The other day I wrote about how I was out of money and how I had run out of unemployment 9 months ago, and that I had lost my part time job 6 months ago. Some of my readers were probably wondering how the hell I made it so long without running out of money completely, well the answer my friends is simple.
First I chose generic whenever I could. A 20 oz Coke is $1.45 where I live, but Walgreens sells a liter of generic cola for 99 cents, so I learned to enjoy "refreshing cola." I used to eat name brand Kellogg's cereal, but those are four or five dollars for for a small box, but for two dollars you can get a large bag of knock off cheerios, and they taste just as good as the ones from the box.
Second strategy is sales. I usually smoke Newport cigarettes, but in the city of Chicago, they are $9.40 a pack. I have started smoking whatever brand is on sale this week, normally Camel or Marlboro. Along with sales there is buying in bulk. One pound of the coffee I like is usually 9.99, but if your smart and keep your eyes open you can find the same coffee on sale for 15 dollars for four pounds, and four pounds of coffee lasts a LONG time.
Third is coupons. I don't do extreme couponing like you see on A&E, but I keep my eye out for good deals. I never used to pay much attention to the register coupons that you get at the grocery store, but since money got tight, I started taking notice of these things. You can often find coupons for buy one get one free name brand items, or ten dollars off your next purchase. In addition to the coupons, alot of stores have rewards programs, and you can build up points that become the same as cash.
Combining all of those things I can often stretch a hundred dollars over a couple of weeks, and that my friends is how I've lasted so long. So fellow members of the unemployment line, be sure to clip those coupons and learn to love generic!
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