MONEY MATTERS--GUEST AUTHOR SUSAN SANTANGELO ON SERIAL CLIPPERS

photo by Carol Pyles from Winter Haven, FL, US

Susan Santangelo is the author of the bestselling humorous Baby Boomer mystery series. Book 6 in the series, Second Honeymoons Can Be Murder, will be released on February 16th. She divides her time between Cape Cod, MA and the Gulf Coast of Florida and shares her life with two very spoiled English cocker spaniels who serve as the model for her books' covers. Learn more about Susan and her books at her website. 

I’m Married To A Serial Clipper!

Not a serial killer. Or a cereal killer. Nope. I’m married to a serial coupon clipper, who’ll clip any coupon, and shop in any store, for any item – even those we don’t need and will never use – just because he thinks he’s saving a few pennies.

And I bet I’m not the only woman who lives with a serial clipper. What is it about retired men and coupons? The longer my Personal Beloved is retired, the more coupons he clips. I mean, the man is so in love with his coupons that he springs up from bed on any given morning and heads right for the newspaper, scissors in hand. He’s quivering with excitement – the same way he used to quiver with excitement for, ahem, other reasons, back in the day. Way back in the last century. I call it Obsessive Coupon Disorder, OCD. And there’s no magical little blue pill to help with that problem, unfortunately.

In my sixth Baby Boomer mystery, Second Honeymoons Can Be Murder, my protagonist, Carol Andrews, is dealing with exactly the same issue with her retired husband, Jim. The good news for Carol, however, is that despite a few “setbacks,” no coupons were clipped to make the Florida trip happen. Jim actually left his scissors at home.

           

If any of you have tips for dealing with a serial clipper, please share them. Maybe we should start an online support group!

Second Honeymoons Can Be Murder

Carol Andrews can’t believe her luck when her husband, Jim, surprises her with a second honeymoon trip to Florida. But there’s a catch – it’s really a business trip, not the romantic getaway Carol expects. Jim’s been called out of retirement to create a marketing plan for a new television game show aimed at Baby Boomers, The Second Honeymoon Game, and the pilot episode will be shot in the Sunshine State. The honeymoon is really over when the show’s executive producer, none other than Carol’s grammar school boyfriend, winds up dead on Carol and Jim’s first night in Florida. And their son, Mike, is the police’s number one suspect.

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LIVING ON A SHOESTRING WITH GUEST AUTHOR LYNETTE SOFRAS

A former English teacher, Lynette Sofras gave up a high level career in education to focus on her writing a few years ago, thus fulfilling her lifelong dream. She mainly writes women fiction, often with suspense and/or a supernatural twist. When not producing novels, she works as an editor and writing tutor at 24houranswers.com. Learn more about Lynette and her books at her website and blog.

It's said that most Americans will experience poverty at some point in their lives, particularly inner city or rural dwellers. What seems almost ludicrous to me is that as the world advances in so many ways, poverty is steadily increasing. In the UK, the dramatic rise in the number of people using food banks is testament to the fact that poverty is no longer a third world issue.

When times are tight, there are numerous ways you can cut back on expenses to save money for essentials. You don't have to starve or live in misery, thanks to food banks and the supermarket price wars. Buying budget brands doesn't always mean sacrificing quality and essential nutrition. In the UK, stores like Lidl and Aldi are forcing competition and the big name supermarkets are having to downprice accordingly. If you don't want to switch loyalties, try switching brands for a month to see how much you can save. Search for offers and money-off vouchers in free magazines or the Internet. Visit markets, boot/garage sales and auction houses to hunt down cheaper alternatives.

Foregoing expensive forms of entertainment for a short while can also help you save pennies. Cut out fancy restaurants and get experimental in the kitchen. Visit museums and libraries and broaden your mind for free or simply get healthy with a walk in the park and perhaps a picnic lunch.

While I've never known real deprivation, I did go through a period of financial hardship when I was bringing up a young child with virtually no support from the father, while putting myself through university and beyond to ensure I could provide for us both in the future. It is perhaps hardly surprising, therefore, that money issues infiltrate some of my novels. In my latest romantic suspense, The Nightclub, two half-sisters, fleeing a pretty dreadful past, find themselves living hand to mouth and surviving only with great difficulty. Money is so tight, they have to live in a squalid flat, shop at charity shops or scavenge for market bargains, and re-use teabags to save pennies. But they have each other, determination and ambition.

The Nightclub

Trying to make a living for her teenage sister and herself, naïve Laura Hamilton accepts a job offer as a hostess at an infamous London nightclub. As she struggles to survive in a world of sex, drugs and corruption, she certainly doesn't expect to find her own knight in shining armour in the club's owner, Julian. But will he really save her from a future as a fallen woman? And is he involved in the criminal organisation that threatens not only her sister's life, but will change her own fate forever?

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MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--COUPON CODES

Posting today is Sheila Conway, American Woman’s money guru.  Even if you’re not in the financial abyss I’m stuck in (really, how many of you have a loan shark breathing down your necks?), in these economic times we can all use a little help making those Washingtons, Lincolns, and Hamiltons stretch a bit further.  Sheila will post from time to time, offering tips to help you do just that.-- AP

Sheila here.  And happy to be part of Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers even though I want no part of killers -- crafty or otherwise -- unless we’re talking about killing a few pounds.  I’m all for that, and thanks to health editor Janice Kerr’s post last week, I’m now walking more. 

Before I go any further, first, a disclaimer:  I am neither an accountant, a banker, nor a stock broker.  So I won’t be offering advice in my blog posts on the nitty gritty of finance.  No suggested stocks to buy.  No questions answered regarding IRAs or 401Ks.  No discussions on money markets vs. bonds.  What I will offer are practical tips for helping busy women make the most of the money they have.  Because when you do that, you wind up with more money. 

Today I’d like to tell you about a little used source of shopper savings.  We all clip coupons, right?  Personally, my dream is one day to have enough money that I don’t have to clip grocery coupons every week.  Realistically, that’s only going to happen if I win the lottery, and how realistic is that?  Especially since I don’t buy lottery tickets.  Enough about me, though.  How many of you check the Internet before you shop?

The Internet offers a wealth of discounts, whether you’re shopping online or the old-fashioned way by actually going to a store.  Whenever you order something online, first do a search of the retailer’s name, followed by “coupon codes.”  Even if the site isn’t offering any deals at the moment, there may be multiple offers still available.  I recently ordered some clothing from an online retailing who was having a 25% off sale.  The homepage gave the coupon code to enter at checkout to receive the discount.  However, by doing a quick search, I discovered another still valid coupon code that not only gave me the 25% discount but also included free shipping.  I saved an additional $12 by spending a minute or two doing an online search.

In addition, before going shopping or out to eat, you should make a practice of first checking the store or restaurant website.  Sometimes special offers are listed right on the website homepage, but often you have to hunt them down.  Search for the retailer’s name, followed by “store coupon,”  or the restaurant name, followed by “discount offer” or “coupon.” 

In these tough economic times retailers and restaurants are offering more and more incentives to lure in customers and diners.  Become a savvy consumer and take advantage of these offers.  

Have a tip for saving money or stretching your dollars?  Let's hear from you.  Everyone who posts a comment this week will be entered in a drawing to win a book donated by our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP