Meet Jaci Rae

The Value of a Dollar - Saving Money Jaci Rae's Story

Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free or next to it is about saving money, but first I wanted to share the story about how I came to learn how to get something for nothing or next to it. Even though my story is quite different today, I still use these same tricks to save money and get the most bang for my buck. Something I want to help you do with the information on this site and in my book.

I have been to the depths of financially disparity and I don't want you to have to suffer the same. I know what it's like and I have been there pinching pennies since I was very young, which is why I can say I have been in the trenches. I don't like to shop, but I enjoy saving money and that's what my latest book, Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free or Next to It is all about, saving money.

I grew up as a poor child, who came home with a key around her neck. I 'cooked' my first meal for my older brother when I was five by pouring raw macaroni and cheese into a bowl of water and graciously handing it to him. I had seen babysitters do it in the past (except of course they had really cooked it), I just didn't know about cooking or directions!

Macaroni and cheese was what we were given to eat every night except when guests were over. When we had babysitters, sometimes they would cook it for us and let us eat it, other times they would eat it and make us watch them while we stayed hungry.

Lunch at school was not available for me, I had no clue where the other children got their lunches, so I went hungry most of the time. Unfortunately I learned to use food as my control device later on. These experiences taught me at a very early age to dream big about the things I wanted, but that dreaming wasn't enough. I learned that you had to have a plan and that money made that plan easier to achieve.

The Wizard of Oz and the Sound of Music were my all time favorite movies and from the tender age of three I sang Over the Rainbow and Edelweiss with great hope for the future. I started working officially with a work permit at the age of 12 as a waitress and worked in various jobs from operator for an answering service (illegally overnight as I was a minor), movie store rental clerk, housekeeper and accounting clerk to name a few, all before I was 16.

By 15, I was supporting myself because I had dropped out of High School when the buses stopped coming to my area. I had no other way of getting to school other than walking the 6.9 miles each way. We lived in the backwoods country. I earned some money from my music, but not a lot, however that was my dream. I was going to be a famous singing star (what I didn't realize at the time was that fame didn't equate to money, it just meant everyone else got your money and you may end up with nothing!)

I re-entered school and finished my High School career with no real hopes of college and only a distant dream. I was too poor to attend college, I didn't know about Junior College and I didn't have the grades for an academic scholarship. Although I had dreamed of playing sports and even ran with the track team in their practices, sports had never been part of my life because I couldn't afford to pay the fees and so an athletic scholarship was never part of the equation.

However, because of my background in music, I was offered a $10,000 a year music scholarship at a prestigious music college, but the cost per year was $25,000 not including cost of living and I had never heard of grants. When I heard my classmates beaming about their plans for a future at a University or Junior College, I finally had the courage to approach someone about the possibilities of me attending college and how I could make that happen.

I mistakenly asked a school counselor (who was filling in for my counselor for the week) how someone like me could attend college. He told me that I was not the type for college and I should just get a job or get married because that would be the best I could hope for. I walked away believing him.

After graduation, I was headed for New York, where I had an apartment, a job and big dreams of being a Broadway star. Amazingly just before I left, I met my father by shear accident, having not seen him since I was a year old. He talked me into renting the apartment next to his in Pennsylvania.

My dreams of having a real family overrode my desire for New York and Broadway, I was so excited that I leapt at the chance. However, I soon found that the reality was much starker, when my father left me abandoned without having anyway to see his side of the family. Later my favorite uncle divulged to me that his only motive for wanting me near, and in his life was to avoid paying back child support. This broke my heart.

By that time I was all of a 17 year old and stuck in a little town in the middle of nowhere, living next door to a father who wouldn't give me the time of day. New York, my job and my apartment were long gone and too far away to even dream about. At 17 I was working as a waitress and I was so poor and hungry, that I ate out of garbage cans many times. I learned how to make lettuce taste like a gourmet meal by boiling it, baking or frying it usually with pepper and a lot of imagination because that was all I could afford. As a real treat I would buy cabbage.

Christmas can be a very lonely time when you have no family around and no money. I once took the money that was slotted for the electric bill, and went out to buy a dozen cookies from the baker, hot cocoa and peanut M&M's for a Christmas treat. I didn't have a phone so I couldn't call home and I was too far away in the dead of winter from any pay phones.

