If you don’t already know that couponing is
a great way to save money on your groceries then you have probably been living
under a rock for the last fifty or so years. Seriously – If you’ve ever seen
Extreme Couponing then you’re aware of just how much you can save with coupons.
If you haven’t seen any of the shows then check YouTube, just watching a piece
of a single show is enough to understand the degree of savings possible!
There is another factor to consider if you
decide you want to feature on the next episode of Extreme Couponing – the TIME
it’s going to take to clip and sort your coupons, not to mention the time spent
searching for the best deals. And seriously – which everyday working mom has
the luxury of time? There is work to be done, kids to be fed and a home to
maintain. Unless you can function on approximately one hour of sleep a day –
then by all means – go ahead and coupon clip your little heart out!
I need my beauty sleep though so I’ve had
to develop a Time Saving Couponing Strategy!
Rule 1: Instead of spending hours trying to
match coupons to specials, subscribe to a coupon site for hints
and suggestions. You don’t bake bread twice so why do something that someone
else already has?
Rule 2: Get organized. DON”T just throw all
your coupons into a shoebox. Find a system of organizing them that works for
you. I use a binder which has dividers for different stores, then sub dividers
for category (health and beauty, tinned items, etc) and every coupon in each
category is arranged by expiration date.
Rule 3: Don't clip or print every single
coupon you see! There are some amazing deals out there but you don’t have to
use them all. If you miss a deal then so be it – there will be others that may
be ten times better!
Rule 4: Create a shopping list and get the
RIGHT coupons ready before you leave the house. Wandering up and down the
aisles checking if you have coupons to match what’s on the shelves and ending
up with a trolley full of items you don’t actually need is ridiculous. Plan
which stores you’re going to and exactly what you’re going to purchase while
you’re there – but have your binder handy in case you stumble across an
unexpected bargain!
Extreme Couponing may save you a lot more
money but at the end of the day it is better to live your life rather than just
survive!
Ahnchor:
subscribe to a coupon site
www.discountrue.com