SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Saving money on everyday items and sharing deals with others is Daniel Woodsinger's mission. He has been couponing and racking up savings for the last 10 years and estimates that he's save between $200,000 and $300,000.
Woodsinger first started couponing to cut costs when he was attending pharmacy school in upstate New York.
"It's expensive and I was trying to live on a budget," Woodsinger explained. "I taught myself how to do couponing and it helped me save a lot of money."
Woodsinger now has a large following on his Instagram account @ikillu4coupons, where he posts a variety of deals on all kinds of items.
"I get enjoyment from seeing other people benefit from being able to get those high-end items that maybe they couldn't afford," Woodsinger said.
Woodsinger talked about some methods we can all use to hold on to our money:
Start with a budget
"A lot of times when you’re trying to save money or your saving you end up spending more money," Woodsinger explained. "Because you're like, 'Oh, it's such a good deal,' but do you actually need that product?"
Take advantage of free rewards club programs and apps
"A lot of people pass it up when it only takes 10 seconds," Woodsinger said. "I’ll go to the store and I’ll save $30-40 just by plugging in my phone number."
Do your own research
"Online there's a bunch of websites you can print out coupons from," Woodsinger explained. "There are websites like coupons.com you can search by category and by brand."
Stacking discounts and store member reward with coupons
This is where the savings really adds up. Woodsinger said he will often use coupons with rewards from places like CVS, Walgreens and RiteAid to get the most out of his savings and future purchases.
"Crest toothpaste, say it will be on sale for $3. Well online they have a coupon for $1 off, but then CVS is giving you a $2 extra buck, so you were going to pay $2, but you’re going to get back $2. And you can use that on your next transaction," Woodsinger said.
Follow blogs and websites that do the research for you
Woodesinger says to simply search "online deals" to find coupon and savings blogger who have already found the deals. He recommends The Krazy Coupon Lady and Slick Deals. And, of course, Woodsinger encourages deal-hunters to check out his blog for extraordinary savings on high-end and everyday products.
"It’s overwhelming at first, but once you get going, it’s an addiction," Woodsinger explained. "You’ll never want to pay full price again."
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