Several people have asked me how I handle my couponing. This blog is a response to those people. I have friends and family, near and far, who have expressed that they want me to show them the ropes. The main reason I'm doing it this way is because it's easy for me to just direct everyone to a single place for the answers to their questions. So, that's the "why" of this blog.
Now, for a background. You can blame my addiction to couponing on my friend, Crystal, who happens to also be my daughter's babysitter. I'm a full-time teacher in Central Oklahoma, and I've always been a "bargain shopper extraordinaire." When Crystal invited me to a "couponing party" in the Spring of 2011, my interest was piqued. But I was unable to attend the party, so Crystal gave me the general summary of what she learned after the fact. I started researching and exploring online forums and blogs, and chatting with other people across the country who also do couponing. Once I jumped in and got my feet wet, I was addicted to the savings, and I have made very few purchases since then that didn't include a coupon of some kind. I've learned a lot of things about couponing, but what I discovered first is that there are three kinds of couponers:
The first kind of couponer is the full-time couponer. These are the people you see on television shows like "Extreme Couponing." They devote their LIVES to couponing, and just watching them on the show is exhausting! They are the type of people who save around 85-95% on their shopping bills because they spend 40-60 hours per week couponing.
The second kind of couponer (and the category I put myself into) is part-time couponer. These are people who work or keep a home full-time, and devote a few hours a week toward saving money with coupons. They use the same techniques as the full-time couponers, but receive an average of 40-60% savings on their shopping bills.
The third kind of couponer is the occasional couponer. These folks clip a coupon that caught their eye every once in a while and use it on a single item. They don't devote any notable time toward couponing or toward coupon strategy, and their shopping bill savings are less than 5%.
As you can see, the amount saved is directly proportional to the amount of time/work spent toward couponing. But as I study, research, and learn more and more about coupons and how they work, I am trying to increase my savings while spending a minimum amount of time. In other words, I'm trying to work smart rather than work hard.
Since I've begun couponing, I have cut my grocery bill almost in half, and I have started building a stockpile of food, toiletry, and first aid items that can sustain my family in times of need. I am saving all of my couponing receipts so that when I've been couponing for a year, I can tally all my savings and see how much I've really saved. It's also important to note that I also have cut down on expenses by making several of my own cleaners (laundry soap, kitchen cleaner, baby wipes, etc.) and I also like to can bulk items that I can buy on sale to add to my stockpile. Every little bit helps!
My hope and intention for this blog is to help you learn how to coupon effectively, using the least amount of time and getting the biggest bang for your buck. Please feel free to ask questions and help me learn even more about the wonderful world of saving money with coupons.
Yay! I'm so glad you did this. I'm going to link this blog to mine, so I can keep you on my savings-radar. Thanks so much for all your tips, and thanks in advance for all you're going to share. Take care!
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