I used to coupon all the time. I’d sit down every Sunday morning in my pj’s, coffee in hand, and go through the coupon ads in the paper.
Until I had kids. Because now me being able to sit down with a newspaper, coffee AND scissors at the table with three toddlers running around? Not a good idea…I speak from experience!
So while I do know and value the benefits of couponing, it became just one more thing on my To-Do list. So I stopped doing it.
I recently started taking up clipping coupons again…but this time, I’m clipping coupons online! If you do it right, you really can save a huge amount of money every week at the store. So whether you chose to do it online or via the good old Sunday paper, here are some tips to (hopefully) make the task easier!
Make It Part Of Your Routine
Yep, whether you clip coupons online or from the paper, it does take time. Make time for it. Sit down for a half an hour once a week before/after the kids go to bed and just do it.
Clip Only The Coupons That You Need For Products You Use
Remember just because you clip them doesn’t mean you HAVE to use them! And also pay attention to only clipping coupons that you will use. Clipping a Fancy Feast cat food buy one get one free coupon won’t do you any good if you don’t have a cat! And no one family could possibly need 50 bottles of mustard no matter how good of a deal it is!
Keep Those Coupons Organized!
Buy a coupon organizer (you can find them at the dollar store)…they are inexpensive and invaluable! Label each section whichever way makes sense to you…by grocery store aisles, by food type, by area in your house that you use the product in.
And if you get really ambitious, you can even organize the coupons in each section by expiration date. That way you know you’re using the right coupons at the right time.
Use E-Coupons
What are e-coupons? They are coupons loaded onto your grocery store’s shopper’s reward card. Although not all stores use them, several of them do. Check out www.shortcuts.com, www.cellfire.com, www.pgesaver.com and www.frysfood.com to see if they will work for you.
Don’t forget to print out a list of your e-coupons and take it with you to the store so that you can keep track of what you put onto your rewards card.
Be Flexible When You Shop
Sure you might prefer one brand over another, but if you can save a dollar or more on a staple item, is it worth it to you to do so?
And sure, maybe you don’t need 10 boxes of Goldfish crackers this week, but in my house those crackers would be gone within a month. So watch for items that have a long shelf life that you use a lot. If you have the space, stock up! If you don’t, in the long run it’s going to cause you headaches and won’t be a deal.
Do you use coupons? What’s your best couponing tip? Pass it on!
Pingback: Save Money At The Store (Without Using Coupons) | Smart Mom Style
Pingback: 3 Ways To Save Money At The Grocery Store (And It’s Not Couponing!) | Smart Mom Style