Photograph Credit: iStockphoto
Knowing that a successful year will not materialize on its own, we must plan and prepare for a prosperous 2013.
Throughout the 31 days of January, I will choose one topic each day to prepare or schedule for this year.
Without preparation, I know I will forget, miss, or overlook certain items. If you desire an organized year, then join me in this adventure of Planning for Success for a prosperous 2013.
To receive a daily e-mail around 11:00 a.m. with the new posts of each day, subscribe to my free daily newsletter. In case you miss a post in this series, I will provide the link to each day as the month progresses. 🙂
- Day 1: Select a Planning Tool
- Day 2: Add Your Priorities
- Day 3: Print and Display Your Menu Planner – with free printable
- Day 4: Record Membership Expiration Dates
- Day 5: Mark Due Dates for Monthly Bills
- Day 6: Insert Credit Report Schedule
- Day 7: Schedule Your Annual Home Maintenance
- Day 8: Set Your School and Work Activities
- Day 9: Highlight Contract and Subscription Expiration Dates
- Day 10: Download a Savings Tracker
- Day 11: Note Daily Deals Expiration Dates
- Day 12: Setup Bill Pay
- Day 13: Secure Doctor Appointments
- Day 14: Purchase Batteries
- Day 15: Include Holidays
- Day 16: Jot down Library Return Dates
- Day 17: Track Your Family’s Favorite Meals
- Day 18: Reserve Time for Your Priorities
- Day 19: Post Your Payday Schedule – with free printable
- Day 20: Prepare Your Medical Spending Record – with free printable
- Day 21: Check Light Bulbs and Air Filters
- Day 22: Choose Event Dates
- Day 23: Enter Reward Deadlines
- Day 24: Design a Quick Meals List
- Day 25: Document Family Holidays
- Day 26: Verify Paycheck Deductions
- Day 27: Establish Automatic Transfers
- Day 28: Address Technology
- Day 29: Register Community Events
- Day 30: Face Vehicle Maintenance
Day 31: Arrange Coupon Redemption
These posts are getting longer with the lengthy list of posts from January’s Planning for Success series. Today, we reach the end, and my calendar will guide me to a successful finish of 2013.
Accomplishing the recording of all these notes, e-mails, and schedules is a big undertaking. I hope you have found this exercise just as beneficial.
When feeding my family, I depend on my menu plan, track my family’s favorite meals, and turn to quick meals in a crunch. Even with all this planning, there are still days when life happens, errands take longer than normal, or I just don’t feel like cooking.
Planning with Coupons
During these times, I turn to coupons. Some coupons have limited redemption times. For example, Chick-fil-A has chosen to issue cards with their calendars this year. Besides registering the card, the monthly coupons can only be redeemed during that month. If you don’t use it, then you lose it.
Though I am a fan of Chick-fil-A, I prefer the former paper coupons as I could use the coupons I needed when I needed them. Until they change their system, I have chosen to mark my calendar with the free item, so I can arrange coupon redemption.
If I know a busy day is coming and a break in the schedule is needed, I can plan lunch or dinner at Chick-fil-A. By combining activities, we can make memories without spending a fortune while the family enjoys a meal out.
Finding Discounts
I find restaurant coupons in the Sunday newspaper, the Clipper magazine, home mailers, booklets at the grocery store, e-mail notifications, and on the back of sales receipts.
From watching advertisements and calling restaurants, I discover specials and Kids’ Eat Free events before choosing to visit their location.
In addition to coupons and specials, I love the vouchers from Restaurant.com. Using coupons and vouchers lowers our out-of-pocket costs while providing a nice outing and food for our family.
In planning for success, arrange coupon redemption by scheduling an outing before the expiration date. Going out to eat is always a special event in our family even though we go multiple times a month.
I especially enjoy watching my 7-year-old figure out how much we paid verses how much we saved. He is very money-conscience, and we openly share the prices with him to teach him good stewardship.
Though I hate losing discounts due to expiration dates, I have bypassed a great deal when money was tight. The note in my calendar reminds me of a free or discount coupon to use, but I may just cross it out if the deal is not right for us. In using time wisely, research your options to make the best decision for feeding your family. Happy choosing and saving!
Question: How do you remember to use restaurant coupons before their expiration dates?
I started to keep my coupons in the car, this way they are always with me 🙂 When my husband is driving I usually go through them to see what is about to expire.
Me, too, Shannon! I’ll share my coupon holder organization on Monday, February 4. When I went through purging, I found some really old coupons from early 2012. Guess I need to purge more often. 🙂