Problem: Article: One good idea is to use a website like The Grocery Game. This site will list the sales flyers for your favorite stores. When you see an item in the flyer, and you know you have a coupon for that item, then it's time to save yourself some money. Otherwise, you can do the research yourself. Try 1 of these methods:  Use baseball cardholders inside a 3-ring binder to make your coupons easy to reach. Then, use divider tabs to split your coupons into sections by product, by store or by another method that makes sense to you. Use an alphabetically organized accordion file. Place your coupons in order by product name. Sort through each pocket weekly and put soon-to-expire coupons at the front of the pocket so you don't forget to use them. If you can't be bothered cutting out the coupons to insert into separate card slots in a binder, simply hole punch the page and attach a pair of small scissors (such as a child's safety pair) by a string to the binder. That way, you can cut out the coupon as you find the product. You can do this on an Excel spreadsheet.  As you walk around, you can place the relevant coupon into a small envelope sitting in your bag or in the cart, in readiness to hand over all coupons for items you found to the cashier. As you use coupons, mark them off your list with a pen or pencil. When you get home, delete them from your spreadsheet. If your store is selling cereal in a "Buy 2, Get the 3rd Free" promotion, and you have a coupon for the same cereal, then get as much cereal as you can under the terms of the deal.  Watch the language on the sale flyer to make sure the store has a reasonable limit on the amount of items that you can buy under the promotion. Avoid buying perishable items in bulk. For example, don't stockpile dairy or produce. At home, shop from your stash. If you don't know what to cook for dinner, then choose an item from your bulk purchases to avoid ordering takeout or running to the store for something you can live without. If you have manufacturer's coupons and store coupons, then combine them to get even more money off your purchase. If your store will let you place a bulk order for the items listed on your coupon, then don't be afraid to ask. Extreme coupon transactions take time, and other customers will feel impatient if you hold up the line with your coupons. Also, cashiers can become frustrated with many coupons because of not only transaction length but also confusion about store policies. You need to go at a time the store isn't too busy to minimize conflict. Extreme coupon transactions require clear communication. If your children are running wild or trying to talk to you while you're interacting with the cashier, then you won't be able to concentrate on what you're doing. Find a babysitter for your early extreme coupon adventures. You may have to go with a brand that isn't your tried and true choice to get a deal. As long as the difference in taste and quality is negligible, the savings will be worth it. This is simply a safeguard against cashiers who aren't aware of store policies themselves and don't really want to have to deal with your extreme coupling.  It is far easier to say "we don't accept that" than to go to the effort of ringing it all through, so be prepared to politely but firmly clarify the appropriateness of your coupon actions by pointing out the store policy. You will often find the policy online; if not, ask the store manager for a copy. Stick to these good practices:  Be considerate to your cashier and to the people lined up behind you. Never photocopy coupons. Some stores will no longer accept coupons that even appear to be photocopied. Avoid hoarding. Items usually go on sale on a 6 to 8 week cycle. Stock up on enough to take you through the sales cycle and no more. Don't become a person who stacks cases of toothpaste under your bed. Don't commit fraud. Avoid using coupons for items other than the item printed on the paper. Also, never alter existing coupons or print off counterfeits.
Summary: Wait for a good sale. Organize your coupons. Write or print out a list of your current coupons. Purchase multiple items. Stack your coupons. Order items that are sold out. Go during off-peak hours. Leave your kids at home. Be open to various brands. Know the store's policy and have a copy of it with you. Use appropriate coupon etiquette.

Problem: Article: Your customer needs to know what methods they can use to pay. Do you accept checks? Can the customer pay by credit card, cash, or other payment processing system? If the only way the customer can pay is to come into your store in person, let them know that. Other options include mailing in a payment (either check or credit card number), calling in a payment (credit card number), or paying online. Your customer needs to know when they need to pay the invoice by. Include a due date prominently on your invoice. You can even include it more than once. One place to include it is down near the total amount due, but at the top is also a good option.  Payment should always have a due date with a consequence if not met (for example, interest charged on late payments). You might also include an incentive for early payment (like a 2% discount if paid in ten days), since most small businesses have constant cash flow problems. You should also discuss whether you have a payment plan option. You can include the information with the letter, or write something like, "If you can't pay your bill all at once, call our office to set up a payment plan." Once you're done creating the invoice, send it to your client. It will let your client know they need to pay what is owed you. Make sure to make your company's name prominent on the outside of the envelop.  Invoices should be coordinated with accounting system. An invoice, once written, becomes an asset of the company (Accounts Receivable) and should be properly recorded. If you use accounting software, you may have the option to let the software create an invoice for you. Services like PayPal also have built-in invoice creation. . If you don't get a response from the customer after sending your invoice, try making a phone call to make sure the invoice was received. Another option is emailing the client a reminder. It's important to have a well-defined and standardized collections process so that you can more easily collect on your invoices.  You can also send out reminders through the mail. How many you send out before a "final payment" notice is up to you. It's important to reiterate you have a payment plan option if you're willing to let the client pay it out over time. Once you've sent out as many as you're willing, you can send out the "final payment" notice that lets the client know you're turning it over to a lawyer or collection agency.  To establish a system, try having specific collection actions spaced out regularly across your collections period. For example, try sending notices after the balance has gone unpaid for 15 days, 30 days, 45 days, and so on. Each can specify how many days are left until payment and what actions will be taken if the balances goes unpaid. Try sending at least one notice by certified mail, so you know the client received it.
Summary:
Add payment options. Include a due date. Send the invoice. Collect on your invoices