Over the past few years, I have worked hard to reduce the amount of stress in my life. I cut ties with overly needy friends. I eliminated unnecessary expenses. I paid off my debt. I started shopping online in order to avoid the crowded shopping malls. And my online shopping further reduced my financial stress when I discovered online coupon codes. Who would have imagined that you could save so much money just by entering a special code at checkout?

My latest coupon code discovery is DealTaker.com. DealTaker partners with more than 2,500 merchants to bring its members thousands of exclusive coupons for their favorite stores. Looking for a Gap coupon code? No problem! Want to buy flowers, candy, or jewelry for your lady? 1-800-Flowers, Nirvana Chocolates, and Zales are just a few of DealTaker’s affiliate partners that can help bring some romance to your next date. Perhaps you’re looking for a printable grocery coupon to take to your local supermarket. DealTaker can even help with that! Don’t have two dimes to rub together? That’s okay too, because DealTaker even has a section for free stuff!

DealTaker has more than 287,000 members, and membership is completely free. Though you don’t have to become a member in order to access the thousands of discounts available there, membership does allow you to communicate with other members through forums.

I love to shop for my dogs, so I am particularly interested in coupons for Doctors Foster and Smith, 1-800-PetMeds, and PetSmart. And being the avid reader that I am, I can’t resist checking out the Books-A-Million coupons! Whether your motivation is stress reduction or just stretching your dollars, I have no doubt that you’ll find what you’re looking for at DealTaker.com too!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

Cheap Stingy Bargains offers printable coupons and online coupon codes for hundreds of popular merchants. As I scanned their list of stores, I was surprised to see Redbox listed there – and Domino’s! That’s right, gentlemen. Cheap Stingy Bargains is looking out for you. If you’re between paychecks and running low on cash, you can still treat that special someone to a cheap stingy date!

You can find a lot more than just a New Promo Code at Cheap Stingy Bargains. The site offers a blog, forums, and a really cool price check feature. Just type in the name of the item you’re searching for, and you’ll be presented with a list of those merchants with the lowest prices. To make a purchase, simply click the link to visit the merchant’s website – and don’t forget to snag a coupon code on the way!

If you’re in the market for a new computer, be sure to check out the list of Newegg and HP coupon codes. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for there, don’t fret. There’s a good Dell Coupon Code too!

With the way the economy is right now, we’re all looking for ways to save a few bucks. Cheap Stingy Bargains makes it easy!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

If you do a lot of online shopping like I do, it’s well worth your time to browse for coupon codes before making your purchases. By simply entering a code a checkout, you can receive a considerable discount. There are a number of coupon websites out there, but http://www.couponchief.com has one of the largest databases of coupons available on the net. They currently work with more than 8,000 merchants and have more than 40,000 coupon codes.

One of the things I really like about Coupon Chief is that in addition to saving money, you can actually earn money by utilizing the website! Their Pays-2-Share program allows you to submit new coupon codes. Whenever one of your codes is used, you’ll receive 2% of the commission earned by Coupon Chief. I just entered two great Books-A-Million coupons and am excited about earning a little cash when they’re used.

I have to share a story about the Doctors Foster and Smith coupons. Cruella’s thyroid medication costs about $30 for a three month supply at the vet’s office. I have been purchasing it through Doctors Foster and Smith for $5.40 with free shipping! And it gets even better! Every time I order this medication, I use a coupon code for $5 off any order. Yes, I pay only 40 cents for three months worth of medication!

Eventually I’ll complete my Total Money Makeover, and I’ll be calling the Dave Ramsey Show to scream, “I’m debt free!” Certain aspects of my lifestyle may change at that point, but one things for certain. I’ll still be using coupon codes!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

I transferred a few prescriptions to Doctors Foster and Smith late last year, and I saved a bundle when I did. I later transferred the others.

You may recall that Cruella requires an injection of Percorten every 25 days. I was paying $133 per injection at the vet’s office. By ordering the medication from Doctors Foster and Smith, I was able to save $18 per injection. Now I’m saving even more.

I belong to a Yahoo Group for owners of dogs with Addison’s Disease. The other members informed me that they are paying even less for their injections by ordering from 1-800-PetMeds. I checked into it, and sure enough. The cost of Cruella’s injection has now gone from $115 to $89!

