Thank you so much for joining me on AddictedtoSaving.com! My name is Liza and I began my money-saving journey in the Spring of 2009 as a way to stretch a limited household income. I had lost my job and my husband was self-employed. As you can imagine, income was very tight. I cut as many expenses as I could by contacting every single company that we paid bills to each month. Despite this, we still struggled financially although God provided for us month in and month out. To be fully forthright, our mortgage payment went unpaid for many months. We had no choice – we had to prioritize the money we spent on expenses each month and necessities like electricity, water, and health insurance were our priority. My husband and I literally discussed every purchase we were going to make to make sure we were both on the same page – even if we were just going to spend $10.00.
Every week, I would continue to go to the grocery store and spend what seemed to be $100+ on just a few bags of groceries. When you don’t have enough money coming in to cover even your groceries, you know it is time to make a change. I remember watching The Today Show one morning and watching a woman go grocery shopping and spending what seemed to be around $5.00 on around $80.00 worth of groceries. I wanted to be that lady. So, I submerged myself into the world of couponing and found that in about 5 months, I had learned not only to save money, but also that as I saved, I was getting more groceries for every dollar spent. It was a crazy concept – save more money and get more for my money? I loved it. And, I felt a level of empowerment that was missing for quite a while. I wasn’t able to contribute to my family by earning paychecks BUT I could contribute by saving hundreds of dollars each month.
I started telling my friends and family and found that many of them were asking me questions on a daily basis. I found myself emailing them “how-to” emails so often that at one point, my husband suggested I start a blog. So, I started Addicted to Saving in November of 2009. My blog started as hobby where I would post 4 or 5 times a day. Fast forward to now. I now blog full-time on Addicted to Saving as well as give Addicted to Saving 101 seminars throughout the state. I also have had the honor of being a frequent guest on many television shows. My life now revolves around couponing. I try to use my blog as a ministry to help others with the goal that as you learn how to coupon, you will pay it forward by donating your food, toiletries, etc. My blog has also blessed me as I have met so many of you via emails and Facebook and have learned your stories. You all inspire me to continue to work day in and day out.
Many of you have followed our adoption journey the past few years. We experienced much grief and heartache along the way, but we are now so thankful that we have finally become parents to Asher and Jolie.
We brought Asher home from Ethiopia in August of 2013.
Then, we brought Jolie home from China in May of 2016. Our life has never been fuller, BUSIER or better!
We are also parents to our furbabies. Louie (short for Luigi), a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and Rosie (short for Rosetta), a gray tabby cat.
During my free time, you will find me doing one of two things, cooking or running. I love to run and I like to run at least a few half marathons each year. Running is an excellent outlet for me – often I will think up recipes or blog posts as I’m out running!
Thanks to some friends, family and Addicted to Saving Facebook Fans who provided fun questions, below is a random FAQ about me:
How did you survive the tough financial times you experienced? My faith in God promised that He was with me always. Despite the financial hardships, He was standing beside me protecting me and I had to trust that He would take care of us. We always had a roof over our heads and we always had food to eat. We learned to appreciate and be thankful for small things that we had previously taken for granted.
How do you stay balanced? I’ve found that as my blog has grown, it has been more and more difficult to remain balanced with my priorities. I love to run. I also love to cook. So for me, experimenting in the kitchen with spices and food from my stockpile is a lot of fun for me.
How much do you run? I run as much as my body and time allows 🙂 I have previously run 2 full marathons, 15+ half marathons, and countless 5 & 10ks. My long runs are usually on Sunday mornings so Sunday afternoon is usually spent lounging with my legs elevated. **update – now that I’m a mom chasing my 3 and 5 year olds, I don’t get to elevate my legs.. 😉
What made you decide to share your knowledge with so many? I so desperately want everyone to know that with a little effort, you can very easily reduce your out of pocket spending on groceries/toiletries/household items by well over 50%. I know that many of you are in dire straits and I want you to know that there is hope! Couponing will not save all of life’s problems, but it will help you save hundreds of dollars each month.
If your house was on fire (knock on wood), what one thing would you grab before running out the door? Well, after seeing that my kiddos and my hubby were safe, I would grab my dog first and then would try to grab my cat. I don’t have any physical possessions that matter more than my family.
Do you ever go shopping and take people with you to help teach them? I have done this and find that it is so much fun! I wish I had more time in the day to do this on a regular basis!
