Saving with Coupons

Use the free money offered to you regularly by stores and manufacturers—use  those coupons! By keeping your coupons organized, you’ll find it easier to take advantage of savings.

One of the most frugal, money-saving things you can do is utilize as many of the free coupons you have at your disposal as possible to cut costs on the products you use. 

But the main rule here is to only use coupons on items you would be buying anyway. Never use a coupon on something your family does not use!  The only exception to this is a new product that you really want to try (often at an introductory promotional price) so you won’t be spending much extra to try it.

You’ll never redeem each and every coupon that comes your way, but by keeping your coupons organized and at hand for when you need them will surely shave some dollars off your grocery bill.

Set up a filing system of envelopes:  Clip all the coupons you’ll use and store them in labeled envelopes so you’ll find them easily. Once you have all your coupons sorted within the envelopes, store the envelopes in a plastic tub, shoe box, file folders, whatever works best for you.

Plan ahead: compare the current ads with your empty pantry; make a list of what you need and check through your price book to be familiar with current prices.  Now, go through your coupons for further savings and watch your grocery bill go down!  Just don’t forget to take them with you to the store!

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Make your coupons easy to file and easy to use.  I used to have my coupons clumped together in an envelope in my purse.  I could never find the coupons I needed, and I ended up throwing out expired coupons I could have used. Then I got a larger accordion-style container for them. When I outgrew that, I found a large plastic index-card box for my coupons. In the very front of the box I keep coupons that expire this month. The others are divided into two main sections: food and non-food. Those are then divided into specifics: baking, cereal, dairy, paper products, baby, HBA (health & beauty aids), pets, etc.  After serious couponing for a few months, you will discover which categories work the best for you.

Buy the smallest size.  Most people believe that you will save more by buying in bulk.  When using a coupon, this usually isn't true.  What you will need to consider is the price per ounce.  Here is an example:

Without Coupon:

Diapers 28 count package: Price: $7.00 Cost per unit: $0.25

Diapers 56 count package:  Price: $13.00  Cost per unit: $0.23

With Coupon:

Diapers 28 count package: Price: $7.00 - $1.50 coupon = $5.50  Cost per unit: $0.20

Diapers 56 count package:  Price: $13.00 - $1.50 coupon = $11.50  Cost per unit: $0.21

While the price per ounce of the larger size is more economical without the coupon, the smaller size is the better buy with the coupon.  Keep a small calculator in your purse or coupon caddy to help calculate the best deal.

It's not what you save, it's what you spend.

If you save 30 cents on something you wouldn't ordinarily buy anyway, you haven't really saved anything.