I've always been a fan of discount books such as the Entertainment books. They are pricey if you get them at full price, but you can usually purchase them through a club or organization that makes a good profit. Plus, the price goes down as the books get older. Most coupons expire on 1 November of the listed year, so prices start falling in the winter and by summer, the books are very cheap.
Now that we don't live in the US, I'm obviously not regularly purchasing discount coupon books. However, they can still be a good value for vacation savings. The Kashman family is headed on a trip back to the States this summer, and I've just taken advantage of the Entertainment book's current promotion of $9.99 for the book, plus free shipping.
My mom always says that she doesn't use any of the things that have coupons in the Entertainment book, but I completely disagree. Even people on very, very tight budgets have to spend some money occasionally. I haven't seen this year's book yet, but in previous years our local edition has included coupons for $5 off a $50 grocery order, or free coffee, or discounts on oil changes and dry cleaning. I'm sure there are some people who truly can not use any of the offers. In my experience, however, if you live in an area served by a book, they are nearly always worth the money.
In addition to the paper coupons offered in the book, a purchase gives you online access to downloadable coupons and discount codes for travel. I've usually found the Entertainment book codes to give me the best rates on car rental, which is important when we fly back to America.
If you've been wondering about the Entertainment books, or are vacationing somewhere that has a book, this might be exactly the right time for you to try it. Let me know what you think.
