We all know how tough it can be to make ends meet on a junior enlisted pay, so here are some great sites
that you can use to print out coupons to help stretch your dollar, and some other ideas, links, and organizations.. If you
know of one that should be added, let me know!
(Below you'll find printable coupon sites, as well as military discounts)
Local Resources
for tight pay periods..
~In San Diego: Military Outreach: They gave a waregouse where you can get kids and maternity clothes, formula, diapers,
bedding, furniture...ALL FREE! It is listed under Operations.
~ Salvation Army: They offer hot meals, food banks including hygeine items, sometime shave clothes, and always have activities
and programs, including things lik efree haircuts, etc.
~Friends: Buddy up so you can trade sitting with someone, and you can both work part time, watching each other's kids
as the trade off so no one has care costs, just the income from the job!
(See this link for a list of some good ones we have tried ourselves and seen some revenue from)
Home Businesses: Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware, Arbonne, etc.
Part time, contract or full time work: Check out our links and helpful information pages for job info, and check out
the base info for local job resources.
PRINTABLE
COUPON SITES
Cool Savings: This is a pretty good site for printing coupons and it has a few freebies.
Smart Source: This site rocks- its done by the same people that do your sunday paper coupons, only there are some different ones on their
site, and you can prinet em out!
And be sure, if you get a bad product from regular shopping- CALL the COMPANY! They often send coupons for
free stuff, or bunches of high dollar amount coupons.
(Keep in mind some of these vary by franchise, and may not all offer a discount)
Arby's A&W Back Yard Burgers
Blondie's Cookies Burger King Captain D's Carl's Jr. Chick-Fil-A Ci-Ci's Cotton
Patch Denny's Dunkin' Donuts Golden Corral IHOP Java Cafe KFC Long John Silver Pancho's Mexican Buffet Panda
Express Pat & Oscar's Pizza Hut Quizno's Red Robin Sizzler Sonic Taco Bell Texas Roadhouse Whataburger California
Cryobank Geico Jiffy Lube Meineke Sears Portrait Studio Travel and Leisure Blockbuster Movie theaters
Ripley's attractions and museums Professional Sports teams Products Apple Computers AutoZone Barnhill's Bass
Pro Shop Big 10 Tires The Buckle Champs Sports Checker Auto Parts Copeland's Sports Dell The Discovery
Channel Store Dress Barn The Finish Line FootAction Footlocker Gadzooks GNC Goody's Great Party Happy
Harry's Hot Topic Jockey Kohl's Kragen Auto Parts Lerner Michael's NAPA Auto Parts New York &
Company Pac Sun Payless Shoes Play It Again Sports Pure Beauty Quizno's Rack Room Shoes Sally Beauty
Supply Spencer's Gifts Suncoast Timberland Outlets Wilson's Leather http://sunspotcreations.tripod.com Hotels Hertz Friendly's Aeropostale
Penske Truck Rental
Cell Phone Service Discounts for
Military Sprint: Call 1-888-703-9514 and reference "AAFES code #0109565715"-this one should be about 15%
T-Mobile: New customers should call 1-866-646-4688. Current customers should go to www.tmobile.com/corpdiscount. Follow instructions to register for “My T-Mobile,” and you’ll get a temporary password
Nextel:
Call 1-800-639-6111. Has merged with Sprint. New customers should go to a Nextel store; existing customers can provide their
information over the phone to get the discount.
Verizon: Call 1-800-922-0204
Kat's list of ways to save $
1. Think generic but don't be stuck to it. With a good sale and coupon, the name brands can actually be
a LOT less. So make sure you comparison shop.
2. Shop with a calculator to figure per pound, per individual unit prices.
That bulk 25 lb bag of sugar may seem like a GREAT deal, but with some careful planning, you could get it for less in smaller
packages, and its more storable.
3. Probably should be #1, but coupon, coupon, COUPON! Look for them everywhere, you'd
be amazed.. magazines, flyers, in store, newspapers, order some freebies or email a company with praise/criticism and they
will send them to you. And if you see a sunday paper with tons, get 2 or 3!
3.5. Get a coupon keeper- no need for anything
fancy, just get a 12 pocket accordian folder (the long short ones are perfect, like 3 or 4 bucks at walmart and worth every
penny when you realize how organized it makes you. Having those coupons at your finger tips will save you a lot more than
having to sort thru stacks and stacks in the store)
4. Join coupon swaps or trains. They can be worth their weight
in gold, and you can even request certain things like diaper coupons etc.
5. Shop clearances. Not only are the prices
lower to start, but if you have a coupon, they can even be free!
6. Don't discount a floor model. I recently got something
I have been wanting for years, but couldn't afford, but they discontinued the color I liked, and I got its way marked down
with an extra 10% off for being the floor model. It never hurts to ask, the worst they can say is no.
7. Mailing Lists.
Go to Gerber, Huggies, Kraft, etc. Sign up for tehir mailing lists and they will send you coupons. So will Wendy's, McDonalds,
red Robin, and lots of other places. If you craft or sew, JoAnns, Micheals, Hobby Lobby, etc.. they all have mailing lists
with coupons, sometimes emails sometimes snail mail.
8. Never shop hungry or tired. You are more liekly to throw stuff
into the cart that is an impulse buy and mor expensive.
9. Plan ahead. Get your local ads and sit down with your coupons,
and plan out your attack. Figure out your route- store #1, then 2, then 3, etc. so you don't waste gas or have to drive all
over town 10 times.
10. Learn the trends and stock up accordingly. Soda goes on sale 4/10 here a lot, or even generics
at 7/10. So I get things on sale, stock up and make sure I can wait till it comes around again. I just also caught a rice
sale, and managed to get boxes of Uncle Ben for free or 25 cents each, fantastic! When it goes up I watch for that, and stop
getting it when it is higher, and wait till it drops again. They always drop it down again, its just a question of when and
catching it when it does.
11. Know the costs around town. Here that same box of rice is 3 bucks at Albertson's, 2
bucks at Walmart, and 99 cents at the commissary. However, shortening is 3.50 at Walmart and 5 bucks at the commissary. Keep
your eyes out and you'll find good deals at different places and you can shop accordingly.
12. If you qualify for
WIC or food stamps, go get them. There is a reason they have the guidelines setthe way they do, and you would be surprised
how much it can help. WIC covers a lot of people who don't realize that they are eligible, so check it out. And make sure
you ask about the Farmer's Market at WIC, which gives you 20 to 50 worth of fresh veggies from the market over the summer
by way of voucher checks from WIC. Sounds like not a lot, but its a bag of apples every other week all summer long.
