Most by now have heard of extreme couponing and many of you have likely watched the television program about it as well. A few months back I decided to try this phenomenon.

Q: Can it save you money?

A: Definitely!

Q: Is it hard?

A: Yes and no.

Q: Is it worth it?

A: That is the real question. You have to decide for yourself.

I did some semi-extreme couponing for a few months to try it out. I did save money, but I did see where people could also spend way more than they planned or wanted to. A lot of people get sucked into using coupons for items they normally wouldn't have purchased just to have saved the money. I found personally that there were not many coupons available for the main products I purchase on a weekly basis. I was already a frugal shopper, so coupons did save me some money, but not a lot.

Another issue I found with extreme couponing is that if you want to be good at it you need to spend a lot of time keeping up with it. That means reading the regular websites, clipping coupons and tracking sales. I found a lot of my spare time was used up which I could have been using more productively and cost-effectively on something else.

Don't get me wrong,I was able to learn a lot about coupons in my limited time doing extreme couponing. I now know which sites provide coupons on products I purchase on a regular basis, despite the limited amount available. While I am nowhere near as successful as those depicted on the television shows, I am still saving money.

Also, don't believe everything you see on TV. Those successful extreme couponers you see are probably buying a ton of junk they really didn't need. Take a look at how healthy those products are as well. Most of the stuff they purchase are sugar filled junk.

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Not sure why it has been so long since I have posted. A lot has happened in two years. I got laid off, was unemployed for 9 months and have found a new job. Since then I have also done some things that have significantly reduced my debt. One of those things was to transfer my credit card debt onto my Line of Credit. I was being charged roughly 12% interest on my credit card, while my line of credit was roughly 5% interest. In just a few months the difference in minimum payments and the amount being attributed to the principal balance helped pay off a large chunk of my debt.

I am far from debt free, however, it does not bother me as much now due to the reduction of interest payments needed. I plan to start posting more often and trying to provide even more money saving tips.

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The economy being in the toilet does not always have to be a bad thing. Conveniently my mortgage is due to renewal in the next 2 months. I spoke to a rep at the bank I would like to transfer my mortgage over to and they advised they can lock me in for a rate of 4.15% for 5 years. When I setup my mortgage through another bank three years prior I received a rate of 5.25%, which was really good at that time as well. Another advantage to the poor economy which I noticed recently is that my line of credit's interest rate has decreased by almost 5%, so I am saving even more. Be wary of credit card interest rates though, i have noticed many companies have actually increased their rates. If you have a line of credit I recommend using it to pay your credit card to keep your balance with the lowest interest rate.

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The grocery store can be a stressful place. What do I get? Is this really a deal? It doesn't have to be difficult though, with a few tips you can learn how to manage your money to the fullest and not empty your wallet. Here are a few tips:

1. Never never never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach! This has been a personal problem for myself as well. If you are hungry you are more likely to purchase whatever you may be craving, which will cost you a lot more! At the end you will be full but then realizing how much money you just spent.

2. Make a grocery list. If you know exactly what you need you will be less likely to purchase additional items while browsing. If you have a list you will be focused on the items you need and not slowly pushing your cart down the aisle looking at everything on the shelf.

3. Try to shop as fast as you can, once again you will be less likely to browse.

4. Check flyers for sales BUT only get them if it is something you purchase on a regular basis. Sales are a marketing method to convince people to buy things they normally would not, so if it is a regularly purchased item such as toilet paper you are getting a deal.

5. Purchase goods in bulk BUT once again only essential items. Toilet paper, soap, and other goods that won't go bad and store easily. Coffee is an item this house cannot do without, one day there was a sale on tins of coffee, normally they are $7.99/tin for maxwell house. The store was selling them on sale for $4.50/tin. I purchased 10 tins and saved approximately $34.99. This is also a product I would not use more then normal since I have it in bulk as we use the same amount every single day.

6. Use coupons, they can save you a lot of money in the long run. Once again only use them on regularly purchased goods.

7. Purchase items that can make affordable meals. Spaghetti is a great item as it will make a lot and feed the whole family for very little.

These are just a few tips on how to save yourself money when grocery shopping. Stay tuned for more tips.

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I started over my coin saving after initially creating this blog (yes I have slacked on updating it, that will change). I collected my giant pickle jar and my blue piggy bank (yes its a pig) and started sorting and counting. I ran out of the paper things for pennies and nickels, and didn't have enough to roll all of my toonies ($2 coins) or my loonies ($1 coins).

The grand total came to $253.00 (not including the left over pennies and nickels. I will take that amount to the bank this week and put it against my balance owing on my credit card. This was from a 5 month period of time, it may not seem like much at all, but I am currently living paycheque to paycheque while my wife is in school.

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Its amazing how quickly loose change can add up. I have got myself in the habit of checking my pockets for loose change every day after coming home from work. If I have any pennies, nickels or dimes they go in my change jar. I keep my quarters for coffee at work (I'll discuss this later on). if pay day is 2 days away I'll save $2.00 and put however much else in my change jar, even if its $10.00 worth of change. After about three months count up all your change, bring it to the bank. I bet there will be a nice little sum of money that can be put against your debt.

More tips to come!

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Welcome to my blog about saving money, getting rid of debt and achieving financial freedom. If you are in debt, you are not alone. It is rare that I ever meet anyone that is truly debt free anymore. I myself am currently in debt and have decided to create this blog to assist in reaching my goal of paying off all my debts and saving enough money to purchase income properties, hence to make even more money by investing.

I have read many books on the subject of saving money and avoiding debt, some have worked, others have failed. I wish to share my wisdom with anyone that is interested. Why you might say? Well I am a Capitalist, I like money, and I want lots of it. It is my belief that money controls the world, the more you have the more control you have over your own life. Thats my belief, I don't expect you to share it, but I enjoy assisting people with their finances. So if I know so much, why am I in debt? Well I was uninformed at one time as well, and have got myself into a pickle with debt. I have hit the point that I must watch my finances very carefully to avoid falling further into debt, this site will help me keep on track with that as well.

I hope you will be able to take some information from this site and use it to your own benefit.

Remember, you control your own destiny!

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