One of my neighbors lent me a fake Christmas tree, which I decorated with the few ornaments I had been given during my childhood and I sat gazing at the Christmas tree, gorging on food to fill my empty heart with hopes for the future that would include lots of money, so I would never feel like this again.

While I could never count on money, I could always count on rent being due on the 1st, money needed for food, and not paying the electric bill putting me in big trouble. While I could do without a phone, I couldn't live without heating in sub-zero temperatures.

When I finally cried Uncle in that little town, I called up my neighbor and told her I was going to walk across America until I arrived safely home. (I couldn't afford bus fare let alone a plane ticket.) I thought that at least where I grew up, I would have family and friends around to help ease the pain and loneliness I had been suffering all this time.

Once I was home, a new set of problems arose. While rent was less expensive and heating was included, I now had my family and friends, their birthdays and Christmas to contend with. At the age of 19 I was too embarrassed to say I didn't have the money for the extra's when I could barely afford the bus fare to get to work and school.

By then, I had begun attending junior college, and eating out or extra activities on the weekend with friends was a definite no, so I had to learn to economize even more and figure out ways to give gifts without paying very much money and have fun with no money. I learned how to buy groceries without sacrificing my rent and pay for other essentials with not much more than sheer willpower.

That's part of my short story. Because my path was so hard, I was inspired to learn how to save money and get something for nothing, but my struggle with money has been much like anyone else's. People either have it or they don't. You are either in the 'have's' or the 'have not's.' Most often, I didn't have the money and was in the 'have not' category.

Like many, I worked hard, but something always ate away at the money and I quickly learned how to be thrifty, save money and get the most bang for my buck. Back in the day, I was often asked how I accomplished buying the things I did when I was barely able to afford to eat. I was always happy to share my tips and tricks. Now I want to share the tips and tricks I learned along my journey with you.

Inside this book are some of the tricks of my trade. You will learn to be thrifty, but not cheap. This book will help those who always seem to be living on the verge of having almost enough, but never quite enough, or worse yet, in financial desperation as I often found myself. The strategies in this book are great for everyone, with or without money however, as we can all use money saving tips and tricks. Money is hard earned and hard to come by for most of us.

I have been there, done that and figured a way out of my financial crises on more than one occasion. With the desperation of today's economy, many people are struggling just to meet basic needs. Unfortunately, for the first time in American history, we are living off accumulated debt and most people aren't worth even close to what they owe.

As an added pressure to our economic insecurity, we are importing our goods from other countries and even though most won't admit it and it's not showing the worst signs yet, I believe we are losing the economic battle to stay afloat in this country.

With wages not commiserative with the cost of living and jobs being taken away right and left after they are shipped overseas, the crunch is on just to survive. The 'American Dream' is fading fast with families working two or three jobs a day to get ahead and barely survive. The middle class can no longer live in comfort, they must struggle to survive. The declining middle class makes those in poverty stricken areas even more desperate. We are all in trouble.

While back in the day it may have been possible to have the 'American Dream' if you worked hard, it doesn't seem possible anymore. So how can we support their families and get back to the 'American Dream?' By saving money and learning to be frugal consumers.

That's what my book is all about. Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free or Next to It can help anyone, whether they have a lot of money or none at all, get the most bang for their buck. My hope is that with this book, you will begin to see that light at the end of the financial doomsday tunnel and that there really is a way out of total financial devastation.

Hope is a terrible thing to lose and harder yet to get back, but I really want to offer you hope with this book, because life is expensive, but that doesn't mean you can't live and live well. Yes, life is expensive, but it doesn't have to be as expensive as you are used too! There are many items that can be free or purchased for a small fraction of what you are used to paying.

So how can you still have a life, pay for your basic necessities and afford at least a few basic pleasures? You can afford more than just these few basic pleasures as well as buy the gifts you want and need to have. You can even have a date night at least once a week, with very little money. So come along with me and Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae and let me show you how I turned nothing into something and made money along the way.

Excerpts from Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae
How to Get Almost Anything for Free

Grocery Store and Dining Saving
No matter how tight your budget gets or how much money you aren't bringing home after taxes, you can count on one thing, you and your family will always need food. There are many ways to save on food shopping. One of which is to buy what is known in the grocery industry as 'loss leaders.' Loss leaders are overstocked items the store needs to get rid of to make room for the new stock coming in daily. Not enough room on the shelves for all of it can mean big savings for you...

