I can't wait for this show! I'm hoping to learn a thing or two about being more THRIFTY! I about cry each time I go to the grocery store these days or sit down to write out checks for our monthly bills, the money goes so fast and our economy is so very scary.

Please, please, Show us the way to get coupons!!! I can never find them they are not in the paper on sunday and if you go online they want you to sign up and give them a monthly fee.

I need help please tell me where to find these money saving coupons everyone says they use!!!!

nailsbytrac@sbcglobal.net

Tracy

I'm also looking forward to this show. With my even billing gas/electric bill going up $100 next month, my gas expense for my car up $200/month since Dec 2004, and all the other rising costs....it will be good to hear these cost savings ideas.

I recently buckled down and started really tracking my mileage for work. In the past, filling out those tedious expense forms didn't seem worth it for just the difference of the trip to the airport vs. the office, or other short local trips. But, those short trips add up! I'm getting $100 next month, just for little trips here and there. And, they are all legitmate business expenses that I had just been "eating" in the past. What was I thinking! It's partly laziness. But, it's also easier to get caught up in "important" work instead of putting yourself first. And, your own personal finances are VERY important. And, a good company does not want to stick these expenses on the employee. That's why they provide the forms!

Oops! I violated house rules! Let's see if I can help you without breaking the rules.

Most businesses these days have websites, including grocery chains. These websites can often contain coupons and specials that you can get at the store or coupons you can print out and take to the store. They may have a clearance or sales section. Also, you can often sign up to be on a company's mailing list so that you're informed of upcoming special offers and such. Or, perhaps for being a member, you get special perks not offered to other customers. If you have a store that you frequent, look them up. That store may just have a way for you to save with them.

I am a HEAVY coupon user!! I can't wait to see this show!!

Coupons can be found in most Sunday papers, several different websites to print from (google printable coupons), Ebay, or you can join a Couponers forum. My favorite is Hot Coupon World. THey are the best!!

Stockpiling is the other key to cutting your grocey bill. Buy enough to last the next 12 weeks (or more) til the next sales cycle comes around. That means you bought everything at the lowest price possible and are not buying it again at the regular price. Everytime you go to the store it seems like the prices have went up.

I noticed from the previews that the Heinz family is featured. I saw their Parade article not too long ago. I was very impressed, and certainly hope to hear more valuable information today. I hope they get some serious stage time.

Hi Tracy,

Go to the websites of the brands you use the most. Many of them have coupons on their sites.

Toni

When it comes to thrift I just think back to what it was like when I was a dirt poor student.

When buying groceries I stuck to very simple foods (pasta, tomato sauce, beans, potatoes, spinach, oatmeal, bread, peanutbutter) toothpaste, soap, and deodorant. Everything else was luxury!

Now days I am a grown up and much more clever about making cheap healthy meals - (goulash and soup!) but the principles are the same. My attitude is think like a pioneer - and eat like one

Hi All,

Arent all these "tips and tricks" this what our parents and grandparents did when they lived thru the Depression and other bad economic times....

These are all things that we all should've learned from our parents...."don't spend more than you make,"

For them, it was a matter of survival...there were no credit card offers looming in their mailbox every day to give them a temporary bailout. Our problem is that we have been living with credit card mainia for so long, that we don't even understand how the rest of the world lives...and the rest of the world who live with $1/day understand this principle much more than we do.

Developing nations and people all over the world who must live with what they have learn to make the most of every available resource creatively. I know that I can certainly learn from that as well.

It's time I wake up and live within my means. We, in America, are the ones with our heads in the sand.

Woodnshoe from Indiana

I have been a couponer and thrifty person ever since I got married 10 yrs ago. Living within my families means is very important to us. Oprah was very correct when she said that "all that kids really want is time, time with their parents". I was featured in the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this year on the topic of Frugal Family Fun. Like Sue Heinz said "its all about using your local resources".

Thrift stores are our families "Best Friend". Also going to children resales during the spring and fall help save our family money. Every year the Salvation Army Thrift stores here in Chicagoland have a Back to School sale where kids clothes sizes 0-16 are .49¢ each. I have 3 boys so I usually only have to buy for our oldest and this year I spent $22 on a wardrobe for him for the fall and that was for 2 different sizes. I got over 40 pieces of clothing for $22, including a winter coat. This may take some time as you have to go through the racks and find the size and make sure it has lots of life left in it, but to me Time is Money and in this case I am saving lots money so it is so worth my time.

Our family also takes advantage of "Kids Eat Free" nights. This past spring our family of 5 plus my nephew were able to eat dinner at LoneStar Steakhouse for $35. $35 for 6 people for dinner at LoneStar to me is really good, especially since my DH splurged and got a steak meal.

For those interested in more info on the topic of couponing or living thrifty, do a google search for Frugal Living, Living Frugal, Thrifty living, Saving money with Coupons, or Money Saving Tips. Anything along those lines will bring up some really great websites. Also, the blog world is filled with info on these topics. If you use Google Blog Search using these same search words, you will get lots of info.

I agree with the person above who said "living like the pioneer days". America as a whole needs to get "back to the basics" and "live within our means" .

Looking forward to more responses on this topic!! GREAT show today!

Hii my name is Shandy McCauley I live in Chicago, 23 years old, a college student. My grandmother, whom I lived with all my life, has just passed away. I am now the head of the household. I am looking for ways to pay rent, bills and food on a part time job. Now I do have a low income apartment but finding ways to budget and possibly save money is what is on my mind. I love the shows on Oprah about saving money but sometimes its hard to relate because I don't make 30-50 thousand dollars a year i make 300 dollars every two weeks. I do have debt because I didn't listen to my granny and I went to college and got credit cards got depressed and bought... I don't know what I bought. Right now I don't stress about the debt because I don't have the money to pay it off so I don't stress about that now but I want to start the journey to improving the quality of my life in every way. I don't want to have to get to age 50 to get my life together. If I can get some things together for myself by age 30 would be nice.

MY QUESTION ABOUT TODAY'S SHOW IS WHAT ARE SOME OF THE COUPON WEBSITES
I AM OPEN TO WAYS TO SAVE AND BUDGET FROM ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW

THANK YOU AND REST IN PEACE MAE FRANCES LYONS MY GRANDMOTHER LOVE YOU ALWAYS

I watched this show this morning, it was great, I got a lot of good ideas! I have a question, I'm sure a specific company/vendor cannot be specified, BUT - how can I go about finding the prepaid, $5.00 a month cell phone service. I've spent 1-1/2 hours since watching the show trying to find this information and haven't found it yet. PLEASE HELP......

Also, with the stockmarket tumbling and so much of the news/talk shows/political debates focused on our economy and what we as individuals can do about it; almost no one has discussed the already retired senior and what he/she can do to control/protect what we have invested. Our days of contributing to savings/investments are over - WE NEED TO MAKE OUR FUNDS LAST OUR LIFETIME. I would ask Oprah to have Susie Orman or another money expert to spend more time on this subject, soon! Thank you, Mimi

This show was great! Does anyone know the name of the company or website the families used to trade their homes? What a good idea.

This also may be against house rules, but I saw a story today about 2 couples who traded their homes. I never heard what website they used is there any way to find out?

Thank You,

Cassandra

Hi, here is a link to today's show page: http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20081008_thriftiest

Check back later today for full coverage of today's show. Thanks!

-HarpoBear, Oprah.com Community Producer