My Adventures In Couponing

It seems like everyone is cutting back these days and a day or night on the town appears to be more of a luxury than a habit. I’ve found some inexpensive ideas for everyone (single, couple or family) to do that will get you out of the house.

Ideas for going out:

1. Look for specials or coupons in the papers or online. Lots of restaurants and recreational places are offering these to bring in customers.
AMF Bowling - sign up for their EClub and you will receive a coupon by e-mail for B1G1 Free game up to 10 people!! This is something for the whole family to enjoy! They also offer coupons for their food on the website so you can enjoy a snack as well!

2. Purchase an Entertainment Book for 2009. (I never purchase this book when it first comes out - It usually costs b/t $20-30 depending on your area.) Now that it’s after the beginning of the year they are marked down and offering free shipping! Plus if you order through EBates you will get $5 back! (Remember if you haven’t signed up yet there’s a $5 sign up bonus also!) You just can’t beat this deal! They also have online offers you can take advantage of when you sign up! This book has great coupons for dining out, car services, salons, groceries and tons more!! You will definitely save more than the purchase price of the book!

3. Cash in those MyPoints for dining out gift certificates! I just cashed some of mine out for a $10 Outback/Carrabbas GC! Plus they are running a special through Feb 28 for any point redemption you receive a $15 FTD GC! Nice deal!

4. Cash in other rewards points. If you have rewards from a credit card or hotel cash those in to enjoy a day trip!

5. Visit your local state park! I’m a little partial to this since my hubby is a park ranger, but it’s a fun and an inexpensive thing that anybody can enjoy! Take a trip to your local state park and have a picnic, let the kids play on the playground. If you don’t have kids, enjoy a hike on one of the nature trails. Single? Bring a book, pick a bench and enjoy the sounds of nature! During the summer many lake parks offer swimming. Most of those same parks offer fishing as well. There’s really something for everyone!
Some parks charge a small fee usually between $2-5 per person. Some are completely free! Most that are free ask for a small donation to help keep the park running!

6. Go camping! Have a little extra cash, want to take a weekend trip but still want to stay within a budget? Camping is a great and inexpensive way for anyone - single, couple or families to spend a weekend or weekdays! Pitch a tent and spend a couple of days outdoors! You can bring your own food. Most campgrounds offer electricity and water on-site. Depending on the time of year and the area you’re in, a camp-site usually only costs $15-$50 a night. You can typically have 2 tents on a site, so if you go with friends or family it can split the cost, cutting your bill in half! Most sites are cheaper during the week also!

7. Want to see a movie? Check you area for a drive in! It’s the ultimate movie experience and always cheaper than going to the theater! Most drive-ins only charge about $5 per person and their concessions are much cheaper! Another way to save - bring your own snacks and refreshments! The great thing about drive-ins is most offer a double feature! So you pay $5 for 2 movies!! Pretty nice deal! Click HERE for a list of drive-ins.
Don’t have a drive-in? Go to a matinee instead! Matinees are usually $1-3 less than a night time movie ticket.
Also, check your theater’s website. Lots of times they offer coupons for concessions.

8. Use your ID!!! If you’re a college student or military so many places offer discounts. Also seniors, don’t be ashamed of aging - use it to your advantage! Get those senior discounts! You can find those almost anywhere: movies, restaurants, grocery and department stores!

9. Go window shopping. You don’t have to buy anything. Just browse! It gets you out of the house, good exercise walking around and costs nothing but the gas to get you there!
Want to shop but don’t have a ton of cash? Check out a local thrift store! It’s amazing what you’ll find! Many times there are brand new items for pennies on the dollar!

10. Ladies - take advantage of ladies night! Many restaurants and bars offer food and drink specials for the ladies. This is usually on a Wednesday or earlier hours on Friday and Saturday.

11. Support a local team sporting event. Go to a baseball game or soccer game. Most local teams events are very inexpensive or free. It supports your community and you get to watch your favorite sport live!

12.  Check your favorite restaurants for specials. Look at TV ads, check online, newspapers or sign up for their mailing list. Right now TGIFriday’s is offering 1/2 price appetizers wyb an entree. They give great offers to their online subscribers! Just last week they sent out a coupon for B1G1 free entrees for subscribers!

13. Look for hotel specials. If you have enough cash and really just want to get away, there are so many great travel deals right now!  Check sites like Expedia, Travelocity, or Priceline if you aren’t looking for a particular hotel. You can also book these through Ebates or MyPoints for even sweeter deals or more rewards! For the past 2 weeks Last Minute Travel offered hotel rooms for $1 a night! They set up their website for 15 minutes a day (you don’t know what times) you could book up to 7 nights in one of their 15,000 hotels! This even included all-inclusive resorts in Mexico! I wasn’t lucky enough to catch the deal.
Lots of hotels or travel sites offer a “price guarantee”. Typically if you book a hotel and then find it cheaper somewhere else they will either give you the cheaper price or give you a free night! You have to check the fine print on each one!
Don’t always book through a travel agent…part of the fees you are paying go to them…that’s an extra middle man. Most online booking has customer service if you have questions or are unsure of how to go about getting the best deal.
Remember, weeknights are typically cheaper than weekends too!

14. Don’t be afraid to enter legitimate sweepstakes! If it’s a brand, company or store that’s a household name you’re probably ok to trust it. Always check the privacy policy and terms and conditions of contests. My hubby and I just won 2 tickets to Universal Studios! That’s $260 value! Guess where we’re going for our anniversary?

On an even tighter budget and bored with the same routine every weekend? Try some really inexpensive ideas for the home!

Ideas for staying in:

1. Have a movie night! Downgrade that expensive cable or satellite plan and get some movies! There are so many movie programs out there now! It’s cheaper then renting in the store or even having all those expensive premium movie channels!
Netflix, Blockbuster, and RedBox are 3 of the latest and greatest ways to rent movies.
Netflix offers movies by mail. They have different level plans to suit your budget and movie needs. They offer almost anything you can think of: Children’s movies, TV shows, Old movies…and the shipping is pretty quick!
Blockbuster is nice if you have a store nearby. Again, you can sign up for different plans depending on what you want. Some plans offer in store exchange. You can get a movie right in the store when you bring back one you received by mail. Then they will go ahead and mail you another! Plus you will get vouchers for video game rental as well.
RedBox is pretty new, but you see them popping up everywhere! These are great because there are always new codes you can type into the machine for free 1 night rentals! Can’t beat that!
Want free movies? Check your local library. Many libraries offer movies to check out for free!
Make your own popcorn and serve your own drinks! Eating in is always cheaper than movie concessions!

2. Go camping! Yup, you can go camping…right in your own back yard! Pitch a tent and enjoy your local nature! It won’t cost you anything!

3. Have a picnic! In your front or back yard! Make some sandwiches, a snack and drinks and enjoy a nice afternoon outdoors!

4. Take a walk. Down your neighborhood or if you town has a local city park. Enjoy being outside instead of cooped up!

5. Read a book! You don’t have to join a book club. Check out your local library! They usually offer magazines also!

6. Have a game day/night. In or out! Want to spend the day outdoors? Play a game of football, volleyball, badminton, horseshoes or bacce ball outdoors. If it’s raining and you have to stay indoors break out the card and board games!

There’s so many deals out there right now, anybody on any budget can afford to do something other than lay around the house. You may not be able to eat at a fine dining establishment but you can probably afford a nice family restaurant. You just have to look for the deals!

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