I love a good deal. But you know what I didn’t love? Debt. And I used to have plenty of it.
I wasn’t always this guy who knew everything about shopping days, stacks, and coupons, and I was not always getting quality stuff at 50%. There was a time when I was just watching my paycheck disappear faster than a clearance sale on designer shoes.
Maxed out credit cards, nonexistent savings, not even talking about the time when I had to check my balance before buying a coffee. I know; it was bad. Now, let me tell you how I flipped the script. If there is one thing I believe, it is that smart shopping is not about spending less but about taking control.
The wake-up call
It was a moment when reality smacked me right in the face. When I checked my credit card statement, I was paying more on interest than I was spending on the actual stuff. So, I was literally throwing money away every month. (For a bunch of things I didn’t even care about anymore).
What I did next—what any normal, slightly panicked person would do: I Googled. My search was “HOW to get out of debt fast.”. The internet hit me with all kinds of advice and while some made sense, some sounded like a scam, and some were just depressing. Sell all my stuff? Live on rice and beans? Work three jobs? Okay, I was sure there had to be a better way.
My first win
The first time I actually managed to beat the system was at the grocery store. I was standing in line, feeling miserable about my budget, when the woman in front of me whipped out a handful of coupons that dropped her bill from $80 to $20.
I was shocked.
When I arrived home, I started digging, and apparently there is a whole science to couponing. There are special moments throughout the year when stores have mega sales. There are apps that give cashback for stuff you are already going to buy. This was a game-changer, and some stores really let you stack discounts.
Next week. I walked into the same grocery store with my own set of coupons, promotions, and a cashback app. My total was slashed in half, and even if it wasn’t much, it felt like a win. Now let me tell you: this win is addictive.
My learning process
This first victory sent me down the biggest rabbit hole of my life, and I started researching everything. From store policies to the best times to buy things, and ways to negotiate prices, the things I found out were mind-blowing.
Did you know that there are specific days when stores mark things down? Some stores will price match after you buy something; clearance items have price codes that can let you know if they’ll be marked down again. When it comes to loyalty programs, some of them will give you free stuff just for signing up.
What did I do? I took notes, tested strategies, and before I knew it, I started to save money everywhere. Travel, electronics, clothes—you name it. The best part is that I wasn’t sacrificing quality, so if anything, I was getting better stuff for less money. One of the books I started with when I started to educate myself, was The Roadmap to Financial Freedom. You can find it on Amazon.
Being able to finally save money was great, but I had to find out what else I could do besides just cutting costs. I knew I had to do more, so I used what I learned from deal-hunting to do more. I started to use the principle of “value is everything.”. And I started flipping items.
In my research, I managed to find killer deals on high-end products and started to resell them for profit. Sometimes it was a brand-new gadget that I got at 70% off, sometimes a clothing item in need for the right buyer, and even a vintage find. My favorite deal was a designer bag I found for $30 and resold for $300.
Moreover, I found side gigs that really paid. Instead of grinding for every penny, I focused on things with real returns, like online resale, and freelance work, and even got myself into a little investing.
When my mind started shifting, I wasn’t just trying to get by anymore. I actually built something.
How did I break free?
It felt unreal when I paid off my last credit card balance. With no more interest payments sucking the life out of my pockets, the anxiety I had every time I swiped my card was gone. I felt like I had done it.
And there is one thing. Once you taste financial freedom, you don’t want to stop. Now I wanted more. I started stacking wins, not only in savings but in wealth-building. I learned how to invest smart and grow my income, making sure that every dollar I spent worked for me.
The craziest part was that even if I was saving and making my money work for me, I was still living well; better, actually. When you know how to play the game, you don’t need to choose between being financially secure and having nice things anymore. You can have both.
Funny story
I couldn’t believe how I ended up here considering how I used to be. I mentioned earlier that I needed to check my balance before buying coffee. And I was doing this for a reason.
I wasn’t always this guy who knew how to use every dollar in his favor. Back then, I was just a dude who tried not to let his financial situation ruin his day. But money had a way of humbling you in the most ridiculous ways. That one time when I bought coffee, it was a regular morning. I was running on fumes and dragged myself into this little cafe, the kind where they write your name on the cup to make you feel important.
I ordered my usual—medium, black—nothing fancy. I pulled out my card, swiped, and…declined. Okay, it happens. I had another card. Swiped that one and declined again.
At this point, I could feel like the barista was looking at me. And at the line behind me growing. My face was probably redder than a clearance sticker, so I laughed it off like, “Oh, must be my bank acting up”—the classic broke person excuse. Internally, I Was Screaming! I checked my phone and refreshed my banking app. My balance was $1.73. I’ll never forget that number.
I didn’t have enough to buy a coffee. Let that sink in.
What did I do? I hit them with the fake “I must’ve left my cash at home” patdown and slowly, painfully backed away from the counter, hoping no one was watching. Spoiler: Everyone was watching. That was indeed the slap-in-the-face realization that I wasn’t just broke. I was losing the money game and I hated losing.
Plot twist
Once humbled at a coffee shop, I learned to visualize myself sipping a drink on a luxury vacation.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I’m standing on the balcony of a five-star resort, looking at the ocean like I belong here. This is the kind of place where they fold towels into little swans and bring you fresh fruits just because. The best part was that I paid less than half of what everyone else did.
Let me tell you how I got myself into this. I realized that rich people love convenience. They easily drop thousands on a trip to avoid the hassle of planning. The difference is I thrive in the hassle. And that’s where the gold is.
I wanted this trip, a big one. I picked my dream destination. Maldives, because why not? The number in my head was $5,000—what the most people were paying for a week at one of these ridiculous overwater villas. My budget was $2,000 (max), so I needed to make it work.
