Simpson Blogs Deals for Worldwide Audience

Who: Julia Simpson, blogger

Age:  32

How long has Waukee been her home?:  Julia and her husband, Jim, have lived in Waukee for more than nine years and have two children, ages 5 and 2.

What makes her notable?: Simpson blogs about living a frugal life by clipping coupons and shopping smart at www.confessionsofafrugalmind.blogspot.com. She started blogging as a part-time venture in November, shortly after she was laid off from her job in financial services.

Why should you get to know her?:  Prior to losing her job, Simpson was just a casual coupon clipper who liked to get a good deal. It wasn’t until she faced the realities of a one-income household that cutting corners became more of a necessity.

“Knowing that I would be losing my job, I said to myself, ‘We need to start making some changes.’,” Simpson said. “I always liked to find a good deal before, but I started paying better attention after I lost my job.”

Simpson first started blogging at the urging of a co-worker who had admired her couponing skills.  After sending it out to a couple of friends, she realized that it might be something that would benefit others, too. So in January, Confessions of a Frugal Mind went global and soon started grabbing the attention of other deal seekers in the blogosphere.

Today, in addition to caring for her two kids, she scours the Internet and paper ads searching for the best deals to pass onto her blog readers. She says she spends in upwards of 20 hours a week maintaining the blog.

“I am fully committed to this,” Simpson said of the blog.  “I want people to come back. I want to give them a reason to come back, so I’m always looking for ways to do that.”

Simpson says all-in-all, it’s not hard to be a saver. On the blog, she gives hints at deals that are a combination of paper coupons, reward programs, online deals and other helpful tips to save you money at the checkout. She’s a regular shopper at Hy-Vee, Fareway, Dahl’s and Walgreens and says her family of four spends between $30 and $50 each week at the grocery store.

Simpson admits that she doesn’t always scrimp. Ice cream and soda are two staples on the grocery list and when she has a particular good deal, things like chocolate are a welcome treat.

So what is Simpson doing with all the money she’s saved by being a deal finder?

“We set aside money that allows us to do things like take a road trip or go to concerts,” she said. “More specifically, we have a home remodeling project coming up so I imagine our savings will help pay for that.”