Think of coupons in that way. Each week companies pay to print and distribute flyers full of money saving gift cards for their products - little slips of paper in newspapers (and posted online) that you can basically use as cash.
And most stores - from supermarkets to drugstores to major chains will gladly accept those little slips of paper as payment for products on their shelves.
That means the more of those little printed slips of paper you were given for basically nothing, help keep those big slips of green paper in your wallet to pay for more important items... such as beer.
Before I get into how it works, let me give you an example. Last week I used 4 coupons to score 4 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios for $1! That's right $.25 each. A savings of $3.74 a box or $14.96 for all 4. Keep reading to find out how.
You can find coupons in most Sunday newspapers. Some newspapers have taken to distributing them on other days - Philly Inquirer does Saturday for home delivery, The Daily News sometimes puts the coupons in Wednesday or Thursday's paper.
In some areas (such as my neighborhood) grocery fliers and coupons are home delivered every Wednesday in the mail.
I admit on Monday mornings I take the coupons from the newspapers stacked up at work. My wife - Jen - will also take them from her work when no one else has taken them. This helps us gather multiple coupons for items that we want. If you buy a paper and there are several coupons you will use, weigh the cost of the paper with how much you will save by using the coupons.
There are also online sources for coupons. Some of the major sites are:
Coupons.com
RedPlum.com
SmartSource.com
These are free sites you do not have to register with. They offer a variety of coupons from many manufacturers. Pampers, Kellogg’s, Campbell's, Lysol, and so much more. You click on the ones you want, and then click print. Most sites will let you print out at least 2 of each coupon you choose. So how do coupons work? You clip them, buy the product they are for, and money is deducted from the price of that product when you check out. It's that easy.
Almost all stores will list the amount you saved on the bottom of the receipt. I have fun trying to beat my totals from previous trips. I usually average saving 50% when combining store sales and coupons. On good days, I have walked out of stores with over $75 worth of groceries, for less than $10.
Some may be thinking you don't have time to clip coupons. I thought the same thing until I realized there is plenty of time. Do you watch TV while relaxing? Just pick up the coupons and clip away. I usually watch TV while clipping and going through the circulars for the local stores (more on that in another blog.) Or I set aside 20 minutes one night a week to go through the coupons. There is always time to save money.
Most major grocery stores will also do something very cool. They will double - or even TRIPLE - the value of your coupon.
Your .75 off a box of Cheerios, becomes $1.50 of a box of Cheerios. And when Cheerios were on sale at Acme for $1.75 a box, I used my 4 coupons to get 4 boxes for $1. (And I eat cereal every morning for breakfast, so it goes quick.)
I'll explain doubling and tripling coupons in a future posting.
Some readers may also be thinking, there's no way you can be getting anything good shopping like that.
Here are some recent purchases:
Sure deodorant for .50 each.
Pampers diapers - 120 count - for $15.
Huggies 84 count baby wipes for $.75.
Gillette Razors (ProFusion) for $2 for the actual razor with 2 blades.
Colgate toothpaste - paid .10 by store for each tube I bought.
And no. I'm not like those extreme couponers you see on TV - the morons who buy 125 cases of diapers and they don't even have a baby.
I buy what I need and keep track of when I'm going to need it again to watch for coupons and the best prices. And if I have a coupon for something I don’t need, I don't clip it.
Who cares if you can get a can of beans for .25 if you hate beans? You still spent the .25
I'll end this with a couple of other thoughts.
Club Cards - get one. Who cares if they track what you buy if you are saving money? Try to then buy what is on sale at each store. You get to try different brands and there is never a lack of selection. When you combine store savings with coupons, you can save tons of money.
Stock up - Things like soap, laundry detergent, paper towels, cleaning supplies. They don’t go bad. Buy when you have coupons and when the items are on sale.
I have 7 bottles of All that I bought for under a buck with sales and coupons. Better than paying $5 a bottle when I need it.
Look for other items with long shelf lives. Spaghetti sauce is usually a good example. Buy it when it’s on sale and when you have a coupon. But do not over buy! 50 bottles of sauce you won't use for 5 years just isn’t worth it.
Next blog - either more about coupons and grocery shopping, or lessons I've learned from trout fishing.
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