In the diminishing and unstable economy, saving money is more important now than ever and one Lombard mom has taken matters into her own hands.
Known on her blog as the “Mashup Mom,” Rachel Singer Gordon has been providing money-saving tips and opportunities to the online world for free since earlier this year.
“I saw a couple other people put together blogs and thought, ‘I could do this too,’” Gordon said.
She began posting coupons and deals she found in-store and online on her blog, www.mashupmom.com, in January. Some stores she offers coupons for are Jewel, Dominick’s, CVS, Walgreens and Target. She also will feature online deals on Web sites such as Amazon.
Gordon’s blog gets about 5,000 visitors per day.
One user, Jen Fredericks, takes advantage of Mashup Mom’s deals and offers almost daily.
“If I don’t have to spend money on groceries, household items, and such, why would I?” Fredericks said. “I can now use the saved money for other things, where coupons can’t be applied.”
Gordon, a 39-year-old mother of two, posts eight to 12 new offers each day.
In addition to being Mashup Mom, Gordon is also a freelance writer. Once a librarian, Gordon is now a freelance editor for a library publication. She also leads workshops for librarians and just started teaching coupon classes at local libraries.
Even with a full plate, Gordon’s blog is very important to her.
“Honestly, I look at it as one of my part-time jobs,” Gordon said. “I think that if you really start shopping with the sales and deals, you can actually save as much as money as you would be making at a part-time job.”
Gordon's new book, “Internet Recession Busters, Mashup Mom's Guide to Making and Saving Money at Home in Any Economy,” will be released in the spring. The book is based on money-saving tips and advice inspired by her blog.
In her first book, “What's the Alternative? Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros,” Gordon outlined ways to make working from home work.
Even with two growing children, Lombard’s very own Mashup Mom says she never times of her part-time job.
“I love hearing about how much my users were able to save, or great deals they got, and know that it can really make a difference in this economy,” Gordon said.
