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Welcome to Centsable Savings Stories and Struggles!
This week we are featuring Beth from IN Good “Cents”. Thank you for sharing your story, Beth!
When my husband and I decided we wanted someone to stay home with our first baby and I decided I wanted that person to be me, our income was cut in half almost overnight. Though we spent months testing our ability to survive on one budget, nothing could have prepared us for the unexpected. Some months went well, while other months, we struggled. I was looking everywhere for places to save money so it wouldn’t have to be a constant worry.
One day, I was watching my daughter play with a friend at the park. Her friend’s mom suddenly asked, “Did you go get your free stuff at Walgreens this week?” I looked at her as if she had completely lost her mind! “Walgreens is giving away products now?” I laughed. But she told me how to get two bags of Dove chocolate absolutely free, along with some toothpaste, which I guess I’d need after eating all that chocolate! Later that week, I stopped by to get my free chocolate and toothpaste with the biggest smile on my face. The next week, she told me about another deal and let me in on where to find some great deals online.
While I was snagging the free items each week, I mentioned it to my mom who became a coupon pro almost instantly. She was getting her groceries and toiletries for next to nothing and e-mailing me the great things she bought each week. I was green with envy. It took me a bit longer to catch on, but once I got the hang of stacking coupons, I cut our grocery budget from about $600-800 a month to only about $160 a month.
The most shocking part of all was that my family was now eating a lot healthier. We always had fresh produce around, our freezer was stocked with delicious meats and our pantry was over flowing with goodies. On top of that, I added 24 more free tubes of toothpaste within a few months to my toiletry stash that was already full of shampoos, body washes, bar soaps and more. We went from being a family that was struggling to get by to a family that had so much we could easily make weekly donations to our church and help other families in desperate need.
My friends and family kept asking my mom and me how we did and thus, IN Good ‘Cents’ was born, so that I would pass on the knowledge I learned to others!
Beth Montgomery
IN Good ‘Cents’
Each week we feature a different shopper’s story. Centsable Savings Stories are the stories of people just like you who are working toward reducing their budgets, bargain hunting, living a more frugal lifestyle and constantly learning along the way. If you are interested in sharing your family’s successes and struggles, please contact Katherine at centsable.katherine[at]gmail.com. Blogger and non-bloggers are both welcome to participate. Click here to read the stories of shoppers featured in the past.
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