What’s the one product you get most excited about getting with coupons? My excitement probably varies from week to week. I love getting good deals on things like Ziploc baggies, laundry detergent, canned beans (see below), salsa and hummus.
What’s your household’s favorite go-to meal? I love making home-made pizza (I used to use Publix pizza dough but thanks to the advice of many of my readers, I have now switched to Sam’s pizza dough. Sam’s is so much cheaper and so easy to spread.) Lasagna is also a fun go-to meal because my husband loves it and raves about it. (Even though I use the recipe on the back of the Barilla lasagna noodles box – shhh – don’t tell anyone) And, this isn’t a meal, but we have coffee brewing all morning and most afternoons. Coffee is a staple in this house.
Do you have any favorite quotes or words to live by? I thought about getting a tattoo with this Chinese. But, because I’m not a tattoo person and because I’m a chicken, I will probably never get it inked onto my skin. My words to live by are “Strength from God.” I repeat this saying in my head when I’m running marathons or half marathons. I remember that each step is a gift from God and that he is giving me the strength to endure to the finish line. And, a new motto of mine is “Choose Joy”. There are so many people out there who have it much worse than I. I need to Choose Joy each day regardless of what life throws at me. (I did have a hard time choosing joy this morning when the lid to my favorite casserole dish shattered all over my kitchen counter and floor..)
Do you hoard anything? YES – I have a major hoarding obsession with canned beans. I know I know – how odd am I? But I love canned beans – black beans, chick peas, cannelloni beans, etc. Beans last forever, have high fiber, high protein and you can do so much with them. So, if you come to my house and see that I have 80+ cans of beans, you will find that I will offer for you to take home any and everything in my stockpile.. Well, everything but the beans.
How hard was it to get started couponing and how long did it take to get off of the ground? For me, it did take me a while to fully understand how to coupon. I didn’t grasp the concept of the difference between store and manufacturer coupons. I didn’t understand the concept of stockpiling. It took me between 4 – 5 months to really grasp and understand what I was doing. And, by the end of the 5 months, I had a sufficient stockpile to live off of which helped decrease my future spending. I found that I started consistently saving 80% each week after I had been couponing for 5 months.
Are there any items you will purchase without a coupon? Yup! I’ve found that the way that I am able to stay motivated to coupon week in and week out is to allow myself to purchase items without coupons! My favorite splurge item to buy without coupons is carrot cake from the bakery section of Publix, fresh bread in the Publix bakery, and Cabot Sharp Cheddar cheese – I make a mean mac & cheese with Cabot cheese. (just to name a few!)
Do you have a luxury item you will splurge on? My weakness is purses. I know that most women love clothing, shoes, makeup, etc. For me, I love purses. I will only buy purses with coupons and sales though. My favorite coupon is Coach Outlet’s 30% off coupon. If they have a 50% off sale, with the coupon, you are scoring big bucks off of a purse!
How big is your stock pile? My stockpile would probably disappoint most of you. Even though TLC’s Extreme Couponing contacted me about going on their show, I by no means have an extreme stockpile. I have enough food to last us 6 months and I have enough toiletries and household items to last us 6 months to a year.
Do you have kids? We don’t – God hasn’t blessed us with children. **Update – we do! A beautiful boy named Asher who we brought home from Ethiopia in August, 2013 and a beautiful girl named Jolie who we brought home from China in May, 2016. We do, however, have animal babies – I have a dog (Pacey, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) that I would give my right arm for. He actually is a very active participant on this blog as he is usually nestled next to me as I type deals all day. He is sick with cancer so we are trying to enjoy each and every day that we have with him. **Update – Pacey is no longer here and just typing that grieves my heart. We do have another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Louie (he is pictured above). We also have a cat named Rosie. She is a skinny little thing and still looks like a kitten even though she is almost 9 years old. **update – she’s 16 years old now!!! Man, this blog is old! I am a huge animal lover and I admit that if I could, I would have a house full of animals and yes, you all would then call me the Crazy Cat Lady.
Thanks for coming to Addicted to Saving! Here’s a little bit about me so you can know who’s behind all these posts!
