Big Savings With Jodi Furman
Western Lake Worth resident Jodi Furman knows how to save a buck in this economy. The 35-year-old mother of three, runs www.neverpayretailagain.net, which is a blog dedicated to keeping visitors up-to-date on the latest deals and coupons out there to be had. The Web site has been such a hit it's been featured all over the local media as well as on CNN. Furman is also a regular contributor now to WBN AM in Chicago and KTRH AM in Houston.
1. Can you tell me a little about your Web site?
Neverpayretailagain.net has a little bit of something for everyone. It lists great deals and coupons for both local and online stores; fast, easy and inexpensive dinner ideas and recipes; strategies how to find, how to organize and how to best utilize coupons; as well as mini "lessons" how to do a lot more for a lot less.
2. Why did you start www.neverpayretailagain.net
I used to email my friends all the great deals and coupons that I found. It got to the point that my friends would call me before they went shopping to ask me if I knew of any codes or coupons. In order to make my life simpler, I started putting all the great deals on my blog instead of emailing everyone. I also started writing about shopping better at the grocery store, sharing recipes, organizing coupons, and even how to throw a birthday party for less. Little did I realize what had started as a favor to my friends would quickly become something much, much larger!
3. What's different about your Web site?
I think what may distinguish me and my Web site from many others is that it's not about being "cheap" in the classical sense. I don't split two-ply toilet paper into single ply or weave clothing out of dryer lint to save money. In fact, I tend to shop at stores that people perceive as expensive. Surprisingly, if you time it right, your grocery dollar can go a lot further at Publix than it can at either Walmart or Costco and you can get new, fashionable clothing at a department or specialty store for less than you might spend at a thrift store.
People have a perception that if you're frugal that you have to be frumpy- and I'm trying mightily to dispel that myth. Frugal can be fabuLESS.
5. Any quick tips or ideas for us to save money?
The best way to save money is not to buy items that you don't need or can't use –even if you find a $100 item on sale for $5 – if you buy it, you're not depositing $95 into your bank account, you're taking $5 OUT of your bank account.
Saving BIG on the items that you have to buy (groceries, toiletries, household goods) frees up money for the things that you want to buy – like vacations, small luxuries, or even allows you to save that money for the future.
You really can spend less (WAY less) without giving up quality---if you do nothing else than plan your menu around whatever protein (poultry, meat, seafood, etc) is on sale and whichever fruits and vegetables are seasonal, you can shave a good 30 percent off your grocery budget.
If you also buy your staples when they're BOGO (buy one get one free) and, even better, when you also have a coupon, you're instantly saving at least 50 percent off. And, you don't have to go hunting around for coupons – all the coupons that correspond to BOGO items at Publix are listed on my site.
You can also get many toiletries and household items for free if you buy them when they're both on sale and you have a coupon-- many people think that coupons are a waste of time, but they've helped me shave a large portion off of my household budget.
But it's not just about coupons, it's about spending smarter and being conscious of the small expenditures that can really add up. It's the daily coffee (bring your own!) and the $5 here and the $10 there that over the long run can break your budget.
6. What are some of the best deals you've come across?
A few weeks ago I was able to get both a conditioning treatment and a blowdry (worth over $90) at a high-end Boca salon, all I had to do was print out a voucher.
I just printed a coupon for my husband's asthma medicine that will save me $180 over the next year.
I routinely purchase gift certificates on restaurant.com whenever they have an 80 percent off code –that allows me to get a $25 gift certificate for $2 or a $50 gift certificate for $4 – we've been able to enjoy fabulous meals at local restaurants that my husband and I normally couldn't or wouldn't afford to visit.
Over the past few weeks, I have 'purchased' almost all of the supplies that my kids need for back to school for FREE – including pens, pencils, rulers, glue, notebooks, paper... even a brand name backpack, just by paying attention to sales and taking advantage of rebates at our local stores.
7. Anything else you'd like to add?
Being frugal is not about deprivation – it's about giving yourself and your family the ability to afford more of whatever is important to you!
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Jason Parsley