In order to save lots of money, you have to have some knowledge about the underlying philosophy of how couponing works. So today I'll do my best to explain coupon logic - you really have to shop & think differently for this to be successful. To illustrate, I'll talk about how I used to coupon when I gave it stab a while back, and explain all the mistakes I made.
Couponing Angie, circa May, 2001: I would get the Sunday paper and look through the weekly coupons. I find a coupon for Nestle chocolate chips that expires in August - I decide not to clip that one, since I won't need those chocolate chips until I start my big holiday baking in November. I find a coupon for Dannon yogurt - I decide not to clip that one because Yoplait is my favorite. After I clip the coupons for my fave brands that I have an immediate need for, I head off to my usual local grocery store. If I'm lucky, I have saved enough money to recoup the cost of the Sunday paper.
It's not surprising that I did not keep this up, because there were weeks where I didn't have any savings at all, and clipping coupons was stealing time that I could use for a nice Sunday nap. No bueno! Here's what I was doing wrong:
Mistake #1: I was only looking in the Sunday paper for coupons. Yes, there are great ones there, but I could have had lots more coupons if I had checked the Internet and opened my eyes to see the coupons that are all over the place - in magazines, weekly circulars, in-store displays, stuck inside many products (or on an inside box flap), even occasionally on a peel off sticker on the product itself. To maximize your savings, you have to use ALL the resources that are out there.
Mistake #2: I was focused on my grocery list for that week, instead of thinking big picture. The hard-core couponers call this "stockpiling." If you find a great deal, you have to snag it, even if you don't have an immediate need for what you're buying. Of course, this means that you have to carve out some space in your house to store what you don't need right now. It feels a little counter-intuitive to spend money on something that you don't need right then, but think of it like airline tickets - if you wait 'til the day before you fly, you'll end up paying WAY more for a ticket than if you plan ahead and book early. Don't wait until you need something - buy early & save!
Mistake #3: I was too brand loyal. Yes, everyone has certain products that they think are just superior to other brands (I'm that way with peanut butter - Jif for the win!!!). And that's fine - you will just have to REALLY stock up when you find a deal on your favorites. But most of the time, there is not THAT big of a difference between different brands. So, be a smart shopper & shop for the best deals, not for particular brands.
Mistake #4: I only shopped at one store. I mentioned in my last blog post that the key to saving tons was to match your coupons with in store sales. That means one week the best deals will be at Reasor's. The next week, the best deals will be at the SuperTarget, and on & on. In order to figure out where to shop that week, you have to know where the sales are. The good news is that all of this information is available on the net, so you can find it very easily - just go to the main webpage for Target, WalMart, Reasor's, etc. and click on the link for weekly ads. OR, for an even easier way to figure this out, harness the mighty power of the couponing network out there! They will do the work for you! If you are in the Tulsa area, click the link for the 918 Coupon Queen blog on the right of this page. Every week she posts the sales at each major Tulsa area stores combined with coupons that are out there. AWESOME! [A note about this: this can be overwhelming & confusing at first. They use a LOT of lingo and abbreviations that outsiders don't know. But never fear! I'll post later this week to try to decipher it all for you!].
This might sound like a lot, and honestly, there is a learning curve here. You won't do it perfectly at first, but for the money you'll save, it's worth it to jump in & start.
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