Do coupons save you money? The short answer to this question is yes.

Do coupons save you money? The short answer to this question is yes. But, you have to use them in order for the coupon to be of any benefit. Here are some ways that coupons can save you a lot of green.

Coupons used to be only paper. You could cut them out of the Sunday paper and they were good for a month or two. Now, coupons are in the newspaper, magazines, printable from websites and in the form of online coupons that are great when shopping on the Internet. With so many choices for coupons, you can save money at every turn.

1. Cut out coupons for the grocery store. People have to eat. It’s a fact of life. Those coupons in the Sunday paper are good for everything from cat food to candy bars (not that you should eat a lot of those). Snip all that may apply to your household needs.

2. Get organized. Use a slotted folder or one of those coupon expandable files to hold all of your coupons. Categorize the slots so every time you go to the grocery store, you can pull out the stack of coupons that pertain to the goodies in your buggy.

3. Use coupons for other things besides the grocery store. Coupons can be found in magazines on advertising pages and in amongst your mail on other days of the week. There are coupons for restaurants, car repairs, mattresses and carpet steam cleaning. Everyone will need car repairs at some point (especially after your last payment) so those auto coupons can come in handy.

4. Present your coupon before you buy in some instances. This applies to restaurants and car repairs. If you have any questions about the coupon’s validity, ask before you spend the time shopping. If you can have your brakes serviced for $100, be sure that it includes both sets of brakes and the rotors and/or brake pads. Know what you are getting so you can judge if the coupon is a good deal.

5. Look for other bargains to pair with your coupons. Coupons can be just like money – it burns a hole in your pocket. If you have a coupon for 20 percent off your purchase at an electronics store, shop the store circular to see if they have anything on sale that you want to purchase. Save that 20 percent off coupon for when that laptop you want goes on sale. Now, you’ll get an extra percentage off the total price.

6. Use store incentives. Some stores (mostly grocery stores) offer coupons and discounts just for signing up for their store incentive card. Just by walking in the store, you receive a discount on many items they sell. In combination with a coupon you can save more.

Coupons can save you money on clothing, groceries, automotive needs, travel and movies. To get the most bang for your buck, read coupons carefully and bide you time before you use them to receive the greatest benefit.

Submitted by:

Linda Allen
GirlfriendsCafe.com
http://www.girlfriendscafe.com

Learn to protect your health before you need a doctor.

Ask any centenarian and they will tell you their secret to long life. It has to do with taking care of their body, mind, and soul. In today’s society that can be a challenge with the rising cost of health care. Learn to protect your health before you need a doctor.

Healthcare is a big issue in this country. Many people are uninsured or under-insured. Prescription costs have gone through the roof as well. It becomes increasingly harder to get the treatment one needs to keep on living.

One way to foster the idea of longevity is to prevent illness before it starts. We all were at one time reasonably healthy. The gist is to protect our health by maintaining that level of good feeling in our bodies.

You can start right now. If you don’t need a doctor in your current health state, let that be ground zero. Work your way up to a healthier body, mind, and soul from this point forward. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.

1. Get regular checkups. These are included in most healthcare plans. A dental visit every six months including one set of bitewing x-rays is almost always covered. A yearly physical has a modest or sometimes no co-pay at all depending on your insurance carrier. Even a yearly eye exam has a negligible cost. If you can afford the health insurance, use it to maintain or elevate the status quo.

2. Get regular exercise. This pops up a lot, but it is a major factor in living longer. Fresh air and sunlight especially provide Vitamin D to the body. Stretching those muscles even for thirty minutes a day stimulates the metabolism. You don’t have to join a gym. Housework, gardening, riding your bicycle, or mowing the lawn are all forms of exercise.

3. Play a few games. The newest medicine for your brain is neurobics. It trains your brain to create new synaptic pathways and prevents degeneration. Playing crossword games, Sudoku, speed games, word searches, and memory games all keep those neurons in tip top shape.

4. Drink plenty of water. If you don’t like water, add some flavoring like a Crystal Light stick to change the taste. Our bodies are made up of water for the most part. Drinking a glass of water can ease a headache and also help with weight loss. A body that is hydrated properly runs better.

5. Take time out for yourself. It could be morning meditation, going to church, listening to music, prayer, or any activity you choose as long as it cultivates your inner soul. Time to renew the mind aids in the body’s renewal.

No one knows how long they will walk this earth. The one thing we don’t want to do is shorten those days due to an unhealthy body. Take care of yourself today in order to see many tomorrows.

Submitted by:
Linda Allen of GirlfriendsCafe.com - a social network for women.
http://www.girlfriendscafe.com

When you decide that you are ready to start seriously thinking about a home business, you will need to take some time to thoroughly get ready. Many new businesses today fail because of a lack of thorough planning. While everyone has a dream, only by planning and carrying out that plan will your home business succeed.

Here are some things you need to do in order to start your home business or online business on a solid foundation.

Determine Your Goals

While everyone dreams of working at home full-time, that may not be your dream. Perhaps you are only thinking about working part-time, or having only a hobby that will produce some cash on the side. There is also the possibility that you may only want a supplementary income and have no real intentions to replace the income you have now. Or, you may want to go full-time as soon as possible.

In any one of these situations, you will need to try and get an honest idea of how much time it will take to run your home business. Some online businesses, or home based businesses, may take more time than you think. In fact, count on it. Determine what your goals are beforehand by trying to understand all that is involved with your home business.

Study the Competition

After you select your goals and the home business that you want, then you will need to see exactly what your competition is doing. This will give you a number of ideas about:

• How to market your home business
• New products you might offer
• Creating a unique angle to your home business
• What you need to be better than your competitors

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The pursuit of beauty can be very expensive. Factor in the cost of shampoo, conditioner, nail polish, make-up, perfume, and lotions, to name just a few of the products you might use, and you could end up spending a small fortune. Don't be discouraged though because it is possible to have everything you need, while saving money on beauty products.

One way to reduce your costs on beauty products is to use homemade products. In fact, some home beauty treatments are simply a matter of using a single ingredient. Investing in a good book that will show you how to create your own products will save you lots in the long run. An extra bonus is that your products will be chemical free, especially important for those who have sensitive skin.

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No doubt about it, our favorite celebrities look fabulous, but they don't achieve that look alone.

No doubt about it, our favorite celebrities look fabulous, but they don't achieve that look alone. In fact, they have lots of help getting there. With a few tips from these insiders, we can look our best too. Read on for some secret celebrity beauty tips.

Wardrobe expert Ricci DeMartino offers advice on looking slimmer than you really are. To look lean and pulled together, wear clothing in matching colors on the top and bottom, like khaki pants and a taupe blouse. Avoid wearing two different colors like a red blouse and blue pants. This cuts you in half and draws attention to your waist making you appear bigger.

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