Like most families, my family is on a budget.  Since I do most of the shopping, I’m constantly looking for ways to save money.  I was excited to get a subscription to our local paper, not because I enjoy reading it (I don’t usually read any of it), but because I love the coupons.  Call me crazy, but I actually enjoy clipping coupons.  In a way, it’s relaxing.  It’s one of the few household chores (if you can call it a chore) that I can do sitting down in front of the TV.  It’s exciting to see my total savings with each trip to the grocery store.  By combining my coupons with the store’s weekly specials and shopping on “double coupon” days, I save even more.  

In addition to clipping coupons from the local paper, I’ve signed up for some great money-saving sites online.  Groupon.com and Ebates.com are both completely free and can save you a bundle…especially if you plan on doing any online Christmas shopping.  When you sign up at Groupon.com, you get a daily email notification of a deal for your area.  Deals typically include 50%-80% off at local restaurants, salons, movie theaters, dental offices (including teeth whitening), etc.  Awesome ideas for date nights…

Ebates.com is the newest money-saving site I’ve discovered.  When you start your online shopping at Ebates.com, you earn cash back on your purchase.  The site also gives you access to coupon codes for special deals ($25 off, free shipping, etc.) at stores such as DSW, JCPenney, and A Pea in the Pod.  If you plan on doing any of your Christmas shopping online, why not start at Ebates.com and get cash back on everything you were going to buy anyway?

Big savings = happy shopping, happy shopping = happy wife, and, as my husband says, happy wife = happy life.