Megan Davids, SD
A Great Big Newbie Thank You “All I can say is ‘Thank you!’ I am a 'newbie' in the couponing world, but I have learned so much in the last nine months from your magazine and website! “My family was heading into a financial crisis a year ago. After a family argument, my husband lost his job with his brother-in-law's company. We were unable to find employment in the area and had to move 300 miles to live in a family rental home. We had to sell our vehicles and go on welfare. It was an awful reality! Finally my husband found a job and I was able to start a small daycare out of the home. We were off of welfare but barely scraping by until I happened upon a coupon website. There was mention of RefundCents and I went to investigate. I found three issues listed in an eBay auction and I was the winning bidder. That was the day that changed our lives! “I started collecting coupons and refund forms. Surprising, I found a store in my area that doubled coupons! I learned about trial sizes and $1 coupons. I learned about double and triple plays, test drives, surveys, free samples, reward sites, wine tags, and more! I am now a couponaholic! I have been able to not only reduce our grocery bill, but save even more by receiving gift certificates from reward sites! I have received so many certificates which I have used for gifts and some that we have used to lower our grocery bill even more! I get more magazines a month than I know what to do with, all free! The best part is when I find a coupon in one of my free magazines! “I made myself a binder with a clearance Spiderman 2 zippered holder and my five-year-old just loves to carry it for me. My husband joked about my binder until I saved $50+ on our weekly grocery bill! Now he is a little more patient as we stroll down the aisles. I have had a bit of luck with sales and doubled coupons. I have plenty of ranch dressing, tarter sauce, corn flakes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, and toilet paper. My doubling store also has a program for their loss leaders; stamped cards. For every $5 you spend, you get a stamp. It takes nine stamps to fill a card, but then they have weekly specials like free tuna, $1 for a 12 pk. of pop, etc. Every week they have Charmin 4 pks. for 39¢ with a stamped card. I always use a coupon with these and get them for free! It has been so much fun! “At Thanksgiving and Easter they run a promotion on turkey or ham–1 stamped card = 1 free pound of meat, so a 12 lb. turkey will take 12 cards but it will be free! I doubled these with mail-in rebates and made money on the meat! My husband’s grandparents live nearby us and always shop at this store. Grandma has been collecting these stamps for years, so if I ever need any stamps, she will give me what I need and then we share our food with them. It works great for all of us! “My most recent good buy was on Manwich. John, my husband, was complaining that he wanted Manwich in the house, so I started collecting coupons for the stuff. Little did I know what would happen! Armed with my 50¢/1 coupons, I was on a mission to find the lowest price I could. Well, the first store I went to was my doubling store. They were having an in-store special--Manwich, $1 a can! Whoo hoo! I was going to get the stuff for free! I loaded up about 20 cans in the cart and called it good. The very next day, I found out about the Manwich offer for a $2 coupon on buns or meat when you bought three cans of Manwich, and the best part was that you could do the offer 3 times! Well, I had 20 on a receipt, so I sent that in for my first offer. Then I had to find a few more coupons--quickly! I received them and did the deal 2 more times, so the 26 cans of Manwich that were free actually made me ahead with the coupon offer! I was ecstatic! I had a triple play! “Now, I have my own subscription to Refund Cents which I thoroughly enjoy each and every month! Although I am still learning, it helps to see and read about others' good deals and stockpiles! In the picture I have enclosed, all of the items on the table were free except the binder and magazine! I cannot see myself not using coupons in the future at all! I am addicted! So ‘thank you’ for helping me find this addiction! It has saved my family so much, you will never even know!” Megan Davids, Mitchell, SD