My online pharmacy experience is limited to Doctors Foster and Smith and 1-800-PetMeds. The service has been great with both, but there are some pretty big differences between the pharmacies.

Doctors Foster and Smith has free shipping on all prescription items, no matter how small the order. My orders usually arrive within 3-4 days. Every order includes a fact sheet about each medication. Doctors Foster and Smith will not price match another pharmacy.

1-800-PetMeds offers free shipping for all orders over $39. I’ve ordered from them three times already, and each order arrived in only 2 days. They do not send a fact sheet with each medication, but they do include some sort of freebie with every order. Two of my orders included a huge dog biscuit, and the other included a sample of Greenies Pill Pockets. 1-800-PetMeds will price match any other online pharmacy. They offer automatic discounts upon checkout, and they send very generous coupon codes to you by email.

As I mentioned, my experience with both companies has been fantastic, but I’ve been relying more on 1-800-PetMeds lately due to the price match feature. I am saving $616 per year on just the Percorten! When you add the other medications, it’s probably $1,000 or more!

If you have pets and are purchasing their meds through a local veterinarian, you owe it to yourself and your pocketbook to look at the alternatives.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

My pocketbook and I have been in tears for the past year and a half, but today was a particularly traumatizing day. Cruella will be undergoing surgery next week – surgery that has been estimated at $1,600 – $1,800. As I scheduled the procedure, I suddenly got a pounding headache. As if the emotional stress weren’t enough, I was now faced with financial stress as well. I’ve been posting stuff for sale on Craig’s List all night, but pretty soon I’ll have nothing left to sell but my own blood. It’s definitely time to push that Total Money Makeover into overdrive.

Your money troubles may not stem from astronomical veterinary expenses. Maybe it’s the high price of gasoline, a mortgage payment you can’t afford, or just old fashioned bad luck. No matter what the origin, you can find hope at bills.com. The free BillsIQ quiz will test your financial fitness in the areas of credit, debt, budget, wealth, and life plan. You’ll receive a BillsIQ score and tips for improving your financial situation.

After taking the quiz, be sure to browse the many resources available at bills.com. You’ll find information on debt consolidation, mortgage loans and refinancing, credit counseling, and much more. There are dozens of helpful articles, all free of charge, and you are under no obligation of any kind.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

I joined MyTotalMoneyMakeover, a subscription based community of folks just like me who are on their way to financial fitness. The website and its members have been amazing. There are some great financial tools available. I’ve picked up lots of money-saving tips. I’ve found support from others in the group. I have managed to make some money by posting items for sale on the message boards. And I can also listen to The Dave Ramsey show commercial free each day.

Thanks to the folks at MyTotalMoneyMakeover, I also found two other great resources. Hot Coupon World is a community of coupon lovers. They trade coupons, share coupon news, and even give advance notice of upcoming store sales. It’s completely free to join. The Grocery Game is a subscription based site that can save you a ton of money on your weekly grocery bill by helping you find the best possible prices on the items you need. The site shows tracks weekly store sales and tells you where to find coupons to combine with those sales. You can get many of your items at a deep discount or even completely free!

In case you can’t tell, I love coupons – almost as much as I love personalized pens. I have even been trading coupons with a lady in Pittsburgh. We exchanged lists of the items we use on a regular basis, and we’ve both scored some great coupons this way! If anyone in the Knoxville area is interested in coupon trading, let me know. I’d like to arrange a weekly coupon trade. And as I have mentioned several times in the past, I hope that some of you will decide to join me in a Total Money Makeover!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

I have always found glasses to be very attractive on men. Not all glasses, mind you. And certainly not all men. But in general, men in glasses appeal to me. They look intelligent. Ambitious. Sophisticated. And many of them, like my best friend, look downright sexy.

Finding a pair of glasses that not only corrects your vision, but also enhances your natural beauty doesn’t have be a costly endeavor. Zenni Optical is the perfect solution for those of us on a budget. No middlemen, no retail overhead, and virtually no advertising expenses allow Zenni to offer their inventory for very affordable prices. Glasses start at just $8 per pair!

