CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Discover a new favorite place to eat, find a mechanic you can trust and unlock exclusive deals while supporting local businesses with Dixie Direct Savings Guide.
Owner Tony Chambers created Dixie Direct, Southern Utah’s No. 1 way to save, to help local families stretch their budgets. The annual savings guide gives buyers an opportunity to take advantage of discounts and special offers at participating restaurants and retailers throughout the greater St. George area. Much more than simply a coupon book, however, it also helps raise money for area schools and community groups.
“It’s a win-win-win situation where businesses get more business, schools raise money and families get to save on everyday purchases,” Chambers said.
The 26th edition will be released on Nov. 1 and is loaded with discounts of up to 50% on dining, golf, entertainment, health and beauty, home and auto services and much more. There are also 12 pages of freebies totaling over $2,000 in value. Dixie Direct is unique among savings guides in that all of the participating businesses are locally owned and operated, Chambers said.
Dixie Direct has retooled its website and launched a new app that’s free to download for iOS and Android. The app helps customers quickly and easily find deals at participating businesses without needing to bring the book along – just make sure you have your card.
This year’s savings guide costs $40. Although customers can buy a book online or at the Dixie Direct office on Bluff Street, Chambers said he’d rather see them being sold through local schools and community organizations.
“Even if you don’t know somebody who’s selling them, walk into any school that has ‘Dixie Direct sold here’ on the marquee and buy it,” he added. “You’ll know half of the money’s going to the kids.”
Since 1997, Dixie Direct has partnered with local schools to sell copies of the savings guide. Everything is done on consignment, meaning that schools don’t pay anything upfront; they just sign the paperwork and start earning money immediately. The schools keep half of the profits from each book sold, and the students who sell the most books win prizes ranging from free swag to gift cards for local restaurants, stores and activities.
The company has helped raise more than $4.5 million for Southern Utah schools over the past 26 years. Money earned by selling the books is often used to fund purchases and activities that don’t fit into a school’s regular budget, such as classroom equipment and field trips.
Dixie Direct printed 20,000 copies of the 2022 edition, and just over 50% were sold through schools and other fundraising groups. That amounts to nearly $250,000 going back into the community, Chambers said. Students from George Washington Academy set a new school record of 1,064 books sold and $18,620 in total earnings.
Dixie Direct is offering generous prize packages with incentives starting at just two books sold, including a skate pass to The RinQ, a round of mini golf at BigShots Golf and a $10 gift card for Fiesta Fun Family Fun Center. Students who sell five books will receive a $15 Fiesta Fun gift card and mini golf passes, a 60-minute pass to The Grip Ninja and more. Kids will earn another $25 at Fiesta Fun for selling 10 books.
The three students from each school who sell the most books will receive a $200, $100 and $50 Visa gift card, respectively, and the top-selling classroom from each school will be treated to a pizza party from Domino’s Pizza.
Chambers encourages parents to involve students of all ages in selling books, which he considers a golden opportunity for kids to improve their social skills and pick up a little business savvy.
“That’s what we encourage,” he added. “The reason local businesses run such big offers with us is because of how much we give back.”
Anyone interested in selling the 2023 savings guide can call 435-628-3770 to get started.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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Resources
- Dixie Direct Savings Guide | Address: 287 N. Bluff St., St. George | Telephone: 435-628-3770 | Website.
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