"Wait! I have a coupon!"

“Wait! I have a coupon!” How many times have you heard that and rolled your eyes? “Coupons? Really who does that?” My thoughts exactly…until recently. I would do the usual discount store card and that was it! I could not believe how much money I was NOT saving by just using the store’s discount card. I was recently introduced or shall I say re-introduced to coupons a month or so ago. My mom would always talk about using them and I would see her clip the occasional coupon here and there but I never really paid any attention.

Let me tell you, my re-introduction to coupons has honestly changed my life. Now before I go any further I do need to warn you that coupons are not for the lazy, this requires a concerted effort and fair amount of time. Yes I am busy like most people but I make time to save money (coupons). If I have to sit for an hour or more clipping and sorting then I will do just that because I know when I get to the register it will be like I ran a marathon and completed the race under my goal time. That’s how excited I get when the coupons are applied at end of my purchases ;)!

I have a little secret for you – some grocery stores double your coupons, yes DOUBLE, so that means MORE SAVINGS.  Just check your local stores to see if they participate in this and ask about their rules and conditions with doubling coupons.

Now back to business. I have all of the apps for all of the grocery stores that I frequent downloaded on my phone and I check their own personal coupons and their sales they have going on before I begin clipping newspaper (manufacturer) coupons. Where I live, you are able to buy the Sunday paper on Saturday!!! Can you imagine how excited I was when I found this out!!! Now my Saturday nights and Sundays are spent clipping coupons – welcome to adulthood kids! I sit on the living room floor, the couch or the dining room table with whatever manufacturing coupons the newspaper has to offer that week, scissors, green tea or a glass of wine and my coupon binder and get to work. I love it! It’s like a game to me – how much can I save next time I go to the store? I have the binder separated by sections (Personal, Pets, Meats, Restaurants, etc.) You do not have to use the same categories as I did, mix it up, and become creative! Those categories are just the ones I use to help me find things better. Some people will put toilet paper and paper towels in “Household” or “Personal”, I put those in “Paper Goods” but that is just me! Last week when I made my binder along with clipping and separating, it took me over an hour but it was well worth it!

The coupons in the newspaper are usually for paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, kitty litter, cat food, snacks, cereal, medicine, sunscreen and other “random” items. But let me tell you I did not realize how much I was wasting by consistently buying these “random” items without items, every month. Honestly, you can never have enough paper good or toothpaste. The biggest savings for me comes with contact solution. For all of my contact wearers, you know how expensive solution can be. But with the coupons, I get $1 or $2 off (which is something for me) and if I am at a store that doubles coupons, I am in luck! I am not saying to go out and clip EVERY coupon in the paper and buy everything, clip what you need or go through the paper two or three times and then you realize that you actually need those “random” items.

I usually save $20.00 - $40.00 (yes, a very large gap, but this is depending on the final purchase price). That is with the store’s sales and discount cards and coupons, each time that I do major food shopping. This occurs usually twice a month. Let’s think about that – that can be roughly $80.00 in savings each month and then $960.00 for the whole year, if done consistently for 12 months (if you do major shopping twice a month). That may not seem like a lot on paper – oh a whole $80.00 a month, but you can use that is $80.00 more in your pocket. You would be surprised!

Now y’all may think that I am crazy but do not knock it until you try it! Let me know how much you save! 

Items To Use:

3-ringed binder (Target or Walmart)

Sheet preservers (Baseball card collection sheets)

Scissors 

Newspaper (Coupon section -- manufacturer)

Patience

Time