Frugal Tuesday – Using Coupons

I have to say, that my most favorite frugal tip is to save money by using coupons.

I love the clipping (although it can be overwhelming if I get behind!), the organizing, the way they feel in your hands…

M’kay, I might be a tad obsessed.  But the best feeling that comes from using coupons is when the store PAYS you to walk out with merchandise… and the little dinger does not sound.  And, no I don’t mean it’s because your toddler grabbed a fistful of candy at the register and ya didn’t get caught.

Another thing I love about couponing is when you are in a store that doubles coupons, especially those that double $1 coupons.  It is fabulous to watch as the savings double.  It is such a blast to look at my receipt and see savings in the 70%-90% range.

Whew!  I get a rush just talking about it.  I truly enjoy using coupons when I shop.

The main source of coupons come in the Sunday newspaper (think, Dallas Morning News-type papers).  There are usually coupon inserts every week, save for holiday weekends, and they include SmartSource, RedPlum/Valassis (now only in certain areas), and once a month Procter and Gamble.  You can find the week’s coupon “preview” every Saturday evening at Kingdom First Mom.

Another source for coupons is the fabulous mag All You.  It is available at Wal-Mart, but if you want to subscribe to it, visit Deal Seeking Mom’s site to get a 2-year subscription for $17.99!

Doesn’t couponing take a lot of time?

Using coupons when you shop may be one of the most obvious ways to save money, but it is also the most time-consuming.

Many people can feel that coupon clipping is not worth it for many reasons: it takes a lot of time (especially in the beginning), it uses a ton of paper and printer ink, and/or they don’t like the “stigma” of being a coupon shopper.

There are some who are unsure of just how much you can truly save by using coupons and shopping sales.  When you combine the two, your savings explode.

One more thing to be careful with is obession.  I have a Type-A personality, and when I do something, I do it.  I go all the way, and sometimes to the extreme.  To keep myself from going overboard, my husband keeps me accountable (yes, I have to have an accountability partner for couponing) and makes sure I am buying what we truly need.

Another secret “weapon” of mine is prayer.  Since I am living my life for Christ, I try to include Him in everything, and that includes my shopping.  I ask Him that He would help me to spend the money He has given us wisely, and that my shopping would glorify Him.  And, y’all, I’m talking about grocery shopping or shopping for needs… not a new pair of fab red shoes (although….)

Oh, the wonderful things about coupons…

I could go on and on and on about the many beautiful things about couponing.  Ya know, things like free stuff, cheap stuff, doubly-good savings…

Here is the deal: I can sit and talk all day long about the joys of couponing and how much it will save you on lots of things (not just groceries!), but you will not “get it” until you try it out yourself.

Will it take awhile to do? Yeah, it probably will until you get the hang of it and figure out how you want to organize your coupons.

Will your first coupon-shopping trip be easy? Yes and no.  You might be nervous and/or overwhelmed.  And that’s okay.

Try to leave your sweeties (spouse and kiddos) at home, and take your time.

Try to remember that coupon shopping is supposed to be FUN!

Take a deep breath and dive in!

Is couponing really worth it? In one word, yes.  It can be time-consuming, but a lot of worthwhile things take time.

M’kay… I’ve heard of printing coupons on the ‘Net.  Where do I go?

Oooh, the joys of printing internet coupons!  I love ’em!  One place you can always go to is the nifty little printer thingie in my right sidebar.  They are coupons from coupons.com (you can go directly to the site, too).

A Full Cup – Target coupon generator, coupon forum, and so much more!

Smartsource.com

Kraftfoods.com (there’s a rawkin’ deal goin’ on at Kraft right now, so check out my post on that).

Shortcuts.com – load coupons onto your shopping cards!

Cellfire.com – coupons for your cell phone.

What do you like best about couponing?  Least?  Are you new to couponing or a veteran?  What do you think so far?