My name is Liza and I began my money-saving journey in the Spring of 2009 as a way to stretch a limited household income. I had lost my job and my hubby was self-employed. I launched Addicted to Saving in November of 2009 and it has grown by leaps and bounds. Since then, my hubby and I have struggled with the ups and downs of two failed adoptions and are now LOVING being parents to our little man Asher who we brought home from Ethiopia in August of 2013. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to help you save money. My goal is that you will have FUN and become empowered to save more and more money each week..
lisa hi, in publix the olay item for face is 3.00 off and and the costumer today got the 3.99 item for the face and she used the coupon 3.00 off m c and she got the olay body wash 6.99 price but she used the coupon buy 1 item olay for face and get the body wash free and she used the coupon publix 1.00 off in each oley item she but 4 face item and 4 body wash she no pay nothing ,
Hola Liza (nice entrancing name btw..:)
Anywaze silly-goy (girl) can you add moi to your newsletter as I haven’t received any emails since 7/31?
Fuhget’boutit! 😉
Ciao per oggi…
Sincerely Submitted,
Jose-Luigi Sacramento, CA.
Hi Liza,
Just wanted to let you know, inside the 6ct large Bounty paper towels that are on sale at Publix through today, there is a $1 off ANY ONE Bounty Napkin product coupon:)
Paola
I just started couponing a couple weeks ago. I have been hearing about the Yes paper that is delivered weekly and is loaded with coupons. I can’t seem to find any info on it for my area. Anybody know anything about this and how I can get signed up?
Thx,
Chrissie
Publix just sent me pet discounts $1.00 and $2.00 off all you have to do is sign-up for pet perks.
just want to share, there’s a Crest Complete Toothpaste priced at $2.47 and $2.97 available in walmart that has free sample of scope outlast with it plus free coupons inside valued at $14 :)… i bought it and used $2/1 coupon (from 9/10 sunday coupon insert – i forgot if it’s from SS or RP)… i would like to send the picture to you, but i don’t know how 🙁
Target has a tube on Crest Complete in the trial size for $1.97. You can get this for free with that same coupon.
Liza, just wanted to let you know about a FREE 7-Eleven deal next week (or perhaps you are aware). Got this from the Tampa Bay Business Journal. ” 7-Eleven Inc. will commemorate Sept. 29, National Coffee Day, with its own National CofFREE Day, offering a free medium-size cup of hot coffee, cappuccino or latte between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., according to a company statement.”
It is on their website http://www.7-eleven.com/Only-at-7-Eleven/Promotions/CofFREE-Dip-A-Drip/Default.aspx
I plan to go there. How about you?
Hi Lisa, it’s so nice to meet “you” online. I loved your story and am so very sorry about your dear dog. I’ve lost 2 dogs to cancer so I know the heartbreak. I lost 2 in the past year and 1/2…both Shelties…Tessie & Duchess. We still have our Aussie and our new addition, Couper….named for my couponning. Couper is a miniature Sheltie and has filled our home with love again. We too love our pups. Keep the faith and keep up the wonderful couponning.
RG
Hi Rhonda! Thanks for the kind words. It is funny how our animals become such important parts of our family! My dog has anal cancer surgery and his oncologist told us that if they got it all, it would still come back since it is an aggressive cancer. They recommended radiation which is extremely expensive (the surgery was expensive enough) and we also knew that even with radiation, the cancer would return since it is so aggressive. We had the surgery which had absolutely horrible side effects. Right now he is happy and recovered from the surgery and seems very much like his happy self so I am thankful! P.S. I love the name of your dog Couper! How original and very appropriate! 🙂
I love reading your story. I love using your website. I recommend it to people all the time. Thanks for all you do.
God bless,
Susie C Mcdonough, Ga
Thank you so much Susie!
Liza,
Nice Bio! 🙂
My friend taught me how to coupon on Black Friday at CVS in 2007! We went at midnight so we’d be able to maximize our purchase for as little cash as possible. That was all it took… I was hooked! I had blogs that I visited, but I soon found yours! I love the fact that you are located nearby (I’m in Clw) and most of our prices and sales run about the same. I appreciate you and all the time you spend blogging as it makes it easier for everyone else… especially ME 😛
Also, I have enjoyed your garden posts! I grew up with a garden (clw/lgo area) and had one in 2006. Recently my friend got me motivated to start gardening again! This summer I had some great plants… Tomato, Green Pepper and the best was Japanese Eggplant! I’ve recently expanded and have planted so much more. One tip I have for you, which I just discovered a few months ago, plant sunflowers!!! I remember you had problems with pollenation. Well, I never saw a bee in my garden but when I came home with Sunflowers from my cousins wedding and planted them I had bees everywhere! There wasn’t one time I visited my garden and there wasn’t a bee! Plus, the sunflowers were fun and easy to grow and harvest!
Well, Take care and Thank You again!
