Shopitize Blog

Welcome to Friday Features, where we sit down with some of our epic Shopiteers to hear all about them, their inspirations and why they use Shopitize.

With Christmas right around the corner, there's no time like the present to brush up on your couponing skills. Read on to learn more about this epic Shopitize community member and her best tips for saving during the festive season! Today we're chatting with Kaz, founder of Kaz's Coupons & Cashback!

 Shopitize: Thanks for agreeing to be on Friday Features and welcome to Shopitize! Tell us a bit about yourself!

Kaz: Hi I'm Kaz! I am originally from Nottingham, but moved to Cambridgeshire when I met my husband nine years ago. I work at a technology company as a senior technical assistant and have a Masters in Chemistry. I love a bargain and I am the lady behind Kaz's Coupons & Cashback!

Shopitize: Describe a typical day in your life.

Kaz: My days are pretty hectic and go something like this...Get up at 6am to feed Scuzz the Cat & Calimari the Fish before heading out on a walk with Chewie the Dog! Once I get home, I hand feed our elderly rat, Dengar, and then head to work. Usually, I go to work via a supermarket, so I can get my couponing & cashback deals! I arrive at work early to write a couple of posts on my page before starting the day. After work, I make lunch and tea before watching a little TV and doing some couponing research for my page.Then I might enjoy a small glass of wine and relax. I finish off the day by checking all the animals are okay and then head to bed for cuddles with the hubby, Chewie & Scuzz!

    Kaz with her adorable pooch, Chewie!

Shopitize: That sounds busy! Tell us a little bit more about Kaz's Coupons & Cashback. When did it launch?  What inspired you to start it? Any plans for the future?

Kaz: I started Kaz's Coupons & Cashback just over a year ago! Cambridge is not a cheap place to live, and moving down here from Nottingham was a big shock to the system. I started looking online for ways to make our money go a little further. . . That's when I started couponing and later stumbled upon Shopitize & other cashback apps. I used these regularly and started posting photos of my freebies and deals on my personal Facebook page. My friends and family loved knowing all about how to save money and they encouraged me to start Kaz's Coupons & Cashback! As for the future...who knows? I like to live everyday as it comes. I would love to help more people save through cash-back and coupons... maybe one day I could even do this for a living! One can dream! 

Shopitize: All these saving skills must make Christmas a little easier! Will you be celebrating Christmas this year? How do you normally celebrate? 

Kaz: Yes, we will be celebrating Christmas this year. We normally celebrate by seeing our parents over the festive period. This year, I will be hosting Christmas Day at our house. My parents and in-laws will be coming over for the big feast! I am planning on getting all the food for the festive season (including Christmas day) for free or, better still, get paid to do it! I will be giving more details on how I plan to do this on Kaz's Coupons & Cashback soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Image source: Shutterstock

Shopitize: What is your favourite Christmas treat?

Kaz: Can I have two please? Hehe. An advent calendar. Yes, I am 29, but you're never too old to have one, are you? Who doesn't like a piece of chocolate for breakfast!? The other has to be brussel sprouts! I love them. I could eat them for breakfast, dinner, and tea. I may have also been known to eat them cold and in a sandwich!     

Shopitize: Two perfect Christmas classics! Of course, Christmas is one of the most expensive times of year...Do you have any top tips for saving during the festive season?

Kaz: I thought I would do a top 10, so here it goes...

1) Check your in store loyalty points - these could save you hundreds of pounds.
2) Save up any freebies that last throughout the year...you can make awesome hampers as gifts!
3) When shopping online, always shop around for the best deal - you can use comparison websites to help.
4) Use money you have accumulated via cash back apps or sites to shop for free!
5) Search for extra coupons for items you need online . . . supersavvyme.com is great!
6) Use cashback apps alongside coupons to optimise your savings. 
7) Make a list and stick to it! The Mysupermarket app is great for checking prices and making lists before heading out.
8) Check the 'reduced to clear' sections in the supermarket.  A lot of the fresh stuff can be frozen, just defrost on Christmas Eve and you're set for Christmas Day!
9) When Christmas shopping, you are bound to get hungry, so plan in advance. You can get a taste card for £1 for a 3 month trial via the O2 priority app, which gives 2 for 1 or 50% off at lots of restaurants!
10) And, of course, Check Kaz's Coupons & Cashback for daily tips & deals in the run up to Christmas! ;)

Shopitize: You definitely sound like you know what you're doing! Do you have a savings story that makes you especially proud?

