I got an e-mail from a friend this week that I’m guessing is a glimpse of how many of you may feel about couponing. In fact it’s a glimpse of how I used to feel. I was convinced that God had passed over me when he was handing out the couponing gene.
I thought I’d share my answers here to help clear up some questions that may be buzzing around in your minds:
Here’s what she wrote:
Reader: I’ve tried to tackle the coupon monster before with no success. I will try and start slow. First, do you make your list, and then find coupons to match? Or do you do your shopping with what coupons you have, then have to come up with meals to coincide? I am not that handy in the kitchen…
Me: Honestly? I am not that handy in the kitchen either. So the whole ‘planning your meals around what’s on sale that week’ thing doesn’t happen very well with me. If you happen to have those skills, that’s awesome though.
What works great for me is E-Mealz. I love that I pay only $5 a month for my meals to be planned around what’s on sale each week. And I love that I can just print my list and head to the store (I shop at Aldi.)
What you will discover with couponing, however, is that over time you will begin to build a stockpile. (More on that later.) So when you need to make a meal plan that week, the items that you need to pick up at the store will become fewer and fewer.
Reader: Secondly, do you find yourself going to tons of different stores? That’s another thing that seems to happen, you have to stop one place for the sale on paper towels, another for the sale on diapers, etc. Which is another reason I give up, because with working full time, and keeping up w/ housework, cooking, etc., it gets old fast having to make 5 stops. Especially now with toting a baby along. Any suggestions?
Me: I recommend that you start with only one store. My first couponing lessons began at CVS. It still was a little overwhelming, but each week as I started to save a bit more and spend less, I realized that this whole couponing thing was definitely worth my time.
I still don’t like to drag the boys to more than one store if possible. But some weeks when I can score free cereal, cheap Huggies, and make money buying Excedrin, it’s worth a few extra stops.
Reader: And lastly, do you buy stuff you don’t need yet? For example, the mascara you had on TV. Did you need mascara, or did you buy it because it was a deal, and you knew that someday you would need it? Sometimes I come across good deals, but pass them up because I am not out of the item yet, and feel guilty spending the money when it’s not an immediate need.
Me: Yes. I buy stuff I don’t need yet. I have about 7 or 8 mascaras right now because they were free or cheap (And yes, I will be donating some of them to our local homeless shelter!) But it was pretty much a no-brainer. I got paid almost $1 to buy it.
Stockpiling is an art that I am still learning. Some people know their price points and always stock up when the item is at that price. I’m not that good yet. (See–it’s that whole missing coupon gene thing. I still think I’m lacking mine!) But when I can make money buying oatmeal, it’s pretty much a given that I should stock up.
I hope this helps debunk the myth that couponing requires some sort of mad skillz. It really doesn’t.
Does clipping coupons take time? Yes, it takes some time. (I recommend checking out how I organize my coupons if you are pressed for time. It’s much quicker!) But if you stick around here, I promise to make saving money so easy, you’ll never want to turn back!
What other questions do you all have? I’d love to tackle them in a future segment!
I have a hint to share. As a college student, in addition to feeling totally lame for using coupons, I don’t have time to bank them or a way to keep a big book like super couponers do. So I hide my lameness, and have a different way of tracking what I have coupons for.
First, I do cut out my coupons the week they come, but I only cut out coupons that I think I’m actually going to use. If it’s a product that I know I won’t need before it runs out (as in, I have 4 of them already and nowhere to put more), or if it’s a food that I would never eat, I don’t save it.
Second, I use an accordian folder, arranged by month. Then, I have an excel spreadsheet that lists the brand, product, amount off, and expiration date. It sounds complicated and might take a few minutes to set up, but it’s easy AND fast! Then I can either look online each week (my grocery stores post ads online and this makes it easy to check what is on sale that I might also have a coupon for!), or sort them by expiration date to quickly see what might expire soon.