BOOK REVIEW: “Create Your Own Money-Saving Adventure”

I recently received the book Create Your Own Money-Saving Adventure (The Standard Edition) (Volume 1)” by Utah’s own Melea Johnson, owner of the popular site Freebies2Deals. This book was a simple, quick read, and can easily be read in one sitting while waiting to pick your kids up from school, or waiting at the doctor’s office.

Why I haven’t couponed or looked for deals in the past, and how this book has helped me personally:

You may have noticed that I don’t post very many deals and discounts on Enjoy Utah. To be honest, it’s because couponing and searching for discounts has always seemed overwhelming, scary and too much work for me. I once clipped a coupon for Secret deodorant, only to find out it was a waste of my time because the store brand was cheaper, even with the coupon I clipped. I gave up, and decided to just continue to purchase the cheaper brands.

One of the first pages of this books talks exactly about what I experienced. The book states “If you use the coupon alone on regular priced items, you will find that the store brands are always cheaper. If you do this, you will mistakenly get frustrated thinking that coupons don’t save you money. Stacking coupons and an in-store sale is KEY to saving money”!

This paragraph alone is what made me want to read more of the book and learn more.

Another reason I haven’t got into couponing is because, silly as it sounds, I “feel bad” for the store I am using the coupon at, and feel like I am cheating them out of money by using coupons. Melea explains in this book that not only do you benefit from using coupons, but it’s beneficial to the store as well.

“On each coupon, it states that the manufacturer will reimburse the store for the face value of the coupon plus a handling amount…So places like Wal-Mart and Target are profiting 8-16 cents for every single coupon you use.”

I was not aware of this before reading this book, and can now let go of my guilty conscience when it comes to using coupons.

Another reason I haven’t looked for deals in the past is because, honestly, I don’t know the difference between a good deal and a not-so-good price. Melea has included her own personal price points in this book, and explains the difference amounts and what is a good deal compared to a not very good deal.

One thing I noticed in this book is that it gives a lot of details about national chains such as Target and Wal-Mart. Because I like to shop local and support a lot of local businesses, I wasn’t sure if this book was going to be helpful to me. I am excited to say that because of the tips and tricks I learned from reading this book, I can save money on things I can’t buy locally, which will free up more money to buy local and support the local businesses I love!

Why everybody can relate to this book:

This isn’t one of those books that you read, get motivated, then give up after a while and never pick up the book again. Because of its “Choose your own adventure” style, it’s a great resource book to have on hand and refer to over and over again depending on what stage of couponing and deal searching you are going through. Because I don’t coupon or look for deals very often, I read it from cover to cover, and learned a ton! At the end of each chapter, it gives you two options to customize your own adventure. You can skip ahead to a certain page number, or continue on to the next chapter.

I also love that this book teaches you how to save money even if you do not want to clip and use coupons. Not only does it teach you to save money on groceries, but on travel and vacations as well.

Melea also acknowledges that each person does things differently, and doesn’t just present one way to do things. She gives a few different ways to organize coupons, and lets the reader decide which way is best for them.

Each chapter is full of tips and tricks highlighted in a big black circle, which makes them easy to find at a quick glance.

If you are already an avid deal-seeker and coupon-clipper, there is also a section on getting out of debt and saving money. It goes through each step of getting out of debt, and easy ways to track your spending and debt.

Purchase the book:

For a limited time, the book is available for $7 instead of the regular price of $12.99. Follow the link below to purchase this book, and while you are at it, purchase a few to give out as gifts to friends and neighbors. The special book release discount will only be available until February 26, 2014.

If you are an Amazon Prime member, the book will ship completely free. If not, the book ships free for everyone once they hit $35 in one order. You can also just pay the shipping fee, which should only be a few dollars.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of the above book to read for my review. I was not compensated financially, nor was I required or persuaded to write any specific type of review. The opinions and views expressed in this review are all my own.