So, What’s This Couponing Deal All About?

Couponing is many things to many people. Some folks use it as a way to stretch their budget or a way to make ends meet. For others, it is a way TO eat. And for some people, it is a “game”.

I have fallen into every one of those categories at some time in my life. I first got into couponing because it was a way to stretch the budget when my first husband and I were newly married. At some point, when lay-offs happened, it became a way to eat. No couponing? No dinner. At this juncture, couponing is more of a “game”. How low can that bill go!? Couponing is truly a way of life for me.

Ultimately, couponing is whatever you make of it. Only have 30 minutes to spend printing and gathering coupons? That’s a great use of half an hour. Can’t afford to eat (or do laundry or wash your hair or… yes, I’ve been there), couponing becomes a part time job to pay for life’s essentials.

Now there is one BIG caveat to all this… your local retailer.

In my area the grocery stores do not put forth great sales. Occasionally they have a “Run! It is a loss leader!” deal, but those are few and far between. So, I’ve adapted. My H&BA is all free. My cleaning supplies are free. Any free food items I can get at the local drugstores, I do. As it became more difficult to save 75% at the grocery store, I just figured out how to save 75% – 100% at the drugstores.

Now if you have great local grocer sales, your grocery store may be your main stock up destination. If this is so, I do urge you not to forgo the drugstores and all their free goodies, however.

And here is one big myth about couponing: You need double coupons to really save.

Baloney.

I could not get everything for 90% – 100% off at the drug stores if that were true. Heck Publix and Jewel have some the best loss leader and stock-up sales available. While double coupons can help, they are not the only way to have cheap grocery orders. Take this from one who does have doubles but has difficultly getting copious quantities of free goods at the local grocery stores.

Here are a few articles you may want to read if you are just starting out:

• How To Begin Couponing
• Flying Under The Radar
• How To Determine The Best Deal Scenario
• How To Save Money On Produce
• Cutting Meat Costs
• Keeping Track of Your Savings
• Price Books
• What To Clip?
• Where Do You Get Your Coupons?
• The True Cost of Couponing
• Coupon Organization Methods
• Prep To Shop
• Why Shop on Sunday?
• My Dirty Little Secret
• Stockpile Organization
• CVS Tutorial
• Rite Aid Tutorial
• Walgreens Tutorial

As a matter of fact, the Library category has a lot of informative reads (if I do say so myself).

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