Top Myths About Coupons – Busted!

I was in your boat about 2 years ago. I was so full of excuses on why couponing was not for me. I watched “Extreme Couponers” and dreamed of saving money like they do, but thought they were a tad on the crazy side.

I decided to give it a try. I don’t know why, but it just seemed like maybe I wasn’t giving this couponing business a fair shake and by doing that, I was missing out on something big.

I had all these excuses listed below playing like an over played pop song in my head. I took the plunge and I haven’t looked back.

Top Myths About Coupons – Busted!

Myth #1 “It will Take Too Much Time.”

This one was a huge one for me. After seeing the couponers on TV, and the hours they put into price-matching, clipping and looking for coupons, I thought it would never be worth my time.

After trying it out in my own life, I can tell you that I spend less than and hour or two a week on this.  I get emails from the major grocery stores in my area when they have deals, I am easily able to match up the coupons I want to order with sales. You can  use the Favado app to find the best sales at all of your local stores.

Myth #2 “I won’t save that much because I can’t double coupons in my area”

This is a lie you may also be telling yourself. I live in a “No-Doubling Zone” and let me tell you, I can regularly save at least 1/3 off my  shopping trip. The most I ever saved was around 75%! It is just a matter of matching coupons with sales. I can even get things for free here on occasion. Even the Dollar Tree takes coupons now. Also, there is a local store here that usually every 3 months or so rounds coupons up to the nearest dollar.

Many stores allow you to stack coupons  by combining a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon. Or by combining an ecoupon with a store coupon. Here are more details on how to stack coupons to maximize your savings.

Sources of Printable Coupons:

• Coupons.com Printable Coupons
• SmartSource Printable Coupons
• RedPlum Printable Coupons
• Target Printable Coupons

Sources of Electronic or Mobile Coupons:

• SavingStar – Here is how Saving Star eCoupons work.
• Checkout 51 – Here is how to use Checkout 51 from your computer or Smart Phone.
• Ibotta – Here is how the Ibotta App works.

Myth #3 “Coupons are almost always for over-processed and fattening pre-packaged foods.”

This may be practically true, but it is certainly not always. You would be amazed that I have gotten coupons for meat, produce and even spices.  Recently, I have also seen a lot of coupons offered for organic and even gluten-free items.

Don’t let this excuse stop you. You can even coupon for non-food items. This is where I find I save the most, actually. I regularly get free or almost free razors, deodorant, toothpaste and toilet paper.

Myth #4 “It’s only 25 cents off, why should I bother?”

You should not snub a coupon no matter what the amount. While it is true the higher ones may save you more immediately and most noticeably, the small ones can really make a difference as well.

Remember that 75% savings I told you about? I got 4 FREE rolls of paper towels in that order. How did I do it? I went when my store was rounding coupons up to the nearest dollar and those coupons I used were for 25 cents off a roll of paper towels. Those same paper towels happened to be on sale for a dollar each. So 25 cents rounded up = $1.00 off a roll. Each roll was only a dollar, so that made them free!

Even if you don’t have a store that does this rounding up, after using 4 coupons worth 25 cents each, you have saved a dollar. That can add up to hundreds of dollars a year, my friend!

So, stop telling yourself it isn’t worth your time or isn’t for you. I was once there, and now, I save hundreds a year on groceries, cleaning supplies, toiletries and more!

More Ways to Save on Groceries

• How to Save Money on Produce
• How to Save Money on Meat
• How to Save Money on Milk and Dairy
• 10 Ways to Save Money on Organic Food
• How to Get Started Couponing
• 10 Ways to Save on Groceries without Using Coupons