Saving Money with Coupons

For those of you who are financially strapped and wondering how to get by until you can get your next check from financial aid or your next to nothing paycheck…Listen up! Couponing is a great way to save possibly hundreds of dollars per year on virtually anything there is a coupon for.

If you have seen the TLC Extreme Couponing series you know what I am talking about. In the series the majority of these people purchase hundreds of newspapers per month or order from a coupon clipping service just to get coupons. Through couponing they are able to purchase food and many other types of items with very little cash out. They clear the shelves, have several carts full of stuff and leave without hardly paying anything. I would like to show you realistically how to save possibly 40-70% on your bill. I will show you the best way I know and direct you to web sites that may help you get on your way.

First let me introduce you to some web sites. Thekrazycouponlady.com is one and Thecouponmom.com is another. You can follow these on Facebook, Twitter or email and they are both pretty good with updates on the current sale price ads in a store near you. Other stores such as Winco, FoodMaxx or any little chain stores that don’t advertise you have to do the work yourself.

Next, finding coupons. They are everywhere. Online you can ask for coupons and they will send them directly to you by mail or print coupons from your computer for your favorite brands. Some stores have them displayed in different departments. Ask people who you may know if you can have their coupons if you know they get the paper, but only if they don’t use the coupons. And lastly, there is actually purchasing the paper. Calculate how much you spend on the paper every week to as how much can you get out of the actual coupons. If coupons save you that much more, purchase The Sacramento Bee. (At the time of this writing the Sacramento Bee was offering a 6 month Sunday subscription for only $19.00. That is about .80 cents per paper instead of $2.00 per paper).

Now to the actual couponing. The only thing you really have to remember is to find the cheapest deal and use the coupon to get it. Example: disposable razors are on sale for $2.25 for a package of ten. There was a coupon in the paper for $2.00 off one package of ten. Your final cost: .25 cents plus tax. Be careful and read the fine print on the coupon. Sometimes it may throw in some wording or stipulation that may confuse you. Most coupons state only allowed one item per coupon. Pay attention to the expiration date also. Most coupons expire within 2 to 4 weeks. Get a budget as to how much you wish to spend for the week/month. It can be well worth couponing if you want to make your budget stretch. It is a high when you stand at the register and the coupons bring your grocery bill down to a more manageable amount.

Study the two sites suggested. They both explain what you need to know, how to coupon and most of the time show you the great deals. More sites are readily available that may suit you better. Happy Couponing!