My Playbook
Flight Hacks, first. I didn’t book a round trip. I used all the tools I had: flight alerts and booked two separate one-way tickets with different airlines (saved me $500 right off the bat). After? Points, baby. I had been hoarding airline miles like a dragon with gold. So my tickets got mostly covered.
The hotel part? Forget booking straight from their site. I stacked discounts, loyalty rewards, promo codes, and a credit card deal that gave me a free 4th night. A $700/night villa became $350/night.
I even did my research for food and extras. The resort charged a fortune for food, so I did my research. I found a local island 10 minutes away by ferry. Meals were $10 instead of $100, so guess where I ate. I also used some clever hacks for unique experiences. While the resort wanted $250 for a snorkeling trip, I walked down the beach and got it for $40 by finding a local boat guy.
Final cost: $1,950
Let me tell you. Nobody at that resort had any idea I paid less than half of what they did, and really, no imposter syndrome hit me either. I was sitting there in my lounger with my sunglasses on, sipping a fancy drink, knowing I hacked my way into a luxury lifestyle. And that’s all I knew. In the end, money isn’t about how much you have, but about how smart you play the game.
The Price Maker Legacy
Now, I don’t just do this for me. I love to share it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that absolutely anyone can turn their financial situation around. You don’t have to be filthy rich to live well. You have to be smart.
I first started a blog and began sharing my wins. Before I knew it, people were reaching out, asking for tips, sharing their own stories, and actually challenging me to find better deals. And trust me, there is no better feeling than helping someone score their first win.
I still hunt for deals these days but on a bigger scale. It’s all about financial independence and about teaching people the ways money can work for them, not the other way around. And it’s about proving that, no matter where you start, you can take control and build the life you want.
So, if you ever catch me breaking down the best days to shop, sharing secret stores, and hyping up a 50% off deal, just know it’s not just about the deal but about the freedom. It’s about taking control, and once you start stacking those wins, there is no way back.
Well, nobody becomes a deal master without getting burned at least once.
Back in my early days, I thought I had it all figured out. Starting with stacking coupons and hitting sales like a pro, finding discounts where nobody else was looking, I started to be a little too cocky. I was feeling untouchable, and then I got scammed.
Here’s what happened. One night I was scrolling through an online marketplace, looking for a designer watch. I was not really because I cared about flexing a brand, but because I knew the resale value on luxury items could be insane. You get a deep discount, flip it, and boom, easy profit.
That’s when I saw my dream deal. A Rolex. Not just any Rolex—a Submariner (that costs thousands brand new). This seller? They were letting it go for only $800, and the listing said something like an urgent sale, moving out of the country. Need it gone today; first come, first serve.”
The Freddy that I am today would’ve seen it for what it was: a flashing neon sign that said SCAM. But back then all I saw was an opportunity. I messaged the seller, and they responded immediately. Very chill and super friendly, and even sent me a video of the watch ticking to prove it worked. They talked about the other buyers lined up, but if I sent the money first, they’d ship it to me. And like an absolute clown, I wired the $800.
Next thing, the seller disappeared; the listing vanished, the Rolex never showed up, and my $800 was gone. Yeah, I paid nearly one grand for nothing. I felt so dumb because I had built this image of myself as a smart deal hunter, and now here I was—scammed like I was a total rookie.
How I managed to bounce back
After sulking for a full week, I made the decision that I was more than the story of how I failed. This was only going to make me better. I started to study everything about spotting scams: how to authenticate luxury goods, where to safely buy secondhand (places with buyer protection), and the psychology of scammers.
Now I can help other people avoid what happened to me. For example, one of my friends wanted to buy sneakers online and I showed him how to verify sellers and spot fakes. My cousin wanted a designer bag, and I took her to a resale shop where they guarantee authenticity. Moreover, when someone in my deal-hunting group almost fell for a too-good-to-be-true iPhone deal, I shut it down in five seconds flat.
Success is not only about winning. It’s about learning from the flops, too. Losing $800 once turned into my ticket that kept me away from losing thousands later. If a deal looks too good to be true, I know exactly how to find out if it is, and thanks to that scam, so do a lot of other people.
The vision – financial freedom
When I look back, I never imagined it’d turn out this way. I always loved good deals, but I didn’t know that passion would lead me to this moment when I was standing in the middle of a store with no hesitation and no second-guessing. I’m not just buying whatever I want today—I feel like I found freedom.
What started as a bit of smart shopping and a few coupons here and there turned into something bigger. I didn’t just want to get by. I wanted to thrive, and if I could figure out how others could too. So I started doing it all, and now I see the payoff. I don’t just have a savings account—I’ve got options.
Financial freedom has always been my long-term goal, not only for the luxury of it, not for the bragging, but for the peace of mind. For the confidence to walk into a store and know that I got the best deal possible no matter what the price tag says, and beyond that, to live my life without worrying about every penny.
And the thing is—it’s not only about me. From the very start, I wanted to help those around me by sharing what I’ve learned. I wanted to show them that financial freedom is not just a distant dream. I started with family, and I managed to help strangers and anyone who asked find their own path to thriving.
As I look back at the journey, I’m proud; I’ve made it, not just in the financial sense, but I’ve built something real. I live without feeling like my choices are limited by what I can afford. I can buy the things I want without thinking twice because I’ve worked for it, and I’ve earned it. The best part is that I turned savings into something more than just budgeting. It became a tool for living freely, and if I can do it, anyone can.
This is not the end of the story. I see it as the beginning of something even bigger. Financial freedom is more a journey than a destination, and today, I’m living it every single day.
You can start your own journey by reading my first article written on The Price Makers: 10 Hacks to Get FREE Things at Walmart (and Other Amazing Discounts)