Christina from Clw! 🙂
Hi Christina! Great idea on the sunflowers! I will have to try that next summer!
Hi Liza,
I have been couponing with you since the end of July. Most of my couponing is with Walgreens and CVS. I have stockpiled toilitries and cleaning products. Razors are my biggest success. They are so darned expensive so when i see the coupons and the drug stores have them on sale with the rewards coupons, I buy buy buy. My husband has numerous razors now but he never has to ask me to pick them up for him anymore or complain about the dull one he’s been using for weeks.
Thank you for all that you do to make couponing so much easier.
You are as stunning and beautiful as your work. I have been a member almost a year now and I cannot get over how hard you work – every day, to get the best deals to people. Your about me page is also terrific.
Thanks Deborah – you are very kind 🙂 Thank you for following my blog for almost a year now!
Last night was great but I am moving to PA this weekend and we have shop n saves, giant eagles and foodlands any advice????
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. I’ve been couponing for about three to four months now and your website is my guideline. I spend lots of time following your site and FB. You do a wonderful job explaining the ins and outs of coupooning and you have made my new addition a wonderful experience. I live in Sarasota and wanted to go to your siminar last week but wasn’t able to make it. I am disappointed I missed it. I’m sure it was great to meet you in person and to be surrounded with a wonderful group of people. Anyway, thanks again, you are greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much for all the hard work you have put into this website, it is very helpful. I just recently got laid off and I was wondering if there is a spreadsheet that you can share that will help with budgeting. I have only been buying things that are on sale and has coupons but it seems like I’m still spending way too much money. Thanks again for all you do =)
Hi Liza,
I have been couponing for 20 years or better, even when hardly anyone did it. I didn’t have a whole lot of people to talk to about it. I find it fun and chanllenging to accomplish the shopping with money left over. I just wanted to thank you for your blogs because I enjoy them tremendously and your tips are always on target. Thanks for your hard work making my challenges easier. God Bless.
You’re Amazing!
Thank you so much for everything you do for us!
if i could ask, are there any other websites similar to yours that i could possibly use?
i just got into the saving and i love it!
Again thank you so much! – God Bless <3 Adrie
can you please please tell me where i can go to select my default printer on your page–i keep “printing” coupons but they do not print. just sits on the page “your coupons should print soon” i am addicted to your site–and can only shop if i can get your coupons—please help!! 🙂
What a great story! Congratulations on your new son! I have two boys and love them so much! We just recently got a Cavapoo which is a cross between a King Charles and a poodle and we love, love, love her! Her name is Lucy and she also curls up next to my feet when I am on the computer.
Thank you Tara! Our son is just the light of my life 🙂 And your Cavapoo sounds just like my Louie! He is such a lapdog! I love my dog. 🙂
please take me off the list
Hi Rose,
I searched for the email you left and you are currently not signed up to receive daily emails. Please provide the email you used to sign up and I would be happy to help!
Hi, I just wanted to say I love your story and your blog! I took up couponing 2 years ago when our son was born, its really a hobby for me because of limited time between work and being a mom, but I wish I had more time to devote to it. I LOVE your Publix coupon matchups! Its great to find blogs that include stores that are local to me. Keep up the good work!!
Thank you so much Jenn! It’s a lot of work (the blog, being a mom, and couponing), but it definitely has its rewards. Thanks for the kind words! 🙂
Hi Liza – nice to meet you! Thanks for sharing your story 🙂 I’m in love with running also (a great stress relief as a stay-at-home mom!) and although our stories are different, they are similar in many ways! Blessings to you and your family!!
Catherine
http://www.capturinginspirations.com
please send me a invite. Thank you so much,
Hi, Liza,
I found my way to your blog (and subscribed!) from a post on Facebook about adoption. I wanted to mention that your bio section and FAQ about you is a little outdated because you don’t mention the beautiful daughter that you adopted from China in those sections.
Sincerely,
Gwen
Hi Gwen! Thank you for checking out my blog! And a huge thank you for the head’s up on my outdated bio! I honestly didn’t even realize it! This past year has been a whirlwind ever since we went to China, brought our daughter home, got her healthy and then worked on attachment & bonding issues. I totally didn’t even think about my bio! I will work on it soon 🙂
I saw this Craigslist ad come up today and I instantly thought of you.
https://buffalo.craigslist.org/bfs/d/coupon-trading-brand-logo/6328393477.html
Hi there Just wanted to say i do not see the newest Winn Dixie weekly sale ad Can you please update