Coupon Crazy

I began cutting coupons for my Mom when I was five. I remember thinking it was fun to cut along the dotted lines. It never occurred to me until many years later that my Mom must have saved thousands of dollars in my lifetime.

I love cutting coupons. Most women, when they get stressed, might head for a bubble bath and lock the bathroom door. Me? I cut coupons. It's the most relaxing thing in the world.

Do I actually save money with my coupon madness? Of course!
When people find out I use coupons (despite the fact that I really don't NEED to) I generally hear why they don't bother.

Excuses, Excuses
"It's so much work for a couple of little pieces of paper..."
---If that were a real dollar bill printed into your paper, you'd cut it out to keep. Consider coupons to be free money that you can spend with a manufacturer. For every dollar in coupons I use, that's one less dollar I pull from my bank account.
"I always forget that I've cut them out..."
---This is why I carry them with me... AT ALL TIMES. You'd be surprised at the places that accept manufacturer's coupons. There have been road trips where we were down to our last four dollars and I managed to duck into a grocery store and bring out a full dinner for four... and spent less than a dollar! Cut them out and find a way to use them. They are worthless if they are just going to sit in a pile.
"I never see coupons for things I need..."
---I actually get coupons from several sources. My Mom, who no longer has small kids in the house, sends me coupons for diapers and children's foods as well as for brands that I use that she doesn't. (For example, we can only use one variety of laundry soap due to allergies.) Miss Alice gives me coupons for kids products. I have the kids trained to spot those coupon dispensers at the store. (I might not need that frozen pizza this trip, but maybe next trip...) I even write the manufacturer's to see if they have coupons available. This is especially nice with organic and specialty foods- the company will normally send you a coupon or a voucher for free product. I'm also a product tester through several companies websites. Even my magazine subscriptions have coupons that come with them!

Is it worth it?
Without pulling out the reciept I can't be too certain, but I believe the total before coupons and my store cards from my last shopping trip was around $680 worth of product. This included diapers, wipes, formula, meat, produce, laundry soap, and $60 in quarters for a trip to the laundromat along with the regular groceries. AFTER coupons and special deals, I spent $154. That's a substantial savings.

Using coupons can be done easily... but the first thing to do is to think of them differently. They ARE not worthless little pieces of paper. They can be worth the time it takes to clip them out.

With Love,
Meg