Smart Couponing Starts with YOU

Grocery Queen — By on November 6, 2011 12:31 pm

People assume couponing is easy … You clip and you save; right?  Sorry to disappoint you, but it isn’t that simple.

The concept itself is simple … you clip the coupons you want (and need) then take it to the store to redeem it … but effectively getting the most value out of the coupon is the key to smart couponing.

Like most of you, who started couponing, I had experienced the frustrations and disappointments that came with coupon; never-mind the feeling of being overwhelmed.

I used to buy 10 newspapers to get coupons, and used to clip and cut all those coupons because according to the ladies on the Extreme Couponing you buy things (you may not really need) to get overages.  For instance, a bottle of salad dressing is at the Manager’s Special or Clearance rack for $0.25, and you have a coupon for a $1.00.  You might not want this particular brand, but your store allows overages of the difference between the coupon value and the product price; so you stock up.

I had a coupon organizer binder full of inserts, and let me tell you it was HEAVY!  The funny thing was that I would pass along the products my family and I don’t use them anyway; so why in the heck was I clipping coupons I don’t need and carrying them around?

After trial and error and really prioritizing my family’s needs and wants the couponing process made sense one day.

First and foremost, I do not buy things I don’t need or want … PERIOD!  Not having or stocking up on products I don’t need make my stockpile room more organized and intrusive to my family.  I just feel (my personal opinion) that it is ridiculous to have piles of products after products stored in children’s bedrooms or spare room or bathrooms and etc.

I have one dedicated area to store all the extra merchandises … a storage room.  Yes, I do have product-specific merchandises located outside the storage room: i.e. toilet papers in the linen closet, hair products in the bathroom vanity, pastas and other pre-packaged groceries in the pantry, and etc.  With that said … those merchandise belong there anyway; so I am not being intrusive to my living-space.

So … here are my tips and suggestions to smart couponing.

1.     Prioritize what your family need
2.    Don’t believe the TV show!!!!!!!  Many Extreme couponers on TV has been scrutinized by bending and breaking the couponing rules!  Don’t be one of them!!!
3.    Don’t set your mind on getting things for FREE!!!  This point is important because when I started couponing I was so determined that I will get all the things for FREE that I was really missing out on sales!!!!!  Tell yourself … if it is FREE then it’s awesome, but I know I have to spend some money on my grocery bill!!!!!
4.    Be patient.  Just because you have a coupon does not mean you have to use them right now.  Wait until price hits the bottom … for instance, where I live the best and the lowest price you can get Heinz ketchup (this is a family size bottle) is $1.49.  So don’t wait or wish it to go down because you will be losing out on the sale.  The more you coupon and the more you pay attention to the sale cycles the better shopper you will become!
5.    Do your calculations at home to see how much you will be spending in the store AND stick with the list!!!!
6.    Make sure to pay attention to the register (so the price rings up correctly), and count the number of coupons as the cashier scans.
7.    Make sure to double check your receipt!  It has happened to me more than once … so it’s important to double check your receipt before you leave the store!
8.    Use the larger value coupons at store that do not double your coupons; unless the store that double have specials on them!  I always use the higher value coupons at Walmart and HyVee.
9.    Finally … have a reasonable expectations and goals!  People will spend 20-30 hours in couponing; I think that is silly!  Between jobs, kids, husband, commitments, and etc I will be lucky to have 2 hours to myself never mind trying to find coupons!

Couponing should make your life easier, and help with your grocery budget; however, don’t let the coupons run your life!!!!

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