Zenni eyeglasses are high quality, durable, safe, and comfortable. In addition to the $8 Zenni Optical Rx Eyeglasses, there are some higher end products as well. Some Zenni glasses are priced at a whopping $19 per pair! Lenses offered include single vision, sunsensor, bifocal, and progressive. You can even have your lenses tinted for only $4.95!

I am fortunate not to require prescription eyeglasses at this time. The fact that I have glaucoma, however, makes it pretty darn likely that I’ll be wearing them in the future. And personally, I don’t want to bust my Total Money Makeover budget with overpriced spectacles. You can bet I’ll be checking out Zenni Optical when the time comes. Dave Ramsey would be proud! And speaking of the very sexy Dave Ramsey, I wonder if he got his glasses at Zenni Optical?

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

A couple of people have recently asked about the programs I use to earn extra cash here on The Kat House. There are several, but I’d like to focus first on my favorite – Pepperjam Network (PJN). Prior to signing on with PJN six months ago, I had given affiliate marketing a try with Commission Junction. The result wasn’t pretty. I earned $9.61, which is still sitting in my account today. With a minimum payout of $50, I’m more likely to be struck by lightning than to ever see a check from Commission Junction.

I earned $60 in commissions my very first month with Pepperjam Network. And with a minimum payout of only $25, I actually received a payment! I’ve received several payments since. I promote a number of merchants and programs through PJN, but my favorite (and the one I’ve had the most success with) is Pepperjam Network’s own referral program.

If you’ve ever considered trying your hand at affiliate marketing, now is the time to give Pepperjam Network a try. During the entire month of August, new affiliates will receive a $10 sign on bonus. That means you only need to earn $15 more to receive your first payment! And it gets better. If you choose to promote the Pepperjam Network Referral Program, you’ll earn $7 for each new referral you get from now until the end of this month. Afterward, your commission will drop to $5 per referral, which is still a good payout. On top of all that, you can receive another $10 for each post you write to promote PJN – up to five posts per month! That’s some serious income potential, folks!

Pepperjam Network partners with hundreds of great merchants, so you’re sure to find products and services to fit the theme of your blog. The website is extremely user friendly, unlike many of the other affiliate networks. Pepperjam Chat allows you to chat with your affiliate managers directly from the PJN website. And another feature that I absolutely love is the Pepperjam Network Blog. You’ll find tips on increasing your earnings, interviews with successful affiliates, and breaking news on the latest merchants to partner with PJN.

If you’re serious about making some extra cash, I hope you’ll give Pepperjam Network a try.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

My Total Money Makeover is progressing pretty nicely so far. I’ve become very coupon conscious, using them whenever I possibly can – but only on items I would normally buy anyway. I’m doing a great job at sticking to the budget, and I am really surprised at how much money I have managed to save on food and toiletries just by paying with cash instead of the debit card.

I canceled my pest control service. And now I’m considering eliminating my land line and keeping only the cell phone. Most everyone calls the cell phone anyway, but I’m still paying more than $40 per month for the land line. I may have to bump up my cell phone plan if I get rid of the land line, but the next plan is only $20 more per month. I would still cut $20 in phone expenses each month.

I have recently become addicted to Lifetime Movie Network. Those movies just suck me in. I have to pry myself away when one movie ends, or a whole day could easily be consumed. And considering that I have just four more months to study before taking the SPHR exam, I can’t afford to spend much time in front of the tube. Once I reach the wealth building stage of my Total Money Makeover, I may have to invest in home theater seating and a popcorn machine – paid for with cash, of course!

You know how great it feels when someone you’ve missed so very much calls and tells you he misses you too? Yeah. I love that feeling. It was the best part of my weekend.

Have a great week!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

Apparently I’ve since turned into an old fart, and my excitement now comes from getting a $4 discount on an oil change. Yep, I’ve been waiting for Tuesday to roll around since last week. I rushed to Express Oil Change after work today for my Ladies’ Day discount. This place is awesome. You never even have to leave your car! You just pull in and pull out 10 minutes later! So not only did I get super duper service, a $4 discount, and absolutely no wait, but they even gave me a beautiful red rose! Is that cool or what?

Do any of you Knoxville residents know of any other cool Ladies’ Day offers around town? Details, please!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.