Kaz: This one is difficult, as I am proud and grateful for all of my savings . . . I saved-up my cashback from last year to pay for our summer holiday in a little cottage in Kent. And once I got paid £4.50 for getting two bottles of water, treats for our pet rats, two crunchie chocolate bars, two bags of Royal Canin cat food, and 6 Lightly Dusted Fish Fillets! I think the one I am going to be most proud of is Christmas this year! I will post details about this on my page in the coming weeks!

Kaz made £4.50 by buying all this! Check out Kaz's Coupons & Cash Back to start saving like this!

Shopitize: That's awesome--I'm sure a lot of people would love to pay for their holiday with cashback savings! To what do you owe your success as a couponer and what is your advise for anyone else hoping to enter the world of couponing and cashback?

Kaz: I think it all started from a young age. My parents always shopped around for the best deals for things they needed and my grandparents always emphasised that 'pennies make pounds.' 

I took up couponing in my early twenties and enjoyed it so much that I just wanted everyone to know that they can save money too. My advice to newcomers is to not buy things just because they are on offer . . . if you don't need it, it's not a bargain! Only buy things you will use (unless you can find away to make money from it). I also suggest  checking cashback apps and looking for coupons before doing a shop.  If you get any freebies you won't use, you can donate them to charity or gift them to people! Lastly, don't buy anything online without going through a cashback site! That way you may never pay full price for anything again. It takes a lot of time and effort to do this but the rewards are well worth it. Plus, visit Kaz's Coupons & Cashback and let me do the work for you!

Shopitize: This question is just for fun...What would you do if you won £1000000?
Kaz: Buy a life times supply of brussel sprouts! Only kidding. I would pay off the mortgage, treat my family, give a little to charity, and put the rest in savings for retirement (when we retire we would like to hire a car and drive route 66 in America)!  

Shopitize: We can't help but ask a Shopitize question or two...How did you hear about Shopitize, and how has it impacted your life?

Kaz: I believe I first saw Shopitize advertised on Facebook. I saw it and thought, "Wow that looks awesome!" I wasn't wrong. I think I started using the app in late 2013/early 2014? It has had a big impact on my life by saving us lots of money. It has enabled us to save enough to go on holiday and often has freebies which allow us to have weekly treats that we wouldn't necessarily get to have.

Just two of Kaz's cute pets! Kaz of Kaz's Coupons and Cash Back is a big animal lover, so check out her page for some great savings on pet food and products!

Shopitize: Well, we definitely think treating yourself once in a while is really important, especially this time of year! What would you love to see in the Shopitize app this Christmas?

Kaz: I would love to see offers on wine (at this time of year, that's what makes the grocery shop expensive, and there aren't many offers available), brussel sprouts (!), and nibbles for when those unexpected guests come around during the festive period to see you!

Shopitize: And what about during the rest of the year? 

Kaz: More offers on fresh produce would be lovely,  such as fruit and veg. I'm a vegetarian, so maybe a vegetarian product more often would be nice. That said, meat products would be great, too. I'm a veggie, but my hubby is a meat eater, so that can get pretty expensive. 

Well, that's all the time we have for Friday Features this week, but thanks so much for chatting with us and the Shopitize Community this week, Kaz! Keep up with Kaz's amazing couponing or get in touch with her here: 

Pinterest: Kaz's Coupons & Cash Back

Facebook: Kaz's Coupons & Cashback