Posted by Mike Smith :: November 5, 2008 @ 6:07 amEntertainment Books are the well-known discount and coupon books available from a wide variety of sources. The company behind the book, Entertainment Publications, states that it is able to provide billions of dollars in discounts every year. So the question becomes whether purchasing a book will be worth it to you.
Depending on where you live, the cost of an Entertainment Book can vary. Although the books for some areas can cost as much as $45, the typical price is $25. Books are often sold through schools and clubs as a fund raiser but can also be purchased at retail locations or directly from the publisher.
To maximize my potential savings, I like to look through the book when it arrives and mark any deals that I am likely to use. Seeing a discount may even influence my choice of vendor, which is likely why companies advertise discounts in the Entertainment Book to begin with. You should be mindful not to spend extra money just to “save” money but rather to use the provided coupons to save on purchases you would have made anyway. This will maximize the value you receive.
I like to start by finding a few deals that will save me the purchase price of the book. As few as one or two coupons may be able to do that. Our book, which cost $25, had a coupon taking $20 off a $50 purchase at my wife’s favorite store. Just using that one coupon lowered the effective cost of the book to $5. Given that you have an entire year to use most discounts, getting your money’s worth should be extremely simple. As great as the savings within the book can be, the value of an Entertainment Book can go even further. By registering on their website, you are eligible for many, many more discounts as well.
With practically no effort, you should certainly be able to save at least the cost of the book, making the purchase at worst a wash. With minimal effort, you could easily save a few hundred dollars in a year. Utilizing the enclosed coupons and discounts as well as those provided online towards every eligible purchase you would have made anyway could undoubtedly save you considerably more money. For this reason, I’d say that an Entertainment Book is a well advised small expense that is definitely worth the cost.
Have you saved a significant amount of money using an Entertainment Book? What’s the best deal you’ve ever found?
2 Comments
The best deal I've found, unfortunately, is NOT buying the book. I purchased one from a school fundraiser and found that 2/3 of the offers were for businesses in Minneapolis, MN - 150 miles from where I live, although my community's name was on the cover.
@Edwin,
Did the offers that could be used make up for the small price of the book? As I said above, using only one or two coupons might cover the entire cost of the book.
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