Save some money…Clip some coupons.
7 Dec
Almost 3 billion dollars in grocery coupons go unused every year. Yeah, that’s billion with a B! With food prices constantly rising and more and more people losing jobs or having to take pay cuts, why is that number so high? Being a single income family, we like coupons; it’s because of coupons that my family can do some of the things we do.
The typical household can save about $678 a year by using coupons. Not a coupon user? Well, what could you do with an extra $678? I do 99% of my food shopping at Giant, and according to my last receipt I’ve saved $1,151.53 so far this year. OK, I’ll admit, some of that is Bonus Card saving, but I use a ton of coupons too. Today alone, I saved an additional 14% off my total just by using coupons. To you, 14% might not seem like that much, but it sure does add up throughout the year. Let’s look again at my total savings so far this year and see what I can do with that money. My Y membership is $1,128 a year…Paid! With a little leftover, and I still have at least 3 more trips before the end of the year.
Some of you might be thinking you don’t have time to search for and clip coupons. Come on, it takes just a few minutes a week, and it doesn’t need your undivided attention. I go through the Sunday paper for coupons, all while watching TV or talking to my Mom, or watching Cameron play. Once or twice a week I hit the net for some coupons. First I check my inbox for emails from companies like Pillsbury and Betty Crocker, they not only have great recipes, but there’s usually some great coupons for the ingredients too. Then I hit AllYou.com, for free printable coupons. Coupons.com, SmartSource.com, and CouponCabin.com are a few of my favorite coupon websites and only 3 of the many that are out there. I would say it takes me about 3 minutes per site to pick my coupons (usually done while on the couch watching TV), then I just have to print. I cut them all out while I’m doing something else, like watching TV or talking on the phone in the evenings. With the relatively small amount of time it takes to cut coupons, there’s really no reason not to.
I try to use my coupons the smartest way possible by combining them with store sales as much as I can. Now, I don’t go nuts about it. You won’t see me with 20 boxes of brownie mix just because I only paid $2 of all 20 boxes. It’s not really saving money if you’re buying things just because it’s a good deal, only to end up throwing them out because you never used them. That’s more like just throwing money away.
Are you a coupon clipping fool? What techniques do you use to get the biggest bang for your buck? Comment here, or email me at MyLifeInMommyland@me.com.
Have a Money Saving Monday!
