Are Coupons Really Worth It?
I’ll admit, even with the shape of our economy and the time and energy I devote daily to saving money, I’ve never been sold on the idea of coupon clipping. We’ve all heard about the coupon-savvy woman who saves hundreds of dollars on everything from diapers to appliances. My beef with coupons: who really has the time and energy? But this week I decided to drop my bad attitude and give myself a little challenge.
The challenge: use coupons at every store I shop at for one week.
This week I made a point not pushing off any purchases. So, from shoe repair to some photo framing, I did my darnedest to find coupons and save. Here’s what I learned:
Coupons don’t always save you money.
If you’re a sucker for a deal, know that coupons don’t always equal savings. In most cases I found that the generic version of what I was buying was cheaper than the more name brand option that had a coupon offer. So take the coupon out of the equation and calculate the per unit price based on the size and volume of the item I was buying.
Coupons work best on a store sale or two for one deal
Coupons work best when they’re combined with another deal or are doubled. In my grocery shop this week I bought two boxes of cereal. They were on sale, 2 for $5. I then used two $1 off coupons. My cost per box was only $1.50. Normally, without the coupon, each box is at least $5. That™s a 75%- granted just on my favorite cereal brand…. But I’ll take it.
Find a store that will double your coupons
Before embarking on my coupon journey I did my research and consistently heard that many stores will allow you to double your coupons. This was not my experience. In fact many stores were even hesitant to accept my well-researched web coupons. One drug store, that shall remain nameless, actually refused my coupon. So best to first check which stores in your area do offer doubling options. Check http://couponing.about.com/od/groceryzone/a/doublecoupons.htm <http://couponing.about.com/od/groceryzone/a/doublecoupons.htm> for a list of stores that will double your coupons.
Make a strategy
There are countless sites dedicated to coupon saving strategies. They seemed a bit time consuming and confusing to me, so my approach was simpler:
Start by looking for coupons on products you buy regularly. For me that is mostly grocery and toiletry items like cereal and self tanner.
Sign up for email alerts for the stores you are shopping at weekly. This will help you know when sales are happening so you can take advantage of doubled savings
Get into the habit of checking the front flyer bin when you walk into stores or looking for the in-store machines next to the products themselves.
Best Coupons online
This week the majority of the coupons I used were from online. For a list of the best online coupon sites check out http://www.mommysavers.com/money-saving-ideas/online-coupon-sites.shtml <http://www.mommysavers.com/money-saving-ideas/online-coupon-sites.shtml>
After completing my week of trying to be coupon clipping cool. I saved $30 in one week and 25% on my spending. Did this take some time and research. Yes. Do I now know where and how to use coupons effectively. Sure do. Am I a converted coupon clipper. I am indeed.
