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More Penny Pinchin'

by Susan Farrell

ON-LINE SHOPPING... it's the new time-saver, and you can save money too! For great on-line discounts and coupon codes, see www.dealofday.com and www.coolsavings.com For reader recommended sites, see our archived article: Shop 'Til You Drop.

Be sure to check out your favorite on-line shopping sites for post-holiday sales too... my personal favorites: the clearance/sale pages at www.cooking.com, www.coldwatercreek.com and www.currentcatalog.com (who also has weekly specials and is currently having a shipping special).

SALES: It's that time of year again... Winter Clearance Sales!!! If you can safely predict what sizes your kids may be in next winter, this is the time to stock on those winter basics like turtlenecks, thermal underwear, gloves, winter coats, snowpants, snowboots and such. I've found some great bargains at Sears myself, especially with their Kidvantage program, where as you accumulate purchases total of $100 or more, you get a certificate for 15% off sale or regular prices on your next purchase of children's clothing. Sears also guarantees that their clothes won't wear out before your child outgrows them. Ask about these programs at the children's department cashier. (BTW, Shopko stores also have a similar guarantee.)

"HAVE YOU GOT A PULSE?" For those of you with teenage girls... be sure to ask for a Pulse card at the Sears Mainframe (Juniors) department cashier counter. This free card entitles you to a EXTRA 15% discount off purchases in that department and certain brands of shoes. There are a few brand exceptions, as noted on the card, but an extra 15% off clothing for teenagers is certainly nothing to scoff at. For Christmas, I gave my daughter a Sears gift certificate and enclosed an extra Pulse card for her to use. She also picked up extras and gave each of her friends one to use. (Bet you can't guess where they all went to spend their Christmas money... )

REBATES: Hate rebating because you have to save up all those little UPC's and POP's and then spend all the postage to mail each one out? Well, many stores have figured out the way to go is to consolidate all those rebates into one program, where you only have to mail in one form with the required UPC's, POP's, etc. A couple of my favorites: Rite Aid Drug Stores and Office Max. Office Max even provides a separate receipt listing the items which have current rebates. Most of their items are also marked with rebate tags on the shelves, and they often have the items that are free after rebate right up front next to the cashiers. I stocked up on school supplies here and several items were nearly free after the rebates.

COUPONS: Many food places and even merchandise retailers are going to the punch card systems... every time you buy an item, they punch a card, and then when you accumulate a set amount, you get an item free or a percentage discount later. This may seem like a hassle to keep those cards or carry them around, but it isn't so bad if you get a system down. I have them stashed in the ashtray of my car (since I don't smoke) or a set pocket in my purse. Every once in a while the kids go through them and sort them out (since I usually have several from one store with just one or two punched holes each) and "tally" them up. We then set those aside that we have accumulated enough for freebies, and have a "freebie" outing where we just run and have a snack or lunch even sometimes, using them. Last time we went, lunch for three only cost me $2.50 for drinks! The kids actually have fun with it. Sometimes they use them while they go with friends too. My "favorites": Einstein's Bagels, Zuka Juice, Great Harvest Bread Company, Hogi Yogi, and Subway.

Some places have this computerized and track it for you too, such as the Sears Kidvantage program mentioned above, and the Hallmark Stores Gold Crown Card for which you get 10 points for every dollar you spend. A rebate of $1 for every 300 pts is then sent to you once you have accumulated more than 600 pts ($60 worth of purchases).

Susan Farrell is the single mother of two teenagers. Her many hobbies include writing, reading, gardening, cooking, traveling and camping, and trying new things with her children. Her motto: "Live, love, laugh." Life's just too short not to.