Gateway to Saving offers a wide assortment of workshops for anyone who would like to cut their budget. .
How do I register for a workshop?
A seat may be secured online with a Paypal account. Simply click on Registration on the left side of the page to get started. If you do not have a Paypal account and would like to pay by check or money order, please send an email to registration@gatewaytosaving.com.
What can I expect to learn from Ultimate Couponing I?
Ultimate Couponing will detail the basics of coupon shopping in our local stores. All information is store specific as each store has a different coupon acceptance policy. You will how to properly apply coupons, how to match them with scheduled sales, how to find higher value coupons, combination of coupons, and how to stockpile. A full description is listed on the workshops page.
I can save more money buying generic than by using coupons.
In essence, you are saving money by purchasing generic products over name brand products at FULL price. This will save you an average 12% of your grocery bill and limiting the selection of products available. The average savings of purchasing a name brand product with a manufacturer's coupon is 35%. When matched with a sale and other coupons, these savings can quickly escalate to 70%. Many products, when matched with store promotions, store sales, manufacturer's coupons, and other coupons can be purchased for 90% less or greater.
I don't have the time to coupon.
The time spent couponing is minimal compared to the savings achieved. Your savings will reflect the time you put into couponing. If you only have an hour a week to spend, you may save 20%. If you devote 4 hours, you may save 60%. In the beginning, it will take more time to coupon. It takes a while to know what coupons are out there and to get it down pat. Once you really get into it, it should take you an hour or two a week to prepare. Plus, your shopping trip will be very well organized once you actually get to the store. This will cut your actual shopping trip in half.
A very obtainable goal is to save $150 a week on groceries. You would have to work 20 hours at a part-time job in order to earn that much extra income. I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend a couple hours to save that much of what I've already earned.
What can I learn from your workshops that isn't available from The Grocery Game or CouponMom?
Both sites are very good for those that live in large cities. The selection of local stores is very limited on the sites. Those sites also do not detail anything other than manufacturer's coupons, and there are so many store promotions that should be matched up to maximize savings. Also, even though some of the stores are national chains, the sale prices may vary.
With a Gateway to Saving workshop, you will learn how the local sales work and how to properly apply coupons to the sales. The workshop will teach you how to shop, not just what to shop for.
I like to menu plan to save money. Can I do that and coupon at the same time?
It can be a little tricky to juggle both at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will be saving even more. In order to get started, you should set aside a little of your grocery budget for stockpiling items that are free or nearly free. Once you get that going, let your stockpile take over and plan your meals from that.
There only coupons out there are for junk food. We need healthier options. What do I do?
That is a very common misconception of couponing. If you look hard enough or wait, there is a coupon out there for nearly everything. There are fresh meat coupons, produce coupons, cheese coupons, dairy, organics, and nearly everything else you can think of. During a recent trip to the store, I had nothing but fresh meat, produce (potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, avacodoes, green peppers, and tomatoes), milk, cheese, and eggs, and my total went from $188 down to $22. It's a matter of knowing where and when to look for these coupons.
All of the coupons I see are .50 off of one item or less. How can you possibly save money by using these?
There are many ways to save money with these. Many stores double or even triple coupons. You can combine certain coupons and match them with store sales and promotions for the best value. A recent 45 cent coupon netted a $1 profit on every item purchased. That means the each item was free and took an extra dollar off of the entire purchase.