Meet the Scrimpers- Darren
I'm really excited for today's interview. I'm interviewing the secret man behind the famous Facebook page: Savvy Couponing and Cashback. This page has over 11.5 thousand likes and even more people who engage daily, so I am flattered to be able to interview Darren and that he took the time to answer my questions.
Hi Darren, thanks for joining me today!
My first question is something I ask everyone, what made you start saving money?
Well, I wouldn’t say I ever started saving money. It’s just something I’ve always done. I always shopped around for the best deals etc.
You must have benefited a lot from it then, can you tell us the best things you've taken away from money saving?
The thing I've taken from money saving is the mentality of trying to get more for less. When you save money, you get more from what you spend then when you just spend randomly. Who would want to spend more than what was necessarily needed?
What new things have saving money allowed you to do that otherwise wouldn't be possible?
Not spending money on groceries means extra treats like meals out or even the odd cheeky weekend away. Anything you want really.
Oh, and stockpiling! Here's some pictures of mine:
That's very true. Do you have a favourite way of saving money then?
Couponing and Cashback of course! We have tried so much stuff for FREE (sorry, I always type FREE in capitals, you may have noticed from my page) thanks to this; loads of things, in fact, that never before would have considered. Some stuff is good and other things not so much…a particular yoghurt brand springs to mind yuk !! Other than that RTC (reduced to clear) is also fun. You can’t really go wrong when you manage to get a weeks worth of fruit and veggies for under 20p ;)
To say the least! Is couponing and cashback the most efficient way for you of saving money then?
Actually I'd say it's definitely RTC. There are no overheads involved such as printer ink or paper and it's less effort: just go to the shop and wait until around 7pm.
I must say I am lucky though as I live only 5 minutes away from a big Tesco so no travelling costs are involved . You would have to factor in petrol if you lived further away.
I agree with you there, we've got great deals via RTC too.
So, the question I've personally been dying to ask is about your Facebook page. What made you start it?
It struck me that people were just going to the supermarket and filling their trollies with the same old stuff; with no consideration given to price or brand. Then, they would run out of money and not be able to do the other stuff that they would like to do. So, as I am paying next to nothing for my shopping, I thought could I start a page that would just help people to realise that if you just cut out a coupon you can get something for FREE.
That coupon might only be £1, but before you know it £1 becomes £2 then £10 and on it goes. Same goes for cashback sites, lots of FREE stuff = money saved for other stuff. So I made my first post and the rest is history!
Do you have any goals for 2017?
Yes, to make Savvy Couponing and Cashback the best it can be.
20000 followers would be nice. The positivity that I have received from people has been excellent and in my opinion positivity breeds more positivity; it just inspires me to carry on and to make it bigger and better. So, hopefully it will continue to grow and help more and more people save money and do more of the things that they would like to do!
That sounds like a great New Year's resolution. Best of luck!
Before we end this Q&A, do you have any last tips for us?
Yes, stick with it. Couponing and cashback can seem daunting at first. On the face of it, it looks like lots of work for 20p here and there. But once you get your head around it , the amounts of money you can save can make all the difference to your family budget.
Thank you so much Darren for taking the time to join me today.
Here's a link to his page if you haven't checked it out already!
The Frugal Teen