CoolSavings has many grocery store coupons, free samples and a plethora of other coupons and free stuff for you to peruse. http://www.coolsavings.com

Safeway http://shop.safeway.com
Sales: Safeway has huge sales about once a month and weekly sales as well.
Deliveries for Produce: Produce is delivered daily.
In-Store Specials and Coupons: Coupons are in the 'in store' Sunday circular. There are different in store deals that you can take advantage of if you look in their paper. These circulars can usually be found by the front doors. Some examples of great deals include: buy five fridge packs and you get a free $10 gift card. Buy angel food cake and you get strawberries free. Buy 2 six packs of Coke and get a free gallon of ice cream (great for any party). Another recent special was, buy five Hallmark Cards you get a free thirty count of water. They have produce coupons sometimes that are posted in the produce department. Do they have Double or Triple Coupon Days: No
Specific store saving advice: Use your coupons and check for our specials. Make sure to check on packages for extra savings.

HEB http://www.heb.com
Sales: Specials every week. Wednesday ads in stores and in circular.
Deliveries for Produce: Produce is delivered daily.
In-Store Specials and Coupons: Numerous coupons for produce are in the produce department. Use your coupons. Lots of buy one; get one free.
Do they have Double Coupon Days: No
Specific store saving advice: Use your coupons and check for our specials. Holidays we have the best deals and biggest sales.

Save On Clothing
Whether you have kids or not, clothes can cost a lot of money unless you never update your wardrobe and end up looking fashion backward. There are many ways to save and still look fabulous on a limited budget.

Mervyns http://www.mervyns.com
Their biggest sale is the 'Back to School' sale in August, it usually starts in the 3rd week of July and lasts through the entire month of August. Selected items are between 10-60% off. In February, there is a Valentines Day sale, most items are offered for 10-60% off.

They have pretty aggressive sales. It is easy to get very high quality merchandise for lower price. They are pleasingly competitive. Their Easter sales offer 10-60% off. Their Memorial Day sale offers 10-60% off. The day after Thanksgiving Sale is huge. I have seen a portable DVD for $69.99, and a beautiful diamond bracelet for $199 that retails for $2,000.00.

There are door buster items that will entice people to come in at 4 or 5 AM in the morning to make them wait in line. Clearance is 50% off the red tag and another 25% during the holidays. Periodically 10% coupons can arrive in the paper, and you can use and combine any coupons. There is a discount with your Mervyn's card, and for signing up on top of sales!

They sell seasonal items on sale to make room for newer stock coming in, such as jackets, fleece items, and window items. If you open a credit account, you get 15% if approved that can be used all day, 5% if not approved immediately. Mervyn's also offers discount coupons of up to 15% to reward cardholders who use it continually by spending $250 or more a month. They also have promotions every other month that gives 15% just for having a Mervyn's card. Moreover, card holder appreciation day can save you even more than in store sales.

As I wrote earlier, they have a huge event during the 'Back to School' sale called ChildSpree. Mervyn's align themselves with non-profit organizations in the community to shop for underprivileged children. To find out more, please go to the Mervyn's web site, or call. In addition to working with outside charities, they raise money from within the stores, normally in May.

Sears http://www.sears.com
"Super Saturdays" are once a month. If you have a Sears Card, every three months they send out a savings notice, and if you have a Sears Premier Card, you can receive certain items for an additional 10% off if you use your card.

Their sales can last two days to a week. Once or twice a year there is an appliance sale. Usually they offer 10-25% off. There is a Back to School Sale in August. You can get clearance items at 50-75% off at the end of each season. Children's clothes are on sale during back to school, at up to 40%.

After Christmas, you can save 50% on Christmas items, and in January if there is any Christmas stock left you can save 75%-85%. It's a good place to stock up on Christmas supplies for next year! However, I was told that the best sales are the End of the Seasons Sales where you can get up to 75% off lots of items throughout the store.

Their End of Season Sales are at the end of summer and the end of winter. Additionally, if you sign up for their card (although they did not tell me this) you may be able to get additional amounts off. You will have to check Sears rules on if you can use the additional discount on sale items.

That is just a very tiny sampling of what you will find in Shop for a Day With Jaci Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free or Next to It.

Table of Contents for Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free or Next to It [HTML] [PDF, 69KB]

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