ask dsm readers

Photo by zizzybaloobah

Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!

Recently on the Deal Seeking Mom Forums, Dizzy Mom shared an experience she’d had when trying to redeem catalinas at her local store where a store manager was not only unresponsive but actually rude. If you’ve been couponing long, you may have encountered this same type of situation before, either with a manager who is disregarding the corporate policy or one who is actually rude to you. I know I have!

What do you do in situations like this? Do you escalate the issue above store management and complain to corporate? Do you take your business elsewhere? Have you ever gotten an issue like this resolved to your satisfaction?

Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!

Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been a deal seeker since I was a teenager,and I’ve always loved the thrill of the hunt and finding a great deal. But when I was pregnant with my second son, I was laid off, and I began couponing out of necessity at that point. Today, although it’s no longer a necessity, I still coupon because I love knowing that I’m getting a great deal, which gives us more to spend on family experiences and save for the future.

I’d love to hear your couponing story as well!

How did you get your couponing start? Did you start couponing out of necessity? Because you tried it and became hooked? Or do you coupon to free up your budget so you can spend more on luxuries and the things your family loves?

Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!

Photo by Sarah Gilbert

Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!

Recently, Carrie sent me an email with this question:

Hi, Tara. How do you decide on a reasonable grocery budget? We are a family of 5…including a baby…and it seems like $350 a month isn’t working for us. Any ideas on a reasonable budget?

I think that your grocery budget is going to depend on how much time you want to invest in couponing and shopping multiple stores as well as on where you live. Those of us with grocery stores that double coupons up to $1 have a much easier time than someone whose stores don’t double at all! I don’t think it’s possible for me or anyone else to tell you what your budget should be. Instead, just focus on cutting back a little each week until you reach a number you’re comfortable with — both financially and in regards to the amount of time you’re spending and the food you’re buying.

How did you decide on your family’s grocery budget? What factors did you consider when deciding? How did you know when you’d gotten it as low as you were comfortable going? Have you ever made a decision to raise your grocery budget? Do you expect your budget to change as your family grows?

Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!

Photo by Mike Willis

Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!

Recently Hope sent me an email wondering how other people feel about “zip code couponing.” Sometimes, internet printable coupons are released, but you can only print them if you enter a certain zip code on the site. Some people will share the zip codes needed for these often high-value or rare coupons and others feel it’s unethical, but we haven’t heard an official answer from any of the coupon companies.

How do you feel about zip code couponing? Do you feel that it’s just a matter of knowing where to look, like using a coupon-clipping service to get more of your favorite coupons? Or do you feel it’s unethical because you’re using them in a way that they weren’t intended to be used?

Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!

Every week I’ll pose a question for you to share your experiences and tips. If you have a question that you’d like me to post, I’d love to hear from you!

Recently, Kelsey emailed to ask if I had any tips for college students or young  couples who are setting up their first home. When you’re first starting out the amount of stuff you need to buy can be overwhelming.  There’s kitchen pots and pans, dishes, furniture and bed sheets.  All of the “essentials” can quickly add up.  I thought I’d open up this question to the Deal Seeking Mom readers, especially related to kitchen essentials.

What items do you consider to be essentials? Where do you find the best deal on them? Is there a certain time of year that you shop for these types of items?

Join the discussion — add your two cents to previous Ask DSM Readers questions too!