Want to Start Couponing? Here’s How

February 06, 2012   admin

WANT TO START COUPONING?

Here is a basic introduction to the world of couponing. Most of us have heard of or seen the show Extreme Couponing, and wonder if you can do the same thing; well, you can. The more time and effort you spend on couponing, the more money you can save. The purpose of this article is to get you familiar with the 3 Steps to Couponing and save you as much time and effort as possible when starting on your journey in the world of couponing. This article was written for Canadian couponers, but the steps are the same, regardless of country.

Every week there are items you can get for free (or extremely cheap) by combining a great sale with a good coupon.

1. COLLECT… There are many different ways to acquire coupons. Here are some of the various sources: call or e-mail companies to request them, from flyer inserts found in some newspapers, from tearpads found in stores, from “peelie” sticker coupons found on products. from cereal boxes or other products that have coupons inside their packaging, from your dentist (yes your dentist), from online sites that will mail them out, printable coupons, from magazines, etc.

2. ORGANIZE… and sort your coupons so that when you need to locate them, they are easily found. There are many ways to do this. The most common seems to be a binder with baseball card sleeves in it. But you can also use envelopes, baggies or an accordion file.

3. WAIT… for a sale. Look out for your local flyers and compare sale prices with the coupons you have. You can usually get an item each week for free (provided you have “collected” the right coupons!). Typically an item will go on sale (a really good sale) about every 3 months… So the idea is to stock up on a 3 months supply.

It is a good idea to print off the Coupon Policies for the stores that you are planning to shop at (and keep these policies with your coupons, for your reference).

Please keep in mind some basic couponing etiquette to make your couponing experience a good one. 1) Only use coupons for the items and products specified. 2) When collecting coupons from tearpads, don’t take the entire pad (save some for the next couponer) 3) When purchasing multiples of the same item, don’t clear an entire shelf (if the person before you did this, there would be none for you).

For more information, check out www.ChallengerShop.com.

This article was written using information provided by ChallengerShop.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_A_Berstecki

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6840242
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Smart Money Management

February 06, 2012   admin

Money management may be one of the most important skills that all of us need to learn. Yet it is not always taught to us. I feel very fortunate to have been a student of Mr. Nick Cokinos for over 23 years. He has always told us about the value of earning a great living in the martial arts field, while investing our money in bricks and mortar and in the stock market. Mr. C. says: “Pay yourself first.” I’ve followed his advice, and it’s worked out extremely well for me.

My father-in-law used to remind us: “Short-term gains create long-term pains.” It’s very common to see someone with their daily Starbucks, eating meals out, planning their vacation, etc., instead of thinking about their life in the long-term and/or other long-term habits. The most successful people think long-term even in the short-term and plan for success.

My humble beginnings began in Rochester, NY, in 1986, when my love for the martial arts was so strong I decided to dedicate my life to it. I had been teaching at a YMCA and wanted more days and times to offer classes. The Y wasn’t able to accommodate me so I signed a lease on my first location.

In 1991 when my lease came up for renewal his office told me it would be $2,225 per month to stay in my school. A 31% increase seemed pretty extreme to me, since at the time I was struggling to pay the rent.

Let’s fast-forward 16 years. My school is very successful. I’ve purchased several residential properties. I’ve paid myself monthly and saved enough for a down payment on a commercial building. I was so afraid I was going to lose the check. Now I own a commercial building, from which I receive monthly rent.

If or when I decide to retire, I will still own the building and will continue to receive a monthly rent check. In a few years, I’ll own the building, so once taxes and expenses are paid, the rest will be my retirement check. In addition to the dojo, I have two tenants in the building, who pay rent. I own five other rental properties, not including my custom-built home, which of course I live in.

The money management system that’s worked for me has been:

“Goals we set are goals we get.” It all began by setting goals. I set a goal to purchase one property per year for five years. This translated to six properties being purchased in eight years.

Get a system for saving your money. It’s so easy to have 5%, 10%, or 20% of your income put into a separate account each week/month. Pick a number and “just do it.”

“Track your monthly spending. Easy to do, but easy not to do.” Jim Rohn

Budget. Spend less than you earn and buy the “right” things: houses, stocks, bonds, IRAs, businesses, etc. Do not spend on too many high-priced dinners, cars, vacations, etc.

Only borrow money for the “right” things: houses, businesses, and investments. Never borrow for liabilities: vacations, cars, credit card debt, or anything else that doesn’t have the potential to increase in value.

All the best to you with your financial goals!

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