One savvy mom uses coupons to save $2,200 each Christmas — spending just $26 on her holiday lunch and $100 on gifts for her family of four.
Dianne Debarros, 34, uses tips she finds online and in newspapers to get cash from her shopping – to help with the cost of raising her family.
When food prices began to rise after the pandemic, the mother of two became obsessed with using coupons to help lower her food bill.
She decided to see how much she could save over Christmas and managed to buy and cook her own Christmas lunch for just $26 – which includes chicken, potatoes, vegetables and stuffing.
Dianne spends $100 on gifts – a dollhouse, Paw Patrol toys, for her daughters Annabella, six, and Lillianna, four, and Bluetooth headphones for her husband, Tom Stitzel, 40.
Dianne, a digital freelancer from Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, said: “We’ve been doing this for a few years now.
“There are several different ways to fight so that we don’t have big expenses at Christmas.
“Instead of doing turkey, we did chicken because it’s less expensive, that was one of our cost saving things that we do because turkey is so expensive.
“In terms of our grocery store, for the meal we definitely try to stay within our $30 grocery budget.
“Last year we spent $26 and it fed four adults and two children – we had that much left over.”
Dianne started couponing in 2017 – using websites, apps and shopping aisles for the best deals.
“Coupons come out on a rotating basis in Canada,” she said.
“Each week you can go to new stores and get coupons in the aisle.
“You can use cashback apps and digital coupons.
“We use coupons mostly for our grocery budget to make it $30 a week.
“There are also many programs you can sign up for. I got free make-up, diapers – you can get all kinds of things.”
Last Christmas, the extreme couponer spent just $100 on her Christmas gifts for her family and saved $2,200.
She said: “One thing we bought was a playhouse that was originally $219 that was on sale for $50.
“There was also a wooden swing set the same day that was originally $599 and was for $50.
“Setting a budget for Christmas gifts and spending is definitely the best way to make sure we don’t go over budget.
“Plus creating a meal plan that includes less expensive options — chicken instead of turkey, seasonal or local vegetables versus high-cost imports.
“Having the family around, have them bring home-made dessert – this will keep costs down for everyone and is a great way to get the kids involved in helping to create the meal.
“My sister-in-law brings all the baking supplies and I bake with the kids—they feel a sense of contribution and it’s bonding time with their aunt.”
Dianne’s Top Coupon Tips –
- Set a budget
- Download grocery apps for the best deals
- Buy second hand wherever possible
- Substituting turkey for chicken
- Split ingredients to save costs
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Image Source : nypost.com