’t always better. I hunt for the best price on quality products.

Where else can we find you online?

Besides being here at Wise Bread every weekday, you can find me at my own website PocketYourDollars.com. I’m also on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

I also wrote a book about my family’s journey out of debt. I believe our successful transition to a debt-free life is rooted in a set of internal attitude changes, not in a magic budget worksheet. You can get my book, Pocket Your Dollars: 5 Attitude Changes That Will Help You Pay Down Debt, Avoid Financial Stress, and Keep More of What You Make, on Amazon.

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Guest's picture
Sue

That's exciting news! Since I moved to MN almost four years ago, Carrie has been helping me save money. She is a valuable addition to the team!

Guest's picture

Grats to WiseBread team & Carrie, she is a fantastic deal editor!