Last week I told you the average couponer saves $1,000 each year by clipping coupons for 20 minutes a week. So how do you make the most of those 20 minutes to maximize your savings? I’m a relatively new couponer, so here’s a tips that helped me get started…
- Know your spending habits. Keep a list of the products you buy. You’ll quickly see trends in sales and coupons and learn the best time to buy.
- Get organized and create a system. Whether you use a coupon organizer, file folder, or shoebox, or file by expiration date, product category, or alphabetical order – find a way to organize your coupons that works for you and you’ll be able to find and file coupons quickly without getting overwhelmed or frustrated.
- Pick your store and know the coupon policy. Whatever your grocery store preference is (I prefer one store for pantry staples and another store for fresh fruits, veggies, and meat), focus on that store’s sales and know their coupon policy.
- Be flexible. Know which products you are loyal to and which vary depending on price. Store brands are a great alternative, but with careful couponing, brand names are often cheaper!
- Pay attention to price per unit. Usually, the best savings based on price per unit are for larger sized items. Not so when couponing! Matching high value coupons with smaller-sized items can yield the most savings, so make sure to determine unit price when making purchasing decisions.
- Broaden your horizons. The Sunday paper is a great place to find coupons, but more and more are avilable online to print instantly. Here’s a few places that I check before I head to the grocery…
- Stay motivated. Think of coupons as cash. Is there any greater motivator for a couponer?
Do you have any tips for new couponers? How much do you typically save in a month? Year?
I am so bad at couponing, I always end up with a mess and I shop all wrong. I envy those that go to the store and get a cart full of stuff and pay just a few dollars for it. I wish I could be like them, but I can’t seem to wrap my brain around it the right way.
Loretta´s last [type] ..The Inside Scoop On How Search Engines and Web Crawlers Work
I go through spurts of really working hard at couponing and then shopping on the spur of the moment without a clue of what I’m buying. The planning is what’s important for me.
A coupon organizer helps me and getting those coupons online is a real time saver. No idea of what I save, but maybe keeping track will help too.
ConnieFoggles´s last [type] ..Tiny Prints Recognizes Teachers
Connie – I have to prepare and plan to use coupons, because I’m an impulse shopper. It can really blow my budget if I’m not careful!
Loretta – I’m not that good (yet). I can cut my grocery total by about 25% on an average trip. 50% is my goal!