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!
Jamie says
Great tips! I am always thankful for coupons and it never takes me long to save! 🙂 Thank you for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty
Julie @ Logger's Wife says
I definitely agree about the coupons for non-food items. Yes, I do find some coupons for food we do eat but most of my savings come from coupons for shampoo, diapers, toilet paper, etc. I’ve been able to stack a diaper coupon with a couple of different apps and got a $16 box of diapers for $5! (visiting from Welcome